ASELSAN launches its latest defence industry investment

ASELSAN has revealed that it has brought together Turkish leadership figures at the ‘Foundations for the Next 50 Years’ ceremony.

According to the company, among those invited was President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Secretary of Turkish Defence Industries Professor Dr Haluk Görgün, top government officials, ambassadors and senior executives from leading defence companies at ASELSAN’s Gölbaşı Technology Base.

During the event, ASELSAN’s ASELFLIR 600 live-streamed the Steel Dome deliveries from BAYKAR’s AKINCI UAV, showcasing its real-time surveillance capability.  

Oğulbey Technology Base: A hub for the future  

ASELSAN states that at the ceremony, Turkish President Erdoğan laid the foundation of the company’s Oğulbey Technology Base, set to become the company’s largest site and a cornerstone of its next 50 years.

With an investment of approximately USD 1.5 billion, the base will cover over 735,000 square meters of enclosed space within a total area of 6.5 million square meters, equivalent to 900 football stadiums.

The company notes that the facilities will primarily serve teams developing the country’s multi-layered integrated air and missile defence system, Steel Dome.  

Steel Dome deliveries   

During the ceremony, 47 key components of the Steel Dome architecture, valued at USD 460 million, were delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces.

These included air defence, electronic warfare and radar systems such as SİPER, HİSAR, KORKUT, ALP and PUHU.

Designed to shield Türkiye with a multi-layered, integrated defence structure, Steel Dome represents a critical leap forward in securing national airspace.  

Boosting production and innovation   

The company said that the ceremony also marked the opening of 14 new facilities valued at USD 280 million, including:

• The Air Defense Systems Design Office
• Radar Production and Integration Facility
• Advanced Engineering Materials R&D Center, Electro-Optic FLIR Systems Production Facility, Guided Munitions Design and Integration Facility, Avionics Integration Hangar and ASELSANNET HAB Production Center.

These investments significantly expand ASELSAN’s cleanroom capacity, laboratories, integration areas and R&D spaces, achieving a 40% increase in capacity while creating new opportunities for highly qualified employment and accelerating next-generation production.

ASELSAN says that the first facility is to become operational by mid-2026.  

“The heart of our defence ecosystem”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking at the ceremony stated: “This investment marks the single largest defence industry investment in our Republic’s history.

“And this will also be the largest integrated air defence facility in Europe. As ASELSAN serves as the heart of our defence ecosystem, this step represents a critical threshold for the entire sector.

“In the next 50 years, Türkiye will not only meet its own needs but also become a country that shapes the world with its technology.”

The President continued: “We are confident that ASELSAN will be one of the institutions making the greatest contribution on this path.”  

“A driving force”

Yaşar Güler, Minister of National Defense shared: “Established to meet Türkiye’s defence needs, ASELSAN has, over 50 years, become a driving force behind elevating our defence industry beyond global standards.

“The new technology base and facilities will fuel ASELSAN’s continued growth and boost its international competitiveness.

“Systems delivered under Steel Dome project will enhance the Turkish Armed Forces’ mobility and operational effectiveness, ensuring top-level national security,” he added.

“A strategic leap”

Professor Dr Haluk Görgün, Secretary of Turkish Defence Industries commented: “These new investments mark a strategic leap forward for the Turkish defence industry.

“This milestone not only prepares ASELSAN for the next 50 years of innovation and reinforces its technological infrastructure, but also strengthens our technological independence, expands our capabilities and lays the foundation for shaping the future of defence technologies on a global scale.

“As Secretariat of Defence Industries, we will continue to develop our country’s defence industry systems and share them with allied nations,” Görgün added.

“Advancing confidently towards our goal”

Ahmet Akyol, President and CEO, ASELSAN said: “Fifty years ago, ASELSAN was founded with the dream of achieving what had never been done in Türkiye.

“Today, we proudly stand among the world’s leading players in air defence, radar, electronic warfare, communications, smart munitions and electro-optics.

“We have become one of the 10 fastest-growing defence companies in the world and with these new investments we are advancing confidently towards our goal of transforming Türkiye’s defence giant into a global technology powerhouse,” Akyol concluded.