• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Central Asian drones: land of opportunity or saturated market?

  1st February 2023

  As Central Asian countries have bolstered their UAV fleets, states have been keen to localise production (and in some cases cut ties with Russia) through deals with Turkey, Iran and Belarus.

• Air Warfare

  Turkish-US F-16 deal remains in deadlock

  17th January 2023

  US lawmakers remain adamant while the F-16 deal seems to be Ankara's best shot to bring its air power capabilities up to speed until it can produce its fight-generation TF-X fighter jet in a meaningful numbers.

• Training

  NATO Flight Training Europe receives three new training campuses

  7th February 2023

  The NATO Flight Training Europe initiative will eventually provide facilities for fast jet, fixed-wing, helicopter and UAV pilots.

• Air Warfare

  Turkish Air Force tanker modernisation effort completed ahead of schedule

  2nd February 2023

  US contractor Field Aerospace has finished upgrading the Turkish Air Force's Boeing KC-135R tanker fleet flight decks to Block 45 configuration.

• Land Warfare

  Sweden considers European common air defence as NATO membership talks drag on

  10th January 2023

  The Swedish Prime Minister said the country will join the 15-member joint missile defence initiative launched in October and outlined its strengths and commitments to the NATO alliance.

• Air Warfare

  F-16 fighter jet backlog will increase before production rate can improve

  30th January 2023

  Lockheed Martin is facing a backlog of F-16 aircraft that is set to increase as the list of countries that want the jet grows. However, the company is convinced it can increase production rates significantly throughout 2023.

• Naval Warfare

  Pakistan Navy continues renewal of submarine fleet

  26th January 2023

  While it awaits new Chinese-designed diesel-electric submarines, the Pakistan Navy continues its modernisation of older Agosta 90B boats.

• Land Warfare

  Bangladesh welcomes home its first VT5 light tanks

  18th November 2022

  The Bangladesh Army continues to modernise with the arrival of light tanks, rocket artillery and man-portable rocket launchers from various sources.

• Air Warfare

  Philippines awaits next T129 and S-70i helicopters

  30th November 2022

  Additional T129 Atak and S-70i helicopters from Turkey and Poland respectively will be arriving in the Philippines soon.

• Air Warfare

  TF-X fighter prototype moves to final assembly but still no final decision on jet engine

  24th November 2022

  The prototype of the Turkish fifth-generation fighter jet TF-X is set to fly by 2025, but there are challenges Ankara needs to overcome before production can take off at scale.

• Air Warfare

  TAI confirms Hürkuş-C deliveries to Niger and Chad

  2nd November 2022

  Turkish Aerospace Industries will deliver the Hürkuş-C to Niger and Chad in the coming months and the company is confident that more orders will come from African countries soon.

• Defence Notes

  Despite the hype, India remains far from making it as a defence exporter (Opinion)

  13th January 2023

  There are positive signs of growth in India's defence exports, but there can be no denying that the country is punching well below its weight.

• Digital Battlespace

  Ukraine's Radionix seeks Turkish partners for airborne electronic warfare

  2nd November 2022

  Ukraine's Radionix, which supplies upgrade packages for Russian-made fast jets and air defence missile systems, used the SAHA event in Istanbul to pursue partnership opportunities with Turkish industry.

• Air Warfare

  Turkish F-16 endeavours impaired by Democrats' US Senate control

  15th November 2022

  The Turkish president was confident a Republican-controlled Senate would deliver the country's coveted F-16 deal. With a Democratic Senate confirmed after mid-term elections, Ankara's position to up its fighter jet game seems as doubtful as ever.

• Land Warfare

  Norway exercises options for additional Hanwha K9 and K10 armoured vehicles

  11th November 2022

  Norway is to acquire an additional four K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers and eight K10 ammunition resupply vehicles for delivery over the next two years.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 (Turkmenistan)

  Programme Background On 27 September 2021, Turkmenistan unveiled three Bayraktar TB2 UAVs during a parade to celebrate the nations 30th Anniversary of independence from the ...

• Short Range Missile Defence Systems: 0 to 20 km range

  ForceShield [Portugal]

  Background As part of its efforts to expand its ground-based air defence (GBAD) capabilities, Portugal ordered an undisclosed ForceShield systems, based on the RapidRanger SHORAD systems. The ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Aksungur [Chad]

  Programme Background According to SavunmaSanayiST, reporting in April 2024, Chad received two Aksungur drones in 2024 following the Central African country's purchase of the Anka-S and ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Hisar-O (Steel Dome) [Turkey]

  Background Türkiye is procuring three domestically developed HİSAR Medium-Range Air Defence Systems. The systems are part of the Steel Dome air defence system. The HİSAR ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Siper-1 (Steel Dome) [Turkey]

  Background The Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) and related companies signed a contract for the initial production of SİPER-1 and HİSAR systems. The systems will ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [Qatar]

  Background Subsystems Qatar will use Roketsan MAM-L and MAM-C munitions as well as PiriReis navigation software in its Bayraktar T2B operations. Methodology PGO and programme ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Turkiye]

  Programme Background Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey had already paid $1.4 billion into the programme, while its defence industry has ploughed significant ...

