Baykar Technologies’ unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the fifth-generation Kaan fighter jet, developed by state-owned Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) and expected to enter serial production by the end of 2028, represent the flagships of Türkiye’s military production.
To prevent potential threats, strengthen defence capabilities within the framework of deterrence, and, at the same time, establish as many alliances as possible with partner countries in Europe and beyond. As demonstrated at the maritime-themed “Teknofest Aviation and Technology Festival,” held from 28 to 31 August at the İstanbul Naval Shipyard Command, NATO member Türkiye is pursuing its industrial and technological development programme around this principle. Over the past two decades, Türkiye has succeeded in reducing its foreign dependency in defence from over 80% to below 20%, generating an unprecedented demand and pushing exports to 7.1 billion dollars in 2024, up from 5.5 billion dollars in 2023 and 4.4 billion dollars in 2022. The unmanned aerial vehicles of Baykar Technologies, which acquired the Italian company Piaggio Aerospace and established a joint venture with Leonardo this year, and the fifth-generation Kaan fighter jet developed by the state-owned TUSAŞ, with mass production expected to begin at the end of 2028, stand as the current flagships of Turkish military production.
After years of investment, and also due to the dissatisfaction with the support provided by Western partners in ensuring adequate air defence in a region increasingly marked by escalations and conflicts, Türkiye has transformed from a country dependent on foreign powers into one where almost all the needs of the defence industry are met by domestically developed systems. Speaking at Teknofest last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described Türkiye’s industrial sector as a “symbol of resilience and innovation.” Erdoğan said, “Our defence industry, which is a source of pride for our country, is literally making history in every field. While our friends speak of our achievements with admiration, our rivals race to catch up with us, but they never will. We did not listen to those who said, ‘it is not possible.’ We ignored those who said ‘you cannot do it.’ We did not believe those who saw us as dreamers.” The Turkish President thus expressed his confidence in the country’s capabilities, particularly in the talents of “our engineers and our youth.” Erdoğan added, “In a very short time, we have reached a level that inspires admiration worldwide.”
On 27 September, the day before the opening of Teknofest at İstanbul Naval Shipyard Command, the Turkish President attended a delivery ceremony at Turkish technology giant Aselsan’s main industrial hub in Ankara, where 47 components of the 460 million dollar “Çelik Kubbe” (Steel Dome) multi-layered air-defence system were handed over to the Turkish Land Forces. Among the deliveries were the Hisar O 100 and Siper systems, ALP 300-G and 100-G radar systems, PUHU and REDET electronic warfare systems, and the Korkut short-range air-defence vehicles. The Steel Dome architecture, built in collaboration with other companies like the missile systems company Roketsan, is being developed to provide integrated protection against low-, medium-, and high-altitude threats through domestic defence platforms. Declaring that this project marks the beginning of a new era in Türkiye’s air defence, Erdoğan underlined, “The latest conflicts in the region have once again revealed the importance of radar systems that detect airborne threats.” Announced last August, the Steel Dome is described as a “system of systems” because it integrates missile batteries, radars, electro-optical sensors, communication modules, and domestically developed command-and-control centres.