Turkish defense firm Aselsan is advancing its Steel Dome system and eyeing potential exports, according to CEO and President Ahmet Akyol. Speaking to Breaking Defense during the 2025 International Defence Exhibition & Conference in Abu Dhabi, Akyol highlighted the system’s potential for sales to its NATO allies and neighboring Gulf nations.
Akyol stressed Aselsan’s readiness to provide the solution locally and internationally, noting that the Steel Dome concept is already in progress in Turkey, with new systems being delivered annually. According to the chief executive, Aselsan has set up new regional entities, including those in Oman and Jordan, and plans to convert its Saudi Arabia office into an excellence center with design capabilities. Additionally, Akyol said the firm is open to technology transfer and is exploring joint ventures, with Saudi Arabia as a current key focus.
“We will have additional capacities and new partnerships, and we will have more presence in these regions in 2025, and other upcoming years,” Akyol told Breaking Defense. Beyond the Gulf, he shared Aselsan’s plan to expand in Western Europe, East Asia and Latin America to become one of the largest defense companies by 2030.
Announced in August 2024, the Steel Dome is a network-centric, artificial intelligence-powered air defense system designed to protect Turkey’s airspace. The multilayered and holistic defense system integrates proprietary defense systems to target all airborne threats at all altitudes and ranges.