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Türkiye's MKE Secures First Export of TOLGA Short-Range Air Defense System to Qatar at DIMDEX 2026.
Türkiye and Qatar have agreed to export the MKE TOLGA short-range air defence system to the Qatar Armed Forces and to establish a new defence joint venture in Doha. The deal, announced at DIMDEX, strengthens bilateral military cooperation and positions Turkish air defence technology for wider Gulf adoption.
In a development announced on 19 January 2026 and confirmed by official Turkish statements and local press reporting from Doha, Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi (MKE) and Qatar’s Barzan Holding have formalised a new phase of their defence industrial cooperation at the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX). At a signing ceremony held during the exhibition, and witnessed by senior Turkish and Qatari defence officials, the two sides concluded a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint venture in Qatar and to launch the first export of Türkiye’s MKE TOLGA short-range air defence system to the Qatar Armed Forces.
Announced at DIMDEX 2026, the agreement between Türkiye and Qatar marks the first export of the MKE TOLGA short-range air defense system, combining a new counter-drone capability for the Qatar Armed Forces with the establishment of a joint industrial venture in Doha (Picture Source: MKE)
The memorandum provides for the creation of a joint company on Qatari soil that will serve as an industrial and organisational framework for future projects. According to the terms outlined by Turkish authorities, the joint venture will give Qatar domestic explosive manufacturing capability, support local production and assembly of selected systems and act as the vehicle for delivering TOLGA as a new close-in air defence asset for the country. Once the sales process initiated at DIMDEX is completed, TOLGA is expected to enter the inventory of the Qatar Armed Forces as the first foreign customer for the system.
This agreement builds on an earlier cooperation protocol signed between MKE and Barzan in Doha in February of the previous year, which set the foundations for long-term collaboration in defence and investment activities. The new joint-venture framework is intended to make that relationship more institutional, sustainable and long-term by moving from ad hoc cooperation to structured defence industry projects implemented through a shared company model. For Ankara, it anchors a key export programme; for Doha, it offers both access to a new capability and a path to develop its own industrial base in areas such as energetics and ammunition.
On the operational side, the deal centres on the MKE TOLGA short-range air defence system, which has been developed by MKE engineers to counter the growing spectrum of mini and micro UAVs, tactical drones, smart munitions and cruise-type threats observed on recent battlefields. TOLGA combines a dedicated command-and-control unit with search and tracking radar, electro-optical sensors, electronic warfare jammers and a layered kinetic suite built around 35 mm, 20 mm and dual 12.7 mm weapon stations. The system’s surveillance and EW components are designed to detect, classify and track small aerial targets at distances of up to roughly 10 kilometres, before shifting to soft-kill or hard-kill engagements depending on range, target type and rules of engagement.
During a full-scale live-fire evaluation campaign in Türkiye on 16 November 2025, TOLGA was tested under realistic conditions against a variety of unmanned aerial targets. Over eight planned scenarios, the system reportedly achieved a 100 percent interception rate, combining jamming against one target at around three kilometres with successive kinetic engagements against fixed-wing UAVs, first-person-view drones and targets representing cruise missiles and guided munitions. The trials, conducted at the Ministry of National Defence’s Karapınar Firing Test and Evaluation Centre and observed by representatives of the Turkish Armed Forces and security services, were used by MKE to confirm the system’s readiness for serial production.
A key element of the system is its family of specialised anti-drone ammunition, developed domestically by MKE for each calibre. These rounds are programmed to detonate at pre-set distances, creating a dense fragmentation pattern around the target rather than relying solely on direct hits. In practice, this translates into engagement envelopes of up to approximately 3,000 metres for the 35 mm gun, around 1,000 metres for the 20 mm weapon and roughly 300 metres for the 12.7 mm layer. By matching calibre and ammunition type to the threat profile and distance, TOLGA offers a graduated response from outer to very short ranges against small, agile aerial platforms.
The system’s architecture has been conceived as modular from the outset. TOLGA can be deployed as a fixed asset for the protection of critical infrastructure such as refineries, airports, bases and ports, integrated on wheeled or tracked vehicles for the protection of manoeuvre units and mobile convoys, or adapted for naval use to defend surface vessels and maritime facilities. For operators, this modularity enables a common counter-UAS and short-range air defence solution across land and sea domains, with shared training, logistics and maintenance.
Within Türkiye’s national air and missile defence concept, TOLGA occupies the lowest tier of the so-called “Steel Dome” architecture, providing the last line of defence against low-altitude threats below roughly 3,000 metres and complementing higher-altitude surface-to-air missile systems. By combining radar, electro-optics, electronic warfare and multi-calibre guns with tailored ammunition, it is intended to protect land forces, air bases, logistics hubs and naval units against the kind of small, expendable drones and loitering munitions that have proven capable of disabling high-value assets in conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East.
For Qatar, the acquisition of TOLGA through a joint industrial structure with MKE offers more than a straightforward procurement. The system is slated to contribute to the protection of critical infrastructure and military sites, including refineries, airports, bases, ports, land formations and naval platforms, aligning with Qatar’s broader effort to strengthen its low-altitude air defence and counter-UAS posture. The joint venture’s role in enabling local explosive production and potentially local assembly or integration work also supports Doha’s objective of developing a more self-reliant defence industry, supported by technology transfer rather than purely off-the-shelf purchases.
Barzan Holding’s status as Strategic Partner and Gold Sponsor of DIMDEX 2026 further underscores the political and industrial weight attached to these initiatives. In this role, Barzan supports the organisation of the exhibition and uses its position to showcase Qatar’s defence industrial ambitions to visiting delegations and foreign companies. The new joint venture with MKE fits into this wider strategy of positioning Qatar not only as a buyer of foreign systems but also as a platform for co-development, local production and regional redistribution of defence technologies.
In their public comments, senior representatives of MKE and Barzan have highlighted three main outcomes expected from the agreement: institutionalised cooperation via the joint venture structure, enhanced transfer of know-how and production capabilities to Qatar, and a contribution to broader regional security cooperation through shared projects. The TOLGA export is presented as both a concrete first programme under this framework and a demonstrator for future initiatives that could encompass other weapon systems, ammunition lines or integrated defence solutions.
By securing TOLGA’s first export contract and tying it to a joint venture in Qatar, Türkiye is signalling its intention to compete more actively in the regional market for short-range air defence and counter-drone systems, at a time when demand is rising and competition from established Western and new non-Western suppliers is intensifying. For Qatar, the agreement offers a way to address urgent operational requirements, while deepening a strategic partnership with a supplier ready to share industrial capabilities and to adapt systems to local needs.
The joint venture and the inaugural TOLGA export represent more than a commercial transaction. They illustrate a shift towards cooperative models in which short-range air defence and counter-UAS technologies are designed, produced and deployed through shared industrial structures rather than exclusively through traditional NATO or Western supply chains. In that context, Türkiye and Qatar are positioning themselves as emerging hubs for layered counter-drone solutions in the Gulf, combining operational integration with a growing degree of local industrial involvement.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.