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This file photo shows a Russian military satellite. AP photo.
The Italy-based maker of Turkey's first planned military satellite said late Thursday that the construction of the Göktürk satellite is continuing on track, with a scheduled launch in 2013, despite objections raised by Israel against the device's operational capabilities.
Relations between former allies Israel and Turkey have been at their nadir since last May, when Israeli commandos raided a Turkish-led aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip, killing nine activists on board one of the ships. The Göktürk satellite has become the latest dispute between the two new adversaries.
Telespazio, a joint venture between Italy's defense giant Finmeccanica and France's Thales, a couple of years ago signed a deal worth nearly 250 million euros for the Turkish military satellite. Finmeccanica has a 67 percent stake in Telespazio, one of the world's leading operators in satellite management services.
In a written statement sent to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Telespazio, prime contractor of Turkey's Gökürk Earth observation program, said, "The Göktürk satellite is manufactured in France by Thales Alenia Space, a Thales/Finmeccanica company, using state of the art technology for the high resolution optical sensor."
It said, "Göktürk is on track for a launch window in line with contractual requirements." Later a Telespazio official told Hürriyet Daily News that the satellite is scheduled to be launched into space in 2013, in line with the contract's provisions.
Asked by the Daily News if the satellite would meet the contractual specifications, the official said: "Yes, of course. The satellite is being designed to meet the customer's operational requirements."
Israeli objections
Israel opposes the project. "We try to ensure that we are not photographed at high resolutions and most countries accommodate us," Reuters earlier this week quoted a senior Israeli defense official as saying. "Should we request this of the Turks? We won’t ask for it. There is no one to talk to."
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has dismissed security concerns voiced by Israel over the planned launch of Turkey's first spy satellite. "Some people are disturbed by this. They say: 'Turkey will watch us from space in the future'. You have been watching us for many years, decades," Erdoğan said March 11.
The Göktürk satellite will ease Turkey's reliance on U.S. intelligence in its operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. Turkey in recent years has used U.S. electronic intelligence in targeting the group's headquarters and training facilities in cross-border raids.
A senior Finmeccanica official earlier said his company also would seek to win a Turkish contract for the next military satellite. "The next satellite program involves a payload comprising a synthetic aperture radar, and the Finmeccanica Group companies will be even more competitive than in the past," Paolo Pozzessere, Finmeccanica's commercial director, told the Daily News.
Finmeccanica has been increasingly active in Turkey in recent years. AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica subsidiary, which already has signed a multibillion-dollar contract to jointly produce 60 T129 attack helicopters for the Turkish army, also competes with the U.S. Sikorsky Aircraft in Turkey's ongoing utility helicopter program.
MBDA, a Finmeccanica-related company is in competition with U.S., Russian and Chinese rivals for Turkey's multibillion-dollar program to acquire long-range air and missile defense systems. Also Finmeccanica's aircraft firms seek to develop military planes with Turkey.
source:Turk satellite program on track despite Israeli opposition - Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review
Interesting that they're already talking about a second recon satellite, does anyone know what the specs will be able to do ?
The Italy-based maker of Turkey's first planned military satellite said late Thursday that the construction of the Göktürk satellite is continuing on track, with a scheduled launch in 2013, despite objections raised by Israel against the device's operational capabilities.
Relations between former allies Israel and Turkey have been at their nadir since last May, when Israeli commandos raided a Turkish-led aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip, killing nine activists on board one of the ships. The Göktürk satellite has become the latest dispute between the two new adversaries.
Telespazio, a joint venture between Italy's defense giant Finmeccanica and France's Thales, a couple of years ago signed a deal worth nearly 250 million euros for the Turkish military satellite. Finmeccanica has a 67 percent stake in Telespazio, one of the world's leading operators in satellite management services.
In a written statement sent to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Telespazio, prime contractor of Turkey's Gökürk Earth observation program, said, "The Göktürk satellite is manufactured in France by Thales Alenia Space, a Thales/Finmeccanica company, using state of the art technology for the high resolution optical sensor."
It said, "Göktürk is on track for a launch window in line with contractual requirements." Later a Telespazio official told Hürriyet Daily News that the satellite is scheduled to be launched into space in 2013, in line with the contract's provisions.
Asked by the Daily News if the satellite would meet the contractual specifications, the official said: "Yes, of course. The satellite is being designed to meet the customer's operational requirements."
Israeli objections
Israel opposes the project. "We try to ensure that we are not photographed at high resolutions and most countries accommodate us," Reuters earlier this week quoted a senior Israeli defense official as saying. "Should we request this of the Turks? We won’t ask for it. There is no one to talk to."
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has dismissed security concerns voiced by Israel over the planned launch of Turkey's first spy satellite. "Some people are disturbed by this. They say: 'Turkey will watch us from space in the future'. You have been watching us for many years, decades," Erdoğan said March 11.
The Göktürk satellite will ease Turkey's reliance on U.S. intelligence in its operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. Turkey in recent years has used U.S. electronic intelligence in targeting the group's headquarters and training facilities in cross-border raids.
A senior Finmeccanica official earlier said his company also would seek to win a Turkish contract for the next military satellite. "The next satellite program involves a payload comprising a synthetic aperture radar, and the Finmeccanica Group companies will be even more competitive than in the past," Paolo Pozzessere, Finmeccanica's commercial director, told the Daily News.
Finmeccanica has been increasingly active in Turkey in recent years. AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica subsidiary, which already has signed a multibillion-dollar contract to jointly produce 60 T129 attack helicopters for the Turkish army, also competes with the U.S. Sikorsky Aircraft in Turkey's ongoing utility helicopter program.
MBDA, a Finmeccanica-related company is in competition with U.S., Russian and Chinese rivals for Turkey's multibillion-dollar program to acquire long-range air and missile defense systems. Also Finmeccanica's aircraft firms seek to develop military planes with Turkey.
source:Turk satellite program on track despite Israeli opposition - Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review
Interesting that they're already talking about a second recon satellite, does anyone know what the specs will be able to do ?
