Türkiye, Egypt Reveal Joint Combat Drones and Vehicles

Türkiye and Egypt have taken a major step in their rapidly expanding defense partnership with the debut of two jointly developed unmanned platforms at the EDEX 2025 defense exhibition in Cairo.

Turkish tech firm Havelsan and Egypt’s Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) introduced the Aqrab unmanned ground vehicle and the Hamza-1 VTOL drone, drawing strong interest from regional delegations and a visit from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, The Caspian Post reports via Turkish media.

The Aqrab, a 6x6 unmanned ground vehicle built for desert operations and equipped to carry a remote-controlled weapon system, marks a new capability for Egypt’s defense sector. The Hamza-1 drone was showcased as a key highlight, reflecting deep collaboration between the two countries. Havelsan provides command-and-control, AI, and autonomous systems expertise, while Egypt focuses on localized production.

Havelsan Vice President Sevket Unal said the platforms are designed specifically for Egypt’s needs and could serve wider African markets. “We see Egypt as a gateway to Africa. We anticipate that the products developed here will also be offered to countries in the region,” he noted. Field tests will follow to refine the systems ahead of deployment.

The joint unveiling underscores the accelerating normalization between Ankara and Cairo, signaling a shift toward strategic industrial co-production. It also highlights both nations’ ambition to become regional leaders in autonomous defense technologies and expand their influence across Africa and the Middle East.