Aselsan, one of Türkiye's top defense firms, will accelerate deliveries of the components it is producing for the country's integrated, multilayered "Steel Dome" air defense system, according to the company's general manager.
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 its Steel Dome in July 2024.
Speaking at the SAHA 2026 defense show in Istanbul, Aselsan General Manager Ahmet Akyol said the company would increase by 50% the delivery of products as part of the Steel Dome, adding they aimed to deliver more than 150 different components in 2026.
He said the parts to be delivered by Aselsan included early warning radars, electronic combat and defense systems and payloads, adding that the Steel Dome parts would comprise nearly a third of the firm's portfolio in the coming years.
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.
It foresees integration of locally developed missile batteries, radars, electro-optical sensors, communications modules and command-and-control centers.
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.
Last year, Turkish defense companies signed $6.5 billion (TL 293.95 billion) worth of contracts to reinforce and develop the Steel Dome. Of those, Akyol said some $3.2 billion worth belonged to Aselsan, adding the company would also work on systems to counter drones.
"At the moment, drone prevention is an issue everywhere in the world. Don't look at this only as defense; it is necessary for industrial security. Drones are a threat even in regions with no problems," Akyol told Reuters.
Akyol also said Aselsan would aim to speed up the company's export-oriented growth in 2026. Aselsan hit a TL 2 trillion market cap, extending its lead as the most valuable company on Istanbul's stock exchange.
"We are aiming to close the year with a higher number of export contracts than last year. Our export order growth and delivery goal is higher than double-digit growth for Aselsan as a whole," he said.
Components for the Steel Dome also form the backbone of the parts in Türkiye's indigenously built navy fleet, with currently more than 40 ships under construction.
Akyol added that Aselsan was a supplier for shipyards in Asia and Europe and that cooperation would increase in the coming years.
Türkiye's defense exports rose about 48% year-over-year in 2025 to a record of more than $10 billion. The goal is to lift the figure to $11 billion, placing Türkiye among the world's top 10 biggest defense exporters, according to officials.
