Aselsan sees opportunity as Latin American market evolves

Ahmet Akyol, Aselsan president and CEO, at the Aselsan booth during the LAAD exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in April 2025. (Aselsan)

Aselsan participated in the LAAD Defence & Security 2025 exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1 to 4 April, displaying key capabilities to meet Latin America's growing defence and public security needs. Engaging with regional partners and exploring new opportunities for co-operation was an important goal for the company, Ahmet Akyol, Aselsan president and CEO, told Janes on 4 April, although he noted that no new agreements were signed during the event. High interest in Aselsan's products during the show “reflects the region's eagerness for advanced defence and security solutions”, he added.

Strategic focus

Aselsan sees “Latin America as a strategic region within our global expansion framework, with a particular focus on countries that are actively investing in defence modernisation and emphasise local industrial participation”, Akyol said. Key markets include Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, he said.

Brazil offers a strong local defence industry and prefers long-term partnerships that include technology transfer and co-production, he noted. Aselsan's “readiness to localise production and collaborate with Brazilian companies positions it as a strong candidate for joint development programmes”, Akyol said. Brazil's focus on local content in defence projects makes it a “priority market for future collaboration”, he added.

Akyol noted that Aselsan opened its Latin America office in Santiago, Chile, in 2024, marking an important step for future activities in the region. The company is currently modernising the Chilean Army's Leopard 2A4 tanks, Akyol said, noting that the company previously performed similar work on Türkiye's Leopard 2A4s.