Türkiye's new Steel Dome air defense system will serve as a milestone that cements the country’s position as a global defense player, Aselsan's CEO Ahmet Akyol said, as he hailed the delivery of the system.
Speaking at a ceremony where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan officially handed over the system, Akyol described the day as “a day of celebration” for the company, which is marking its 50th anniversary.
“Today we laid the foundation for the largest investment in the history of the Republic, covering 6,500 acres, including what will be Europe’s largest air defense facility,” Akyol said. “This new site reflects our vision for the next 50 years and demonstrates our claim to a place in Europe and the world. In many parameters, we are already playing in the world league.”
He said Aselsan had inaugurated 14 new facilities, boosting its production capabilities by 40%. The Steel Dome, he explained, is an integrated system designed to function as a unified defense architecture across Türkiye.
“Others have started working on this after us, which proves how right our path is,” Akyol said, adding that unmanned aerial systems, including the Kızılelma drone, will also be integrated into the system. “This architecture will make a difference in the world.”
“By moving to the dome – the next level of integrated air defense – Aselsan has become an important global player,” he added.
Known as "Steel Dome," the architecture has been in the making 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.
The Steel Dome 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.
Deliveries on Wednesday included the Hisar O 100 and Siper air defense systems, Alp 300-G and 100-G radar systems, Puhu and Redet electronic warfare systems and Korkut short-range air defense vehicles.
Announced in August last year, the Steel Dome is described by Erdoğan as a "system of systems," integrating locally developed missile batteries, radars, electro-optical sensors, communications modules and command-and-control centers.
