Turkish Defense Giant Introduces High-Tech Radar for Fighter Jets and Drones

Turkish F-16 fighter jets. (Wikimedia Commons/MOD/SAC Helen Farrer RAF Mobile News Team)

JAKARTA - Turkish defense company Aselsan introduced its state-of-the-art, domestically made AESA Aircraft Nose Radar technology last month, increasing the scope of domestic industrial progress as the radar will be used on the most advanced jets and drones.

The AESA Aircraft Nose Radar, which successfully completed its maiden flight with the F-16 Özgür, promises to significantly increase the fighter's capabilities.

This radar will upgrade Özgür's F-16 platform to a 4.5 generation aircraft. Meanwhile, the KAAN fighter jet and unmanned aerial combat vehicle (UACV) will upgrade to fifth-generation platforms and beyond with additional capabilities and low visibility features.

Preparations for mass production of the radar at Aselsan's technology center in Ankara have been completed, ensuring perfect production from chip-level manufacturing to sophisticated integration.

Head of Turkey's Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) Haluk Görgün expressed his pride in the development of AESA radar technology for the country.

"We are proud to introduce AESA radar technology, one of the most advanced aviation technologies in the world, to our country," he said, quoted from Daily Sabah April 1.

In addition to integration with fighter aircraft such as the F-16 Özgür, Hürjet and KAAN platforms, AESA technology will also be used in Turkey's Akıncı and ANKA-3 UAVs.

The AESA Aircraft Nose Radar will soon begin flying with Akıncı and other Turkish UAVs, with flights expected to begin within the year.

Aselsan's high-tech AESA radar is expected to increase market share in the fields of air defense, naval platforms and surveillance radars.

This radar, which is essential for airborne platforms, offers automatic recognition, multitarget tracking, ground mapping, distance measurement, automatic altitude determination, under-cloud surveillance with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), automatic target limitation with AI-powered algorithms, radar spectrum monitoring wideband, directional electronic jamming, and improved ammunition guidance.

Meanwhile, Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol highlighted the versatility of AESA technology, emphasizing its applications in various domains including air, land and sea.

He noted that the development of the AESA radar system carried out by Aselsan allows Turkey to maintain full control over technology and data, ensuring the highest level of security and capabilities.