Page 7 - ADT AUGUST 2021 Online Magazine

rence can only be achieved through a strong
defence industry. On our journey that we set
off with the main mission of development of a
modern defence industry and modernisation of
Turkish Armed Forces, major steps have been
taken so far,” says Dr. Demir. [ COVER STORY ]

Next Gen Products
Several Turkish firms are active in the defence
field through their cutting-edge military prod-
ucts such as armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
(UAV), remote control weapon systems,
missiles, and air defence systems. In partic-
ular, Baykar and state-run TAI manufacture
world-class aerial vehicles that are domesti-
cally-produced.
can already perform signals intelligence (SIGINT) activities and is
The Turkish UAV programme in general and in National Intelligence Organisation's (MIT) inventory. The SSB
UAV manufacturer Baykar in particular seem is also working on Remote Electronic Support/Electronic Attack
poised to dominate the future of the country's Ability in Air Platform (HAVA SOJ) Project. The drone will be able
air forces. to detect, identify and locate enemy communication systems as
As one of the prominent projects, the first well as radar and air defence. It will also provide early warning,
delivery of Turkey’s domestically manufac- as well as confuse, deceive and blind hostile systems to prevent
tured unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), them from being used against friendly elements, particularly in
Akıncı, is set to be made this year, while the cross-border operations.
mass production on Aksungur, a medium-al-
titude, long-endurance (MALE) UCAV will Domestic Prowess
also start in 2021. The second prototype of Victoria Bosomworth, Associate Aerospace and Defence Analyst at
the Akıncı, manufactured by Baykar, success- GlobalData, notes: “One of the fundamental drivers of the Turkish
fully passed the 20,000-foot (6,096-meter) government’s investment in defence has been a focus towards
altitude test in August of last year. The drone, increasing the technological developments and capacity of its
equipped with locally made active electroni- domestic defence sector, seeking greater autonomy in terms of
cally scanned array (AESA) radar and air-to-air indigenously produced military acquisitions, as well as attempting
missiles Gökdoğan and Bozdoğan, can launch to position itself as one of the leading nations globally in terms
several types of locally made ammunition, such of defence exports. Apart from the political gains, Turkish UAV
as standoff missiles (SOM). Akıncı can collect programme in general and Baykar's Bayraktar, along with the poten-
and save data from its sensors and cameras tial "Akıncı" in particular, seem poised to dominate the future of
thanks to its six artificial intelligence (AI) com- the Turkish air force. A GlobalData report titled ‘Turkey Defence
puters, according to Daily Sabah. Market – Attractiveness, Competitive Landscape and Forecasts to
2025’, says while macroeconomic figures have shown a contrac-
Recently the SSB launched a new project to tion of Turkish GDP by -3.14 per cent in 2020 due to the COVID-19
equip drones with electronic warfare (EW) pandemic, spending on defence and prioritising Turkey’s national
capabilities. interests remains a prime concern for President Erdoğan’s cabinet.
The Stand-Off-Jammer/Remote Jammer proj-
ect is named IHA SOJ. Turkey’s Anka-I UAV The Presidency for Defense Industries launched its Swarm UAV
Technology Development and Demonstration program with a view
to develop algorithms and software for the use of unmanned plat-
forms with a swarm capability. The programme is also meant to
involve micro-scale companies as well as small and medium-sized
enterprises. Demir says the International Defence Industry Fair
gives Turkey an opportunity to showcase the products from the
country’s very own defence industry at home. “While we are going
around the world to showcase our defence technologies, only our
larger companies can afford to attend these shows. So, at IDEF,
our smaller companies and SMEs get an opportunity to showcase
their capabilities,” he says. Also, companies from around the world
will be able to come to Turkey to see its capabilities. “So it becomes
a breeding ground for future opportunities, as we are also open
to share our activities and have joint activities in Turkey,” he adds.

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