Steel Dome to detect threats from furthest range and neutralize them

According to a statement from SAHA İstanbul, SSB President Haluk Görgün spoke about the Steel Dome project at the 'Field Talks' event. Görgün stated that Türkiye's multi‑layered air defense system has been officially named 'Steel Dome,' and that Steel Dome is not merely an air defense system, but an integrated defense doctrine. Görgün pointed out that this system symbolizes 'coordinated' rather than 'simultaneous' operation, and 'working together' rather than just 'working side by side,' adding, 'The system has been designed—with AI-supported decision support mechanisms—to detect threats from the farthest range and neutralize them. Görgün stated that the system integrates elements operating at different range layers—such as SİPER, HİSAR A+ and O+, KORKUT, and SUNGUR—under a single command‑and‑control architecture, and that radars, electro‑optical sensors, signal jammers, and laser systems will also be part of this holistic structure. Görgün indicated that at the center of the Steel Dome's command‑and‑control architecture is an AI-supported system through which all components communicate via a shared air picture, stating: 'Thanks to this structure, when a threat is detected, the most appropriate intervention scenario is created and promptly communicated to the relevant unit. The decision‑support framework plays a critical role in terms of speed and accuracy. In this system, not only human decisions but also AI‑based algorithms are put into action. Görgün pointed out that all components within the system are domestically and nationally produced, stating, 'If we had procured all these systems from different countries, interoperability would have posed a significant engineering challenge. However, we are integrating systems that originate from the same engineering culture.' Görgün stated that the SSB's approach focuses on both product development and creating a strategy, integration, and sustainable ecosystem, noting that hundreds of subcontractors play a role in these systems. He added that mechanisms such as the 21% SME requirement and 2% localization share support the sustainability of this vision. Görgün, who also stated that they are working on a concept centered around sensor fusion for the 6th generation combat environment, where manned and unmanned systems operate together, emphasized that projects such as KIZILELMA, ANKA-3, HÜRJET, and KAAN will be parts of this structure. Görgün pointed out that more than half of the defense industry exports are made to NATO and EU countries, and announced that a special directorate for NATO relations has been established within the SSB. Emphasizing that they have developed not only the system but also the strategy, Görgün noted that Steel Dome is a symbolic structure reflecting Türkiye's current position in defense technologies and its forward-looking vision.