Havelsan, Egyptian AOI sign deal to sell jointly developed drone

Turkish defense electronics firm Havelsan and Egypt's Arab Organization for Industrialization have signed a commercial sales agreement for their jointly developed Hamza-1 unmanned aerial vehicle, marking the latest advancement in the two countries' deepening defense partnership. The contract was finalized during the El Alamein International Airshow 2026, where executives formalized arrangements to bring the vertical takeoff and landing drone to market.

Manufacturing framework

The deal follows an August 2025 cooperation agreement that established the framework for manufacturing the aircraft in Egypt, combining Havelsan's autonomous systems expertise with AOI's localized production capabilities. Havelsan drew upon its technological portfolio developed for domestic platforms including the Baha, Bozbey, Poyraz and Bulut drones to engineer the Hamza-1's autonomous systems.

Prototype and delivery

The initial prototype of the joint venture was first unveiled at the EDEX defense expo in Cairo late last year. Officials said deliveries to end-users are expected to commence following the commercial signing, though specific quantities and timelines were not immediately disclosed.

Regional cooperation

The successful commercialization of the Hamza-1 platform underscores the expanding military-technical cooperation between Türkiye and Egypt. The project represents a tangible outcome of the rapprochement that has characterized bilateral relations in recent years, while advancing Havelsan's strategy of global co-production partnerships.