Summary:
- Muhoozi Kainerugaba, recently appointed as chief of staff of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Force, is revamping the country’s military procurement. Turkish firm Baykar is promoting its attack drones, while China offers its CH-4 drones, with potential local assembly. French company Thales is pitching radar systems to bolster Uganda’s border security against Islamist-linked militants.
KAMPALA, (Examiner) – In a strategic push to modernize Uganda’s military, Turkish, French, and Chinese defense suppliers are vying for lucrative contracts under the new leadership of Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of President Yoweri Museveni, who was appointed chief of staff of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Force (UPDF) in March.
Following his appointment, Kainerugaba swiftly initiated a review of ongoing procurement projects, cancelling several initiated by his predecessor, General Wilson Mbadi. Notably, he began consultations to equip the UPDF with advanced attack drones.
Turkish Initiative:
Turkish defense firm Baykar quickly capitalized on the new procurement strategies. In the spring, they hosted a delegation of Ugandan military officials at their production facilities in Turkey. Baykar, which already supplies its Bayraktar TB2 drones to Rwanda and both TB2 and Akinci drones to Ethiopia, is keen to extend its footprint in Africa by securing a deal with Uganda.
Chinese Competition:
Meanwhile, China’s military-industrial sector is actively promoting the CH-4 drone, developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC). Discussions have even broached the possibility of establishing a CH-4 assembly line in Uganda, leveraging the country’s growing defense industry. This industry has demonstrated its capability by producing armored vehicles in Nakasongola, facilitated by the UPDF’s commercial arm, the National Enterprise Corp (NEC).
French Entry:
The recent changes in Uganda’s military leadership have also attracted the attention of French defense electronics giant Thales. In recent weeks, Thales dispatched a sales team to Kampala to pitch their Ground Master 200 (GM200) medium-range radar systems. These systems are designed to enhance Uganda’s ability to protect its borders, particularly the shores of Lakes Edward and Albert, from incursions by the Islamist-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). The ADF, active in eastern DRC, has carried out several cross-border attacks, including a devastating raid on a school in Mpondwe in June 2023.
