ASELSAN seeks to boost exports of air defence systems PHOTO

The Turkish defence industry is seeking to increase its export potential, including at the expense of domestic air defence systems that have already entered service with the Turkish Armed Forces.

ASELSAN, the flagship of the Turkish defence industry, presented its developments at the Defence and Security Equipment International Exhibition (DSEI-2023) in London. The samples presented at DSEI-2023 included air defence, communications, security, electronic warfare and electro-optical solutions.

ASELSAN CEO Ahmet Akyol told Anadolu that DSEI is one of the world's leading trade fairs where professionals gather.

He said ASELSAN's presence at the exhibition with its ambitious products was an important achievement for Türkiye.

At the same time, the director general emphasised the importance of air defence systems, which have gained special significance against the background of the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine.

"Air defence systems have been the subject of much attention not only in the world but also on the exhibition platform. For the first time, we presented the KORKUT air defence system, which we developed for the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces," Akyol said.

Along with KORKUT, HİSAR SAMs, SİPER air defence systems and complementary anti-drone systems are also presented, he said.

At this stage, Türkiye relies on its products in the field of air defence systems. We are already negotiating and discussing the export of these products with international, friendly and allied countries," the director general said.

Surveillance systems have also gained importance recently, he said. In this regard, we presented the GÖZDE guidance system for the first time on an international platform. In addition, the new version of the remote-control system, SARP, was presented abroad for the first time, he added.