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Akbar Novruz

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Azerbaijan and Türkiye are moving into a new phase of cooperation in missile and rocket production, with Azroksan preparing to expand its locally manufactured portfolio and build a broader defense-industrial ecosystem in Azerbaijan.

Speaking to AzerNews on the sidelines of ADEX 2026, Azroksan CEO Mehmet Ali Tahancalıoğlu outlined the company’s plans for joint production, technology localization and workforce expansion in Azerbaijan.

The company’s initial production activities began with 122 mm unguided rockets, but its portfolio is already expanding into more sophisticated guided systems.

“Our products initially started with 122 mm unguided rockets. As of today, the assembly of the TEBER guidance kit has also been carried out,” Tahancalıoğlu told AzerNews.

According to the CEO, the next stage will involve several guided munitions that were also showcased at ADEX 2026.

“In the very near future, work will continue on our laser-guided 122 mm, laser-guided 230 mm, IHA-122 and IHA-230 munitions, which we had the opportunity to display at the exhibition, as well as the 300 mm system, which will be the largest platform to be produced locally in Azerbaijan,” he said.

The plans point to an expansion beyond the assembly and production of conventional rocket systems toward increasingly sophisticated precision-guided munitions. The inclusion of laser-guided and unmanned aerial vehicle-launched variants also indicates that the cooperation is intended to cover several layers of modern battlefield strike capabilities.

For Azroksan, however, localization is not limited to manufacturing individual weapons systems. Tahancalıoğlu said the company intends to contribute to Azerbaijan’s technological independence by developing local expertise, production capacity and an industrial culture capable of supporting the sector over the longer term.

“Azroksan is particularly trying to contribute to this system through localization and locally manufactured products. We are transferring both an ecosystem and a culture,” he said.

Human capital forms a significant part of that strategy.

According to Tahancalıoğlu, close to 200 engineers and technicians are already working within Azroksan in Azerbaijan on the production of these systems.

“At present, nearly 200 engineers and technicians within Azroksan are working on the production of these products,” he said.

That workforce is expected to expand considerably as additional missile and rocket systems enter production.

“Over the next few years, with the introduction of the products I have mentioned, we expect the number of people employed directly by Azroksan to reach around 500 to 600. Across the wider ecosystem, we expect the number of people working in this field and in the defense industry to be measured in the thousands,” Tahancalıoğlu said.

The projected expansion illustrates a broader dimension of Azerbaijan-Türkiye defense cooperation. Rather than relying exclusively on the procurement of finished systems, the emerging model increasingly emphasizes domestic manufacturing, technical know-how and the development of a skilled local workforce.

If the planned production lines are implemented as outlined, Azroksan’s activities would expand Azerbaijan’s domestic capabilities from 122 mm unguided rockets toward laser-guided 122 mm and 230 mm systems, UAV-launched munitions and ultimately locally produced 300 mm platforms.

For Azerbaijan, that would mean not simply adding new systems to its defense inventory, but developing the engineering expertise and industrial infrastructure needed to manufacture increasingly sophisticated munitions domestically.

For Azroksan, meanwhile, the objective articulated at ADEX 2026 is equally clear: to establish an industrial base in Azerbaijan that can grow alongside the products it manufactures, transforming bilateral defense cooperation into a locally rooted production ecosystem.