Turkey Estimates Rp108 Trillion to Strengthen Steel Dome Air Defense System

JAKARTA - The Presidency of the Defense Industry (SSB) late last month announced that Turkish defense companies had signed a contract worth 6.5 billion US dollars (Rp108,530,500,000,000) to strengthen and develop Turkey's integrated and layered "Steel Dome" air defense system.

In a statement, SSB Chairman Haluk Görgün said the contract includes the combat system and its advanced version, which will be developed by Roketsan, adding that Steel Dome will be made from a fully domestically produced system.

"In addition to the short-range and long-range air defense systems that have previously been produced, developed, and included in the inventory by our companies Roketsan and Aselsan, today, we also signed a contract related to the offensive system that was previously included in the inventory by Roketsan and its advanced version," said Görgün, reported by Anadolu (15/12).

Announced in August last year, Steel Dome aims to provide integrated protection against low, medium, and high-altitude threats through land- and sea-based air defense platforms and sensors developed domestically.

This architecture is the culmination of years of investment that have helped Turkey transform from a country heavily dependent on foreign equipment to a country where domestically produced systems meet almost all of its defense industry needs. The system anticipates the integration of locally developed missile batteries, radars, electro-optical sensors, communication modules, and command and control centers.

As part of the system, in August this year, several components worth 460 million US dollars were shipped, including the Hisar O 100 and Siper air defense systems, Alp 300-G and 100-G radar systems, Puhu and Redet electronic warfare systems, and Korkut short-range air defense vehicles.

The Steel Dome project has become one of the main topics in Turkey amid geopolitical tensions, triggered by Israel's genocidal military campaign in Gaza and its attacks on Iran, Lebanon and Syria, as well as the war in Ukraine.

Turkey itself has long said it will step up measures to protect its airspace and land borders, and has sought to build up its defenses, including long-range missiles.

In June, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey would increase its own defenses to a level where "no one would consider" attacking it.

Steel Dome includes many leading manufacturers such as Aselsan, known for its expertise in defense electronics, Roketsan, a producer of unguided rockets and guided missiles, the TÜBITAK Defense Industry Research and Development Institute (SAGE), and the Machine and Chemical Industry (MKE), which produces light weapons, artillery, and ammunition.

Turkey's transformation over the past 20 years has spurred the development of a variety of domestically produced air, ground and sea platforms, which ultimately helped reduce its foreign dependence on defense from around 80 percent in the early 2000s to below 20 percent today.

Unprecedented demand for its defense platforms, led by its combat drones, is helping defense exports reach a peak of $7.15 billion in 2024, up from around $5.5 billion in 2023 and $4.4 billion in 2022.

Officials say the figure will easily surpass $8 billion this year.