Turkish defense contractors have signed $6.5 billion in contracts to strengthen and further develop the country’s integrated “Steel Dome” air defense system, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported, citing a defense official on Wednesday.
The agreements were announced at a signing ceremony hosted by the defense software company Havelsan in Ankara and attended by Presidency of the Defense Industry (SSB) Chairman Haluk Görgün, Deputy Chairman Hüseyin Avşar, Aselsan General Manager Ahmet Akyol, Roketsan General Manager Murat İkinci and senior representatives of the Turkish Armed Forces.
Turkey’s “Steel Dome” project is an integrated, multi-layered air defense system designed to protect Turkish airspace. It uses domestic technology, including artificial intelligence, to counter threats from drones to ballistic missiles.
The contracts include combat systems and advanced variants to be developed by Roketsan, a state-owned Turkish defense company known for producing missile systems, rockets, air defense components and guided munitions, while Aselsan, Turkey’s largest defense electronics manufacturer, will contribute to command-and-control and related technologies.
Görgün said Roketsan and Aselsan will work on upgraded versions of systems previously delivered to the military, adding that Steel Dome will rely entirely on domestically produced hardware and software.
Turkey, a NATO member, unveiled Steel Dome in August 2024 as part of a plan to build a multi-layered air defense system to protect its airspace, modeled on Israel’s Iron Dome. Unlike Israel’s version, Turkey’s is designed to counter a wider range of threats, including drones, cruise missiles and aircraft.
He said the projects are intended to strengthen Turkey’s deterrence and support the country’s ability to field and export indigenous air defense systems.
Turkey has increased its defense exports in recent years, with officials noting that some of the systems included in the new contracts are already being sold abroad.
A report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in March shows that Turkey’s arms exports had increased by 103 percent in 2020-2024 since the previous five-year period, making it the 11th top exporter of arms worldwide.
According to the report Turkey’s arms exports surged by 103 percent from 2015-2019 to 2020–2024, while its share of global arms exports stood at 1.7 percent in the same period, making it the 11th largest exporter in the world among the 25 largest exporters of major arms as documented by SIPRI.
During the 2015-19 period, Turkey’s share of global arms exports was 0.8 percent.
Aselsan’s Akyol said the signatures marked a “strategic step” toward mass production of air defense components, while Roketsan’s İkinci said the contracts cover a wide range of systems, including strategic, air defense and anti-tank technologies.
SSB Deputy Chairman Avşar said the projects would contribute significantly to the country’s security and enhance the operational capabilities of the Turkish Armed Forces.
Officials did not provide details on delivery timelines or the specific systems included in the agreements.
The Turkish government says it is working to reduce Turkey’s dependence on foreign countries for arms and military equipment by investing more in the national defense industry, which has boomed in the past years. Turkey is now one of the world’s main exporters of armed drones.