On the Anadolu Agency Editor’s Desk program, Transport, Maritime and Communications Minister Ahmet Arslan stated that they have received bids regarding Türksat 5A and 5B satellites from three world leading companies Airbus, MELCO and SSL, and that price negotiations have started with the French-British partnership company, Airbus.
Arslan said, “Airbus has given the most favorable bid in terms of financial and domestic contribution, and we have invited Airbus to negotiate prices. Our goal is to end the price negotiations this month, sign the contract and to start production of the satellites immediately. Airbus has given the most suitable bid to make the best business alliance with us in order to launch our country's domestic and national satellite, Türksat 6A. We aim to send Türksat 5A in 2020 and Türksat 5B in 2021 to space.”
Transport, Maritime and Communications Minister Ahmet Arslan stated that, Airbus Defense and Space (Airbus D & S), the best bidder for the construction of Türksat 5A and 5B satellites, has been invited for contract negotiations.
Arslan, who reminded that Turkey provided satellite service in three orbital locations at 31 degrees, 42 degrees and 50 degrees, and added that while domestic satellites are being used at 42 degrees and 50 degrees, the satellite at 31 degrees is leased.
Arslan, gave the following information in regards to the current situation on Türksat 5A and 5B satellites:
“We started the process of Türksat 5A and 5B in order to use our satellite instead of the 31-degree rental satellite. The three leading companies in the world have offered bids, the French-British partnership Airbus Defense and Space (Airbus D & S) from Japan, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO), the Canadian-US partnership with MDA / Space System Loral (MDA / SSL). All three were well qualified. At the end of the talks, Airbus gave the most suitable bid in terms of financial and domestic contribution. Henceforth, on the path leading to 6A and the launching of our domestic and national satellite, Airbus has offered us the best business alliance. We invited Airbus to negotiate its prices. We will now negotiate prices with them. Our aim is to finish price negotiations by the end of this month, sign the contract and immediately start the manufacturing of these satellites.”
Minster Arslan stated they aimed to send Türksat 5A in 2020 and Türksat 5B in 2021 to space.
Arslan pointed out that they had collaborated with the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology, and the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries regarding Türksat 6A and expressed that they intended to send the Türksat 6A satellite to space in 2020.
Arslan emphasized that at the end of the process the number of satellites would increase from 3 to 6. He added, “There is a feature that only five countries in the world have the right to use, the new frequency band Q. Turkey will be one of the countries to use the Q band frequency. With 6 satellites we will take our place in space, we will have moved up in class.”