Latest Defense Technologies Shaping Tomorrow’s Battlefields at DIMDEX 2026.

At DIMDEX 2026 in Doha, Turkish defense manufacturer MKE showcased Tolga, a very short-range air defense and counter-UAS system designed to counter drones and loitering munitions threatening critical sites. The system reflects how modern battlefields, shaped by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, are forcing militaries to rethink point defense against low-cost, high-volume aerial threats.

Defense Web TV’s on-stand coverage at DIMDEX 2026 in Doha featured a focused discussion with MKE deputy general manager Tolga Çerik, alongside a complementary presentation by Qatar-based systems integrator Fusion Technology. In the interview, Tolga Çerik presented Tolga as a very short-range air defense and counter-UAS solution tailored to the rapidly expanding drone and loitering munition threat now shaping regional security planning, with a particular emphasis on the protection of critical infrastructure and high-value military and civilian sites from low, slow, and small aerial targets.
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The YFQ-42A illustrates the rapid evolution of modern air combat concepts, reflecting the growing emphasis on autonomous and optionally crewed platforms designed to extend reach, survivability, and mission flexibility in future high-intensity operations (Picture source: Army Recognition Group).

Tolga’s significance is that it is not marketed as a single “anti-drone gun” but as an integrated close-defense package built around a command-and-control backbone, organic sensors, electronic attack, and layered kinetic effectors. Army Recognition reporting from the show notes that the system is designed to detect, classify, and track small aerial targets at distances up to roughly 10 km, then transition to soft-kill or hard-kill depending on the target’s control method, range, and the operator’s rules of engagement. This architecture matters because the drone threat set is no longer limited to hobby-class quadcopters. Operational experience in Ukraine and the Middle East has normalized FPV drones, pre-programmed one-way attack systems, and low-cost loitering munitions that stress point defenses with volume and unpredictability.

The hard-kill layer is where MKE’s ammunition pedigree becomes central. In addition to turreted weapon systems, Tolga is paired with a dedicated anti-drone ammunition family intended to increase kill probability against small targets that are difficult to hit with direct fire. In live-fire reporting, the concept relies on programmable or time-fuzed fragmentation effects that generate a dense lethal cloud around the aim point rather than demanding a pinpoint impact on a fast, maneuvering drone. In the publicly described engagement ladder, the 35 mm layer reaches out to about 3,000 m, the 20 mm layer to around 1,000 m, and the close-in 12.7 mm layer covers roughly 300 m, creating overlapping envelopes that can be matched to the threat and the available reaction time.

Tolga’s soft-kill component is designed to disrupt remotely operated drones through electronic jamming, a capability that becomes decisive when operators want to defeat targets without expending ammunition or risking collateral damage near sensitive facilities. Reporting on Tolga’s November 2025 evaluation campaign indicates that a jammer engagement was demonstrated at around 3 km, while the kinetic layers handled closer, more time-critical shots. This dual-track approach also acknowledges a hard battlefield truth: not every drone can be “switched off.” Fiber-optic-controlled FPV drones and autonomous profiles can be resistant to RF disruption, making the availability of reliable guns and specialized ammunition a practical requirement, not a nice-to-have.

The program context is as important as the mechanism. Army Recognition’s DIMDEX coverage ties Tolga to Türkiye’s broader layered “Steel Dome” concept as the lowest tier, intended to protect maneuver units, bases, logistics nodes, ports, and other critical sites against threats below roughly the 3,000 m altitude band where small drones and loitering munitions typically operate. The same reporting also highlights Tolga’s modular intent: fixed-site defense, vehicle integration for convoy and formation protection, and potential naval adaptation, which is a relevant design choice for Gulf users balancing land infrastructure security with maritime approaches.

The DIMDEX setting adds a concrete procurement signal. Army Recognition reports that Qatar is positioned as Tolga’s first export customer through an agreement linked to a joint venture with Barzan Holding, pairing capability acquisition with an industrial cooperation framework in Doha. For operators, that combination suggests an ambition beyond buying a single system: local sustainment, potential assembly or integration work, and a faster pathway to fielding point defenses in a threat environment where drone incidents can escalate from nuisance to mission kill in minutes.

Fusion Technology’s segment in the same video offers a useful “systems of systems” reminder. The company highlighted real-time GNSS interference detection focused on jamming and spoofing, issues that can degrade navigation, timing, and surveillance networks that modern base defense depends on. In practice, counter-UAS is not just about defeating the drone in the last kilometer; it is also about preserving the integrity of the communications, navigation, and sensor picture that cue the defense in the first place, especially in congested electromagnetic environments common to major regional hubs.