Turkish tech transfer to the Ukrainian MoD

Skepticism and cynicism are generally in healthy balance within the DNA of the blog.  Not too much and not too little.

They always force to the fore those irksome questions or statements such as “who benefits?” or “follow the money” or “who decides, and who decides who decides?” when pondering policy and politics in Ukraine.  Sometimes the answers to such thinking finds little or nothing.  Sometimes something rather grubby.  Occasionally something entirely odious and cancerous.

Whatever the case, such thinking is rarely immediately dismissive of the issues or matters under scrutiny – even when historically there is a case to dismiss them without a second thought.

Historically Memorandum’s of Understanding (MoU) entered into by Ukraine have frequently come to nothing.  At certain moments in Ukrainian history, MoUs were about as numerous as EEAS communiques – and with equal impact (almost none).

Thus no reader would be severely scorned for dismissing MoUs by Ukraine out of hand, or skipping them in any news cycle.  When all is said and done, a MoU is not a binding contract after all.

That 4th July witnessed Ukraine and Turkey sign a MoU regarding unmanned aerial complexes and more possible joint ventures could easily be cynically cited as (well intentioned) “fluff” that will otherwise probably not materialise – particularly as the meeting was at the level of Deputy Ministers.

However wise heads will know that it is the boiler room personnel and not Ministers, Prime Ministers or Presidents that do the tedious work so that their political masters can appear when “deliverables” are indeed “delivered”.

Ukrainian-Turkish relations are in fairly good shape.  Turkey will never be seen to abandon the Crimean Tatar.  Ukraine is making sure that the TANAP Azeri-Turkish gas pipeline is known to have its support (as well as its onward push into Bulgaria and Romania).  The Black Sea and trade (both legal and otherwise) are common interests.

More to the point however, there already exists some cooperation between Ukrainian and Turkish defence industries, and the relevant ministries.  In skipping the announcement of yet another MoU signed by underlings, a reader would miss the other matters mentioned that made it into the event reporting.

Leaving aside the “ifs”, “buts” and “maybes” that constitute the possible “fluff”, there were a few more solid points raised – such as the fulfillment of the Aselsan contract to supply military communication equipment to Ukraine.

What caught the eye of the blog however was this paragraph – “The parties agreed to transfer to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine advanced technologies and software in the field of communications and signed an appropriate compensation (offset) agreement.”

While taking US Javelins is more symbolic than a military necessity (and readers may well argue that the French MMP system is better – but was France prepared to sell them to Ukraine?) what the Ukrainian MIC needs is tech transfer – whether simply buying it in, or via joint ventures, or allowing foreign companies into the Ukrainian MIC.

However it is achieved, Ukraine requires legitimate tech transfer.  (No doubt somewhere there are those engaged in reverse engineering and tinkering/”enhancing” somewhat dubiously acquired tech.)  As such this MoU announcement, however much “fluff” it contains that may never come to pass, held within it something of real interest.

Naturally it is now time to ask the usual cynical and skeptical questions – with such deals being struck now, prior to any liberalisation of the Ukrainian MIC, who gets access to the Turkish tech – only Ukrboronprom, or the entirety of the MIC?