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Turkish defense giant Aselsan is preparing for record growth in 2026 with expanded production of its integrated air defense system, Steel Dome; deployment of new weapons systems; and increased exports across 95 countries.
Aselsan General Manager Ahmet Akyol told state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) the company celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025 by breaking records across all operations.
"All our effort, our work, and our dedication are for the survival and welfare of our nation and the strength of our state and our military. Their support we remember with gratitude. The real success belongs to them," he noted.
Last year marked a historic milestone for Aselsan, with the company signing over $2 billion in new export contracts for the first time and achieving export deliveries of nearly $1 billion. "This was a threshold in Aselsan's history. Both in new contracts and export deliveries, we reached the highest levels in our history," Akyol stated.
Aselsan expanded its international footprint to 95 countries, up from three new markets entered in 2024.
The company now maintains an active presence in 25 countries and signed first-time export contracts for 16 products.
Production capacity surged in 2025. Aselsan delivered 286,000 products from its factories in a single year. "In August, at a ceremony with our president, we activated facilities providing a 40% capacity increase. We have achieved serious mass production capability," he added.
Aselsan constructed its largest defense industry investment at Ogulbey with $1.5 billion. The facility will gradually come online, significantly boosting serial production capacity.
Steel Dome remains the company's top priority for 2026, according to Akyol, noting that "Steel Dome is our number one priority. We will add new capabilities to Steel Dome's lowest and highest layers. You will see Steel Dome increasingly deployed across the country."
In 2025, Aselsan delivered over 100 components for Steel Dome, stating, "We are now in a period of bulk, multiple deliveries of Steel Dome air defense systems and radars deployed across the country."
"We delivered 47 systems with our president. During the year with ongoing deliveries, we added many Hisar, Korkut, Siper, ALP, and similar systems to our military's inventory. This year, we will continue to add even more to the Turkish nation and Turkish state," Akyol stated.
New weapons systems will see deployment in 2026, with Aselsan GM adding that, "We have moved to series production of our Ejderha High-Power Microwave Weapon and are working to bring it to end users. We are now deploying our Korkut 25 product, which cost-effectively physically blocks drones."
"We are working to deploy our Gokberk laser weapon with new versions in 2026. We will expand our long-range radars this year. Work continues on new versions of our S-400 air defense system. You will see our command and control system that manages the entire 'dome,' widely used in our military's inventory and performing more missions," Akyol stated.
Aselsan designs and produces all military chips needed by Türkiye and the company, noting that "we have capacity increase investments related to this. We have investments where we will deploy new processes in military chip technology."
"It will be a year where quantum chip infrastructure investments increase somewhat more," he added.
Space capabilities of Aselsan to accelerate in 2026, with GM stating that "from underwater to space, LEO satellites, all work will gain speed. On the communications side, we will continue to deploy all important products and technologies."
"Export remains our first priority as always. It will be a year where we increase international cooperation with more countries and more of our products," Akyol noted.
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The Turkish defense industry simultaneously constructs 39 military naval platforms, all equipped with Aselsan systems. The game-changing, low-visibility DUFAS sonar will be integrated into ships in series this year.
Aselsan provided nearly $4 billion in new work orders to small and medium enterprises, demonstrating how export-led growth spreads through the economy.
The company became Türkiye's most valuable company on Borsa Istanbul.
Aselsan's employment grew significantly, with Akyol stating, "This year for the first time, we reached positive numbers on returns from abroad. Fewer colleagues are leaving. More of our colleagues are again working under the Aselsan umbrella in Türkiye, with 2.5 times more colleagues returning."
"With returns from abroad and domestic recruitment, we created over 2,000 skilled jobs," he added.
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