Islamabad / Ankara, July 2025 — Pakistan and Türkiye have moved forward on a strategic defense collaboration: the two countries will jointly produce smart, small-diameter bombs (SDBs) for deployment by their respective air forces. This cooperative effort builds on a growing defense-industrial partnership in areas such as munitions, missile systems, drones, naval platforms, and advanced electronics.
The news emerged from high-level talks between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Pakistani counterparts, including Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During those discussions, the importance of jointly developing advanced aviation technologies—including aerospace and drone capabilities—was emphasized .
Pakistan’s AZB‑81LR represents its leading SDB capability. Developed by Qaswa Industries and GIDS, this precision guided munition can reach ranges exceeding 200 km, combining GNSS and infrared-guidance with improved standoff performance—and is already being integrated with Pakistani, Turkish, and Chinese drone and aircraft platforms . Turkey, likewise, has long been developing its own national Small Diameter Bomb—also known as the “Miniature Bomb”—under the collaborative leadership of TÜBİTAK SAGE and Aselsan, with successful live-fire tests dating back to 2019 and pressure to commence serial production over the coming years .
While details of the agreement remain under wraps, defense experts believe the proposed joint production will likely leverage Pakistan’s AZB‑81LR program in conjunction with Turkey’s Miniature Bomb architecture, merging intellectual property, manufacturing, and systems integration. The result would be a dual-origin weapon system deployable on shared platforms such as Pakistan’s Bayraktar UCAVs, Chinese-origin JF‑17 jets, and Turkish UAVs like TB2 and Akıncı.
This collaboration is consistent with a broader framework aimed at bolstering industrial synergies in defense. The two countries already collaborate on joint production of MILGEM corvette warships, air-to-air missile technology (including GÖKTUĞ and Pakistan’s FAAZ series), drone platforms, and military electronics—often supported by MOUs and agreements under the Pakistan–Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council formed in early 2025 .
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Given Pakistan’s recent deployment of its AZB‑81LR in operations (and its intention to integrate it across Turkish and Chinese aircraft systems) as well as Turkey’s drive toward indigenous guided‑bomb capability, the joint production plan emerges as both timely and strategically significant .
Once operational, these jointly produced SDBs could enhance strike precision and stand-off capability for both air forces while deepening the defense-industrial partnership between the two allies. It also signals their ambitions to compete in the global precision-munitions market with a shared, interoperable weapon system.