Turkish defense companies have signed $6.5 billion worth of contracts to reinforce and develop Türkiye's integrated, multilayered "Steel Dome" air defense system, the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) announced on Wednesday.
In a statement, SSB Chair Haluk Görgün said the contracts included combat systems and their advanced versions, which would be developed by Roketsan, adding that the Steel Dome would be made of fully domestic systems.
"In addition to the air defense, short-range and long-range air defense systems that our companies Roketsan and Aselsan have previously produced, developed, and introduced into the inventory, today, we also signed contracts related to the offensive systems previously introduced into the inventory by Roketsan and their advanced versions," Görgün said.
Announced in August last year, Steel Dome 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.
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.
As part of the system, this August saw deliveries of multiple components worth $460 million, including 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.
The Steel Dome has been one of the main topics in Türkiye amid geopolitical tensions, led by Israel's genocidal military campaign in Gaza and its attacks on Iran, Lebanon and Syria, as well as the war in Ukraine.
Türkiye has long said it would step up measures to protect its airspace and land borders, and has been working to build up its defenses, including long-range missiles.
In June, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye would raise its own defenses to such a level that "nobody will even consider" attacking it.
The Steel Dome includes many prominent players like Aselsan, known for its defense electronics expertise, Roketsan, a producer of unguided rockets and guided missiles, TÜBITAK Defense Industries Research and Development Institute (SAGE) and Machine and Chemical Industry (MKE), which produces small arms, artillery and ammunition.
Türkiye's transformation over the last 20 years has prompted the development of a range of homegrown air, land and marine platforms, eventually helping lower its foreign dependency on defense from around 80% in the early 2000s to below 20% today.
Unprecedented demand for its defense platforms, led by its combat drones, helped defense exports peak at $7.15 billion in 2024, up from around $5.5 billion in 2023 and $4.4 billion in 2022. Officials say the figure would easily top $8 billion this year.
