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Türkiye's national combat aircraft KAAN will gain enhanced digital capabilities at a newly opened technology facility built by Havelsan within the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) campus, Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) head Haluk Gorgun announced at a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"The KAAN Technology Facility has been built within the TAI campus for the engineering work carried out by Havelsan under the KAAN project. At this center, activities will be conducted to expand KAAN's digital capabilities, accelerate engineering speed, and further strengthen verification and testing discipline," Gorgun said.
Gorgun said the facilities opened at the ceremony will elevate Havelsan's engineering activities to a stronger production and development capacity.
"The facilities we are opening today will carry Havelsan's engineering activities to a stronger production and development capacity," he stated.
He emphasized that the modern security environment has powerfully shifted into an era "strengthened by data, deepened by networks and accelerated by software," with artificial intelligence (AI) at the center of this transformation.
"Artificial intelligence stands out as a strategic multiplier that enables faster, more accurate and more predictive decision-making in the command-and-control chain by making sense of big data from sensors, networks and platforms," Gorgun noted.
"In this new era, the deterrence of platforms grows even further with their intelligence—that is, their software and integration capabilities. For precisely this reason, we must strengthen the domestic software and artificial intelligence ecosystem, data security and qualified human resources that will feed this capability with a holistic approach," he added.
Gorgun announced the opening of a new Naval Combat Management System (CMS) Center built at the Istanbul Pendik Naval Shipyard Command to meet the growing demands of the existing facility.
"At this center, research and development and product projects will be carried out in areas such as artificial intelligence, network-enabled capabilities, command and control, and decision support systems," he stated.
The center expands Havelsan's capacity to develop its ADVENT combat management system, which is integrated into multiple Turkish Navy platforms, including TCG Anadolu, I-class frigates, Hisar-class offshore patrol vessels and is being prepared for the TF-2000 Air Defense Destroyer, the national submarine and national aircraft carrier projects.
The ceremony also included the laying of the foundation for a new Simulator Integration and Production Hangar, which Gorgun described as a comprehensive production facility and important investment.
"This will be a comprehensive production facility where all types of simulators and components can be developed, training can be conducted, and physical condition tests can be carried out," Gorgun said.
Havelsan CEO Mehmet Akif Nacar said the company aims to increase its capacity by 40% with the new facilities and create new employment areas.
Nacar noted that Havelsan has developed simulators for national platforms, including the KAAN, ATAK, Hurjet, Hurkus, Gokbey, ANKA, Altay and T70, as well as AI-supported embedded training simulators that allow pilots to train in real flight environments.
"The intelligent tactical environment simulation software plays a critical role in the operational tests conducted by Kizilelma with manned and unmanned platforms," Nacar added.
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