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Turkish defense manufacturer FNSS and Slovakia-based CSG Defense signed a framework agreement at the Eurosatory 2026 exhibition in Paris to establish a joint venture called Danube Defense Systems.
The new Slovakia-based company, to be headquartered in Trencin, will be owned 51% by CSG Defense and 49% by FNSS, according to a joint statement.
Its flagship product will be the CFL-120 Karpat Medium Tank, derived from FNSS's KAPLAN MT platform and equipped with Leonardo's HITFACT MKII 120 mm turret.
"Danube Defense Systems is the right structure at the right time," FNSS CEO Selim Baybas said.
"FNSS has spent decades engineering armoured vehicles that are combat proven, trusted by armed forces worldwide. Through this partnership, we bring that technology into European production," he noted.
The Karpat platform combines 120 mm main battle tank-level firepower with higher mobility, transportability, and a reduced logistical burden compared to full-weight main battle tanks.
Baybas said European programs are increasingly favoring smaller, more mobile vehicles with payload capacity, and that Karpat was brought to Eurosatory with that demand in mind.
"It has a 120 mm gun. In this sense, it is a vehicle that can perform the tasks of larger vehicles in Europe," he said, adding, "Transportation, mobility and the logistics of moving vehicles to required locations are important issues for Europe, and our vehicle's weight and mobility address these needs."
Beyond the medium tank, Danube Defense Systems intends to offer armored personnel carrier and infantry fighting vehicle variants within the Karpat family, as well as additional FNSS wheeled and tracked platforms to be produced in Europe.
Baybas was explicit about how the partnership is structured: all design, research, and development capability and license rights remain with FNSS in Ankara.
"Provided that all design and R&D capability, design capability and licenses remain with us, we plan to carry out manufacturing in Europe under this agreement," he said, adding, "In a sense, we have built a model in which the technology comes from us and part of the manufacturing comes from Europe."
CSG will lead marketing and manufacturing operations through its MSM Land Systems facility in Trencin, which offers hull-welding and machining capabilities, integration and testing infrastructure, and a regional supplier network.
Slovak subcontractors are expected to play a central role in the supply chain.
CSG Defense Systems CEO Jan Marinov described the venture as "a defining moment for European defense industry collaboration," saying the two companies together offer "a unique mix of top-notch engineering capabilities" tailored to NATO standard requirements.
The partnership gives FNSS not only an export pitch but also a manufacturing presence in Europe, a distinction Baybas emphasized as critical to meeting the local production and content requirements of European procurement programs.
"We want our vehicles, which have been used for years by the Turkish Armed Forces and have successfully represented our country in NATO programs and exercises, to be produced in Europe and enter the inventories of European armies," he said.
"We hope that in the coming programs, we will be able to bring our vehicle into the inventories of important European NATO members," the FNSS CEO noted.
Baybas stated that the European defense industry faces capacity needs and technology gaps following decades of reduced procurement during peacetime, and that Türkiye's defense industry has made significant progress that European partners can draw on.
The CFL-120 Karpat is expected to be the first product of the cooperation, with other FNSS platforms targeted for the European market in subsequent phases.
FNSS' entry into Europe through an industrial joint venture follows a similar move by fellow Turkish defense firm Otokar, which established a local production arrangement in Romania for its Cobra II 4x4 tactical wheeled vehicle.
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