The Turkish defense industry has marked a historic milestone with three critical steps taken in a single day — moves that will significantly strengthen the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). While one side of the story is about strategic systems entering the inventory, the real turning point for Ankara is that these systems can now be produced rapidly and in series.
With these three advances, Türkiye not only witnessed a historic moment in its national defense industry but also launched a new era that will elevate the capabilities and resources of the Turkish Armed Forces to a much higher level.
At a ceremony attended by President Erdoğan, the components of the Steel Dome (Çelik Kubbe) defense system were addressed collectively like never before. ASELSAN inaugurated 14 new facilities, and the foundation was laid for the Oğulbey Technology Base.
As part of the ceremony, systems consisting of 47 vehicles with a total value of approximately 460 million dollars were delivered to the army.
The addition of one SİPER long-range air defense system and 10 related vehicles marked a turning point in Türkiye's air defense. In addition, three HİSAR-O medium-range air defense systems along with 21 related vehicles officially entered service during the ceremony.
From the Steel Dome components, the KORKUT air defense system, seven PUHU, and two REDET electronic warfare systems also joined the inventory as of yesterday.
Defense Industry expert Yusuf Akbaba shared that this ceremony marked the largest single delivery in Türkiye's defense industry history.
He emphasized that Ankara's demonstration was also a show of strength unrelated to recent regional events. "Yesterday's ceremony sends a message to the known country involved in recent events. Türkiye wanted to partially show the world what kind of capabilities it holds," he said.
Discussing the delivered systems, Akbaba first highlighted the increased production capacity of the HİSAR air defense system.
He pointed out that the number of these systems will steadily increase and that we will soon see HİSAR systems deployed in various parts of Türkiye.
He also noted that deliveries for Siper Block 1 have begun, and we can expect to see a test video of Block 2 within the year. Once production facilities are fully ready, he said we can
Almost everyone agrees that one of the most important issues in Türkiye's defense industry in recent years has been serial production and rapid delivery. This expectation applies not only to air defense systems but also to unmanned systems, electronic warfare, long-range ballistic missiles, and similar technologies.
Yusuf Akbaba gave special attention to the 14 newly opened facilities and the laying of the Oğulbey Technology Base's foundation. He concluded:
"President Erdoğan's repeated emphasis on 'serial production' in his speech is certainly no coincidence.
Over the years, ASELSAN has increased the number of systems delivered and signed contracts to produce even more. ROKETSAN has expanded capacity especially in factories producing air defense systems. Deliveries have naturally accelerated. Similar roadmaps have been outlined for all major players in Türkiye's defense ecosystem. From now on, the goal is to maintain fast and serial production.
Yesterday's ceremony made it clear once again that Türkiye has built a multi-layered air defense umbrella with national resources. However, there is also a satellite dimension to this issue. The ability to intercept enemy missiles with satellite-supported systems is critical. Türkiye has rolled up its sleeves and continues to work on this.
At the end of the day, Türkiye is building new facilities in its defense industry, placing more orders to companies, and pushing capabilities for faster deliveries. Hopefully, everything proceeds as planned, and we will see the fruits of these steps in the coming years."
