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Turkish defense firm Roketsan said it is working to fully equip the Turkish Navy's guided munitions needs through domestic production, as the company nears completion of testing on its Levent close-in air defense system.
Roketsan CEO Murat Ikinci made the remarks to Anadolu Agency (AA) on the sidelines of Teknofest Blue Homeland, held at Golcuk Shipyard Command.
Ikinci said the Turkish Navy is the strongest naval force in the region, and that new modernization efforts and domestic munitions have elevated this strength to a much higher strategic and logistical level.
Pointing to developments in armed unmanned surface vehicles (AUSVs), Ikinci said unmanned vehicles at sea, like their counterparts in the air, are creating serious potential.
"By integrating our Cirit, Sungur, Cakir and even our L-UMTAS anti-tank missiles into armed unmanned surface vehicles, we are bringing these platforms to a point where they can fire guided missiles. This will actually take Türkiye to a very different level, because AUSV vehicles and their ability to fire guided munitions represent a very strategic capability for all of us," Ikinci noted.
Ikinci said the company continues working to meet all of the Turkish Navy's guided munitions needs through domestic and national resources.
"Roketsan continues its efforts to fully meet all of the Turkish Navy's guided munitions needs through domestic and national resources. The foremost of these is our Atmaca anti-ship missile. It is being integrated into all the platforms we currently produce, including our frigates and MILGEM-class corvettes. With this integration, our foreign dependence in this field has completely ended," he added.
"In addition, torpedoes are the most important strike capability of our submarines. Our Akya heavy-class torpedo is a torpedo that eliminates all foreign dependence in this area," Ikinci said.
Ikinci said Roketsan has also added new capabilities to naval platforms, noting that the Akata system now allows submarines to launch the Atmaca cruise missile.
Ikinci said the company is pursuing a strategy to eliminate foreign dependence in defense while boosting strike capability, noting that the Siper and Hisar missiles have already been integrated into the National Vertical Launch System (MIDLAS).
He gave an update on the Levent close-in air defense missile system, which is critical for ships' self-defense.
"Testing and trials of Levent are ongoing," he said. "We will carry out platform integration very soon, and, Allah willing, we will bring it into service alongside that."
Ikinci added that Levent also has significant export potential.
"It is currently one of the topics most on our agenda regarding exports," he said. "There is genuinely major demand for air defense systems, especially in the Gulf region, following the Iran-Israel war."
"Just as Türkiye meets its own needs, it continues its efforts to export products in this field to friendly and allied countries. Together with the rest of the sector, we are working to achieve successful export figures as part of these efforts," the Roketsan CEO noted.
"All of this activity carried out for our navy not only eliminates Türkiye's foreign dependence but also offers an alternative resource in this field to countries that act alongside Türkiye. This resource is very important to us, both in terms of export potential and in terms of relations among naval forces," Ikinci concluded.
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