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"“These systems are a show of strength for Turkey,” Erdogan said
at an event at the Ankara facilities of defense contractor
Aselsan. “In air defense we are ushering in a new era for our
beloved Turkey.”
Erdogan's government announced in August of last year the start
of development of the Steel Dome, which integrates sea-based and
land-based air defense platforms and sensors into a network to
protect Turkey’s skies.
Erdogan said the latest stage of the project consisted of 47
vehicles worth $460 million that would “inspire confidence in
our friends and fear in our enemies.” The government hasn't said
exactly when the system will be fully operational.
“No country that cannot develop its own radar and air defense
system can look to its future with confidence in the face of
current security challenges, especially in our region," Erdogan
said.
Turkey previously had sought to bolster its air defenses by
acquiring S-400 missile systems from Russia in 2019. That move,
however, saw the country kicked off the U.S.-led F-35 stealth
jet program in a setback for Ankara’s defense goals.
Nearby conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, as well as Israel’s
recent attacks on Iran, have heightened the need to develop
better air defenses.
The president also was unveiling new production facilities at
the Aselsan that are due to open in 2026. “In the next 50 years,
Turkey will be a country that not only meets its own needs but
also leads the world with its technology," Erdogan said.
Turkey has invested heavily in its defense industry, seeking to
become self-sufficient in arms ever since it was subjected to an
arms embargo by the United States in response to the 1974
invasion of Cyprus.
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