Turkey’s Kale Group is to set up a 51-49 JV with UK-based engineering company Rolls-Royce to develop engines for both civilian and military aircraft, including for Turkey’s planned TF-X jet fighter, Kale Group said on May 8, according to Reuters.

In January, a £100mn agreement was signed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and the UK's BAE Systems to develop Turkey’s new fighter jet. The TF-X is scheduled to replace the Turkish armed force's F-16 jet fleet starting from 2020.

Kale Group is active in the construction materials, industry and services sectors. The conglomerate produces structural components, assemblies and kits for the aerospace industry.

Kale Group posted a turnover of $1.5bn in 2015. It has 17 subsidiaries in sectors from defence to energy and tourism. The conglomerate is Turkey’s largest and Europe’s fifth largest construction chemicals producer.

Rolls-Royce has been active in Turkey since 2009 when it opened a marine services office in Istanbul’s Tuzla district. The UK-based company supplied Turkish Airlines with engines and it established a field service representative presence at Istanbul International Airport. In 2012, Rolls-Royce opened a regional office in Istanbul.

In 2015, TAI and the Light Helicopter Turbine Engine Company (LHTEC), a 50:50 partnership between Honeywell International and Rolls-Royce, signed an agreement to supply CTS800 turboshaft engines for the Turkish Light Utility Helicopter, a programme of the Undersecretary for the Defence Industry that has been running since September 2013.