FNSS Presents Kaplan ADA Air Defense Vehicle with Teber-2 TMT Turret at IDEF 2025 Highlighting Türkiye’s Next-Gen Air Defense Leap.

Türkiye’s FNSS presented the Kaplan ADA equipped with the Teber-2 TMT turret during IDEF 2025, international defense exhibition in Türkiye, in a configuration marking a significant step in short-range air defense modernization. This unveiling reflects Türkiye’s growing ambition to develop domestically integrated armored platforms capable of engaging both airborne and ground threats in high-intensity conflict zones. The Kaplan ADA project represents a new stage in combined arms air defense warfare, bridging the gap between mechanized maneuver units and mobile anti-air capabilities. In a region marked by drone warfare proliferation and increasing airspace contestation, this system offers a timely and critical response.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

Kaplan ADA’s showcase at IDEF 2025 sends a strong message about Türkiye’s capability to respond to rapidly evolving aerial threats with indigenous, adaptable, and combat-ready solutions (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)

The Kaplan ADA is a tracked air defense vehicle developed by FNSS to counter evolving low-altitude aerial threats such as UAVs, attack helicopters, and cruise missiles. Mounted with the Teber-2 TMT turret, the platform integrates dual 30mm cannons and missile systems capable of engaging multiple targets simultaneously. The turret features automatic target tracking, a high-performance electro-optical suite, and can accommodate proximity-fused airburst munitions. Built on the versatile Kaplan chassis, the ADA variant adapts this mobility for air defense, ensuring it can accompany armored units in forward deployments and remain interoperable with networked defense command structures.

The operational evolution of Kaplan ADA traces back to FNSS’s earlier success with modular tracked vehicles such as the Kaplan-10 and Kaplan-20. Originally optimized for anti-tank and reconnaissance missions, the platform’s architecture allowed seamless adaptation to air defense through intensive R&D conducted jointly with Turkish defense electronics firms. The Teber-2 TMT turret, an evolution of the Teber family developed by ASELSAN, builds on extensive operational experience from its deployment on both wheeled and tracked vehicles. This synergy between FNSS’s mobility engineering and ASELSAN’s fire control systems underscores a maturing Turkish defense-industrial base capable of system-level innovation.

Compared to traditional short-range air defense vehicles, the Kaplan ADA provides superior cross-country mobility and survivability. Unlike towed or stationary air defense systems, it offers maneuver force integration, enabling real-time protection during high-tempo operations. In contrast to Russia’s Pantsir-S1, which is heavier and more static in ground maneuver roles, Kaplan ADA’s lighter chassis and modular design give it adaptability in urban, mountainous, and amphibious environments. Historically, systems like the German Gepard were limited by analog fire control and lack of network integration, shortcomings that the ADA overcomes with advanced digital architecture and rapid target processing capabilities. It also compares favorably with South Korea's K30 Biho in terms of firepower flexibility and sensor fusion.

Strategically, the Kaplan ADA answers Türkiye’s urgent need to counter the proliferation of loitering munitions and tactical drones, a threat underscored by recent conflicts in Ukraine, Libya, and the South Caucasus. Its deployment is expected to enhance Türkiye’s layered air defense doctrine by providing mobile, front-line protection to critical combat formations. This capability reinforces Türkiye’s strategic autonomy in defense procurement and reduces reliance on foreign systems like the American M-SHORAD or European Skyranger 30. In geopolitical terms, the Kaplan ADA boosts Türkiye’s appeal as a regional supplier of integrated combat systems, especially to nations seeking cost-effective and combat-proven SHORAD solutions amid rising regional tensions.

Kaplan ADA’s showcase at IDEF 2025 sends a strong message about Türkiye’s capability to respond to rapidly evolving aerial threats with indigenous, adaptable, and combat-ready solutions. FNSS, by pairing its proven tracked platform with the Teber-2 TMT turret, delivers a new layer of tactical air defense tailored for modern conflict zones, enhancing both deterrence and export potential in a competitive global market.