CPMIEC is to collaborate with Turkey to produce a variant of the HQ-9 / FD-2000 locally after delivery of the initial systems. The other losing contenders in the tender were Russia's S-300, the Patriot system from the United States and the Eurosam SAMP/T Aster 30 from France and Italy.
Turkey's NATO partners had tried to dissuade it from selecting the Chinese system after Turkey had said that it was leaning towards the Chinese option by warning that they might not cooperate in integrating the FD-2000 with existing systems that are mostly western in origin.
Despite western objections, Turkey's Defense Industry Executive Committee, which is in charge of major procurement decisions and headed by the Prime Minister, still decided that the FD-2000 was the best fit for its needs.
The T-LORAMIDS project is not so much about buying a SAM off-the-shelf, but to provide the technology needed to make one as much as possible as part of a co-development model. From this standpoint, China was more willing to address Turkish needs and requirements than the other countries.
China also submitted the lowest offer to clinch the contract, reportedly at around $3.4 billion, which is down from the initial $4 billion asked. It is China's biggest export defense contract in recent years and the first time the FD-2000 has been exported.
Turkey actually has prior experience when it comes to dealing with China in producing systems locally. The Kasirga T-300 from Roketsan is based on the WS-1 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) from China.
Turkey initial requirement is for 12 batteries of the FD-2000. Each mobile battery consists of 6 Transporter-Erector Launchers (TEL), a command post, radar station and various other support vehicles.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/26/us-turkey-china-defence-idUSBRE98P19S20130926
Credit original poster, via Chinese Internet
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