ASELSAN Wins $1.3B Deal to Enhance Türkiye’s Steel Dome New Air Defence System.

Turkish Company ASELSAN has signed a new $1.3 billion contract with the Turkish government to deliver additional units of the Steel Dome integrated air defense system. The move underscores Türkiye’s accelerating effort to strengthen homeland defense amid growing regional security challenges.

Türkiye’s state-backed defense electronics giant ASELSAN has inked a $1.3 billion follow-on contract with the Turkish government to expand production of the Steel Dome, the country’s national integrated air and missile defense system. Announced via the Turkish Century X account on November 11, 2025, the deal reflects Türkiye’s determination to build self-reliant, layered airspace protection as tensions rise across its borders. Industry analysts say the new order marks one of the largest domestic defense investments in recent years, signaling Ankara’s intent to field the Steel Dome nationwide within the decade.
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Steel Dome is Türkiye’s national air defense architecture, developed by ASELSAN, that combines layered missile systems, advanced radars, and AI-driven command networks to defend the country’s entire airspace against drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic threats. (Picture source: Aselsan)

The Steel Dome project is Türkiye’s flagship multi-layered air and missile defense system, conceived to provide comprehensive coverage over national airspace and defend critical infrastructure, urban zones, industrial corridors, and military bases. Unlike traditional point-defense systems, Steel Dome is a fully integrated, mobile architecture capable of intercepting a range of threats, including micro UAVs, loitering munitions, cruise missiles, and short-range ballistic weapons.

Developed by ASELSAN in close collaboration with other Turkish defense entities, the system integrates a network of radars, electro-optical sensors, fire units, and command systems into a centralized battle management platform. Key platforms within the Steel Dome framework include HİSAR-A+, HİSAR-O+, SİPER, GÜRZ, KORKUT, and SUNGUR, each operating within specific altitude and range envelopes. These systems are deployed across three primary layers, with short-range gun and missile units protecting the lower tier, medium-range interceptors guarding the middle layer, and long-range missiles like SİPER forming the outer shield.

With this new contract, Türkiye is expected to deploy additional radar and launcher units, advanced sensor fusion modules, and updated command-and-control systems powered by artificial intelligence. These components will be manufactured and integrated at ASELSAN’s newly expanded Oğulbey Technology Valley facility in Ankara, which is already configured for serial production of air defense components. Deliveries under the new contract are expected to begin in 2026, with nationwide integration targets extending through 2029.

Strategically, the Steel Dome project is not just about defending Turkish airspace. It is about achieving technological sovereignty and eliminating foreign dependency in the realm of air and missile defense. Drawing lessons from conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, and the Caucasus, where low-cost drone swarms and precision strikes have altered the nature of modern warfare, Türkiye is positioning itself to respond independently and at scale.

The new contract also places Türkiye among a growing group of nations pursuing large-scale, multi-layered national air defense shields. The United States, for example, is actively developing its Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) and Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) as part of a layered homeland and forward-deployed defense strategy. Additionally, in early 2025, the U.S. introduced the Golden Dome concept, a proposed next-generation missile defense architecture built around a constellation of space-based sensors and interceptors. If implemented, Golden Dome would mark the first time the United States deploys orbital weapons platforms capable of neutralizing ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles during or even before launch. The system, still in early planning stages, echoes earlier strategic defense concepts, such as the “Brilliant Pebbles” initiative of the 1980s.

Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling, South Korea’s L-SAM, and India’s Ballistic Missile Defense Program represent other national efforts to build sovereign, multi-layered defense shields. What makes Türkiye’s Steel Dome distinctive is the complete integration of all system layers through domestically engineered technologies, enabling autonomous deployment without reliance on foreign suppliers or integrators.

The 1.3 billion dollar expansion of the Steel Dome program signals a turning point in Türkiye’s defense strategy. It demonstrates the country’s ability to field an entirely indigenous air defense architecture while aligning itself with global trends toward sovereign, multi-domain protection. As the strategic environment grows more contested, Türkiye is taking a decisive step to ensure its skies remain secure through national technology, independent production, and a defense vision rooted in long-term deterrence. With this contract, Ankara is not only fortifying its homeland but also redefining its role as a capable architect of integrated air defense in an increasingly volatile region.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.