As militaries around the world race to counter increasingly sophisticated drone threats, Turkish defense manufacturer Roketsan is positioning its Alka laser weapon system as a key component of Türkiye's multilayered air defense architecture.

Koray Dayanç, director of weapons and integration at Roketsan, said Alka would serve as the laser layer of the "Steel Dome," providing a final line of defense against drone threats that evade other air defense assets.

NATO member Türkiye, which in ⁠recent years has significantly ramped up its defense industry production and reduced dependence on external suppliers, first announced plans to build ​the Steel Dome in ⁠July 2024.

The architecture crowns years of investments that have helped Türkiye transform from a nation heavily reliant on equipment from abroad to one where homegrown systems meet almost all of its defense industry needs.

The project is designed to integrate a range of air defense capabilities, including missile systems, radar, electronic warfare assets and directed-energy weapons, into a unified network.

It aims to provide integrated protection against low, medium and high-altitude threats through land-based and sea-based air defense platforms and sensors developed at home.

Dayanç said that efforts to develop a directed-energy weapon system began in 2018-2019, with the Alka system starting its life and deliveries after it won a competition organized by the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).

The system was developed to protect critical facilities within the country and help safeguard operational units against swarm kamikaze drone threats.

Since then, the system has undergone significant upgrades as drone technology has evolved.

"We scaled up the system from 2.5 kilowatts to upward of 10 kilowatts," Dayanç said.

He noted that drone threats have become faster and more sophisticated over time, evolving from conventional radio-controlled systems to wired variants that are resistant to electronic jamming.

"The speed and types of drone threats have also increased over time, transitioning from electronically radio-controlled units to wired types with resilience against soft-kill-style jamming," he said.

Soft-kill and hard-kill ops

According to Dayanç, Alka has evolved alongside threats and is now capable of carrying out both soft-kill and hard-kill operations. Soft-kill measures disrupt or disable targets electronically, while hard-kill systems physically destroy them.

Dayanç said the 10-kilowatt version of the system is already operational, although development continues as new drone threats emerge.

"We updated our radar to reduce detection and identification times and we're working on transitioning to newer radar tech to detect more targets," he said.

Roketsan has also incorporated artificial intelligence into the Alka system and its command-and-control architecture to reduce response times during large-scale drone attacks, helping operators identify and prioritize targets more quickly.

"We took measures to reduce detection time and prioritization duration, as well as the time required for the operator," Dayanç said. "We continue our improvements based on field-relayed feedback."

Dayanç said the Alka laser system is intended to protect critical infrastructure, military bases and moving units against drone threats that may penetrate other layers of the air defense system.

Part of broader shift in air defense

Directed-energy weapons are drawing increasing attention globally as militaries seek more cost-effective ways to counter the growing use of drones.

Dayanç said efforts are underway around the world to develop similar systems and capabilities.

"Based on the feedback we receive on Alka and our operational experience, we're moving forward to address the future needs of the Turkish Armed Forces," he said.

"We're positioning the Alka to serve as the laser component of the Steel Dome system to ultimately perform a hard-kill role."

He added that efforts to increase the laser weapon's energy capacity are ongoing.