On 15 December 2020, Minister of Defence of Ukraine Andrii Taran signed agreements with Turkish companies on technology transfer and production of corvettes and combat UAVs for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The signing took place during the visit of the Turkish delegation headed by the President of the Defence Industries of the Republic of Turkey Ismail Demir. According to the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, these are primarily projects designed to radically strengthen the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian Navy to enhance security in the Black and Azov Sea regions.
In October the Minister of Defence of Ukraine Andrii Taran and the President of the Turkish Defence Industries Ismail Demir signed a Memorandum outlining their intentions to launch and implement joint projects to build warships, unmanned aerial vehicles and all types of turbines. At the same time, the Minister of Defence of Ukraine Andrii Taran and the Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Turkey Hulusi Akar signed a Framework Military Agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Turkey.
The parties discussed the implementation of the agreements within the framework of the intergovernmental agreement and noted that the cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey in the field of defence is of a strategic nature. According to Andrii Taran, these are the first foreign economic agreements on military goods concluded by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. Ukraine has sought to purchase Ada-class corvette from Turkey. Ukraine has worked to rebuild its Navy amid tension with rival Russia in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.
The Ada class is a class of anti-submarine corvettes developed primarily for the Turkish Navy during the first stage of the MILGEM project. The Turkish Navy has commissioned all four Ada-class corvettes. The design concept and mission profile of the Ada-class corvette bears similarities with the Freedom-class littoral combat ship of the U.S. Navy. The Ada-class corvettes are more heavily armed, and are equipped with more capable radar and sonar systems. Four corvettes of this type have already been exported by Turkey to Pakistan.
