BEIRUT — Turkish defense firm Aselsan has announced a $1.9 billion (EUR 1.65 billion) deal with the Turkish Secretariat of Defence Industries (SSB) to equip the national armed forces with air defense systems.
The Tuesday announcement said deliveries to the armed forces will take place between 2027 and 2031. But other than that, it was short on details, and representatives for the firm declined to elaborate to follow-up questions.
The deal comes, however, after Aselsan was named project lead for Ankara’s ambitious national air defense project Steel Dome and in the wake of a much-heralded $1.5 billion goverment investment in a Steel Dome production hub, envisioned as the biggest air defense facility in Europe.
“These kind of solutions are not endless systems, not [only] for Turkey, for all countries, because you have a huge territory and also threat environment is not stable,” Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol told Breaking Defense in an interview in July. “We are trying to add new features.”
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During a visit by Breaking Defense to Aselsan facilities in late August, the company displayed 47 vehicle-based air defense systems that had been formally delivered to the Turkish armed forces.
The new air defense deal also came as Aselsan participated in the DSEI defense expo in London. There the company has made a handful of announcements, including that it has entered a joint venture with Indonesian PT Republikorp to coproduce radios and defense electronics and communication systems.
It has also signed a memorandum of understanding MOU with Brazilian AKAER to collaborate on electro-optics, avionics and armored vehicle modernization, and inked a letter of intent for military communications cooperation with Nokia.
Aselsan’s KORKUT 100/25 mobile counter-drone system made its international debut at DSEI, featuring capabilities to neutralize mini- and micro-drones through an integrated 25 mm ATOM smart munition.