ASELSAN has embarked on the country’s largest defense industry investment to strengthen the mass-production infrastructure for game-changing technologies. Marking its 50th anniversary this year, the company celebrated a historic milestone with the groundbreaking ceremony of Oğulbey Technology Base, the opening of multiple new production and R&D facilities, and the delivery of critical Steel Dome systems.
ASELSAN, Türkiye’s leading defense company, brought together Türkiye’s top leadership, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Secretary of Turkish Defence Industries Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, top government officials, ambassadors and senior executives from leading defense companies at ASELSAN’s Gölbaşı Technology Base at the “Foundations for the Next 50 Years” ceremony. During the event, ASELSAN’s ASELFLIR 600 live-streamed the Steel Dome deliveries from BAYKAR’s AKINCI UAV, showcasing its real-time surveillance capability.
At the ceremony, Turkish President Erdoğan laid the foundation of ASELSAN’s Oğulbey Technology Base, set to become the company’s largest site and a cornerstone of its next 50 years. With an investment of approximately USD 1.5 billion, the base will cover over 735,000 square meters of enclosed space within a total area of 6.5 million square meters, equivalent to 900 football stadiums. The facilities will primarily serve teams developing the country’s multi-layered integrated air and missile defense system, Steel Dome.
During the ceremony, 47 key components of the Steel Dome architecture, valued at USD 460 million, were delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces. These included air defense, electronic warfare and radar systems such as SİPER, HİSAR, KORKUT, ALP and PUHU. Designed to shield Türkiye with a multi-layered, integrated defense structure, Steel Dome represents a critical leap forward in securing national airspace.
The ceremony also marked the opening of 14 new facilities valued at USD 280 million, including the Air Defense Systems Design Office, Radar Production and Integration Facility, Advanced Engineering Materials R&D Center, Electro-Optic FLIR Systems Production Facility, Guided Munitions Design and Integration Facility, Avionics Integration Hangar, and ASELSANNET HAB Production Center. These investments significantly expand ASELSAN’s cleanroom capacity, laboratories, integration areas, and R&D spaces, achieving a 40% increase in capacity while creating new opportunities for highly qualified employment and accelerating next-generation production. The first facility is to become operational by mid-2026.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking at the ceremony, stated: “This investment marks the single largest defense industry investment in our Republic’s history. And this will also be the largest integrated air defense facility in Europe. As ASELSAN serves as the heart of our defense ecosystem, this step represents a critical threshold for the entire sector. In the next 50 years, Türkiye will not only meet its own needs but also become a country that shapes the world with its technology. We are confident that ASELSAN will be one of the institutions making the greatest contribution on this path.”
Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler shared the following remarks during the ceremony: “Established to meet Türkiye’s defense needs, ASELSAN has, over 50 years, become a driving force behind elevating our defense industry beyond global standards. The new technology base and facilities will fuel ASELSAN’s continued growth and boost its international competitiveness. Systems delivered under Steel Dome project will enhance the Turkish Armed Forces’ mobility and operational effectiveness, ensuring top-level national security.”
Secretary of Turkish Defence Industries Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün added: “These new investments mark a strategic leap forward for the Turkish defense industry. This milestone not only prepares ASELSAN for the next 50 years of innovation and reinforces its technological infrastructure, but also strengthens our technological independence, expands our capabilities, and lays the foundation for shaping the future of defense technologies on a global scale. As Secretariat of Defence Industries, we will continue to develop our country’s defense industry systems and share them with allied nations.”
Hosting the ceremony, ASELSAN President & CEO Ahmet Akyol celebrated the historic investments stating: “Fifty years ago, ASELSAN was founded with the dream of achieving what had never been done in Türkiye. Today, we proudly stand among the world’s leading players in air defense, radar, electronic warfare, communications, smart munitions, and electro-optics. We have become one of the 10 fastest-growing defense companies in the world and with these new investments we are advancing confidently toward our goal of transforming Türkiye’s defense giant into a global technology powerhouse.”