• Submarines: conventional/attack

  Reis Class (1-6) [Turkey]

  Programme Background Turkey is taking delivery of six Reis-class Type 214TN diesel-electric attack (SSK) submarines from German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). The new boats ...

• Amphibious assault ships

  TCG Anadolu LHD [Turkey]

  Programme Background TCG Anadolu is a Multipurpose Assault Ship (LHD) built by Sedef in Tuzla for the Turkish Navy. The vessel, which is the single ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [Rwanda]

  Programme Background Media Links In October 2021, online reports emerged linking Rwanda with Baykar's TB2 drone. It was reported that the RFF's ongoing experience conducting military ...

• Frigates

  Istif Class Procurement (1-2) [Indonesia]

  Programme Background Timeline During IDEF 2025, TAIS Shipyards was awarded a contract by Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence to construct two MİLGEM İstif-class frigates. No further details were disclosed. ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  PULS [Peru]

  Background As part of an extensive effort to re-equip its ground forces with modern vehicles Peru is set to acquire three PULS MLRS (some sources ...

• Fighter - multirole

  TF-X Kaan Next Generation Fighter [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Geopolitical factors have spurred aircraft development in Türkiye. With its removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project following the Russian S-400 ...

• Trainer

  KT-1T - Turkey

  In 2007, Turkey bought 40 KT-1 aircraft under a $400 million deal that puts average unit cost estimate around $10 million per platform.The first five ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar Kizilelma [Turkey]

  Background Added to inventory Speaking at SAHA 2026, Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar stated that the Bayraktar Kilzilelma would be added to Turkey’s inventory in 2026. When ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Main battle tanks

  Leopard 2A4 T1

  Roketsan upgraded 40 Leopard 2A4s of Turkish Land Forces with a hybrid armour package including Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA), ballistic cage armour and composite armour. ...

• Airborne rockets - guided

  Cirit

  The Cirit 70mm laser-guided missile was designed to fill the gap between cheap and low-precision unguided rockets and high-cost guided antitank missiles. Cirit can be ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  Mizrak-O OMTAS

  The Mizrak-O OMTAS (Medium-Range Anti-Tank Missile System) is a Turkish-made anti-tank guided missile manufactured by Roketsan. It is designed to be effective against armored threats ...

• Artillery rockets

  TRG/TRLG-122

  The TRG-122 is a Turkish 122mm family of guided artillery rockets developed by ROKETSAN for the T-122 Sakarya and other MLRS platforms. The family includes ...

• Air-to-surface missiles, Anti-ship missiles

  CAKIR

  ÇAKIR is a family of multi-service compact cruise missiles developed by Turkish state-owned defence company Roketsan.

• Trainer

  Hurkus

  Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defence Industries signed an agreement with Turkish Aerospace Industries in March 2006 for the Hurkus Turkish Basic Training Aircraft development programme. Three ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  SiPER Block-1

  The SİPER Block-1 missile is Turkey's domestically developed long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, designed to defend against high-altitude, long-range aerial threats. The missile is part ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  LGM-V

  The Laser Guided Missile Vehicle (LGM-V) mounts a Roketsan Pedestal Mounted CiRiT (PMC) launcher on an FNSS ACV-19 tracked vehicle. Roketsan originally developed its CiRiT ...

• Submarine-launched torpedoes

  AKYA

  The AKYA is a Turkish-developed, next-generation heavyweight torpedo designed for submarine launch to engage both submarine and surface targets. It boasts high speed and long-range ...

• Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Tigerfish Mk 24 Mod 2

  The Mk 24 Mod 2 Tigerfish is a British-made 21-inch, electrically powered heavyweight torpedo built for anti-submarine and anti-surface-ship warfare.

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Kaplan-10

  The Kaplan-10 is a new-generation armoured fighting vehicle designed for operations with main battle tanks. It has a low silhouette and the ability to operate at ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Karayel

  Karayel is a fixed-wing UAV designed for ISTAR and attack applications. It provides users with autonomous end-to-end surveillance, reconnaissance, and tactical and combat capabilities.  Initially developed by ...

• Guided munitions

  MAM-L

  The Roketsan Smart Micro Munition (MAM-L) is designed to be used for taking down heavily armoured vehicles,  by all classes of UAVs and light attack aircraft. The ...

• Loitering munitions

  Alpagut

  Unveiled at SAHA Expo 2022, the Alpagut is a loitering munition being developed by STM and Roketsan.  It is hoped the platform will be able to ...

• Artillery rockets

  TRG-300 Block I

  TRG-300 is a 300 mm artillery rocket developed by Turkish ROKETSAN, serving as the heavy rocket in the TRG family of guided artillery missiles.