Turkey has advanced its long-term defense strategy with the signing of $6.5 billion in new contracts to expand its AI-enabled “Steel Dome” air defense network. Introduced in 2024, the Steel Dome program aims to shield the country from a full spectrum of aerial threats, including drones, cruise missiles, and manned aircraft. The system features a combination of 47 interconnected subsystems such as missile interceptors, radar arrays, fire-control systems, and command-and-control nodes, drawing conceptual parallels to Israel’s Iron Dome.
Turkish officials stress that the Steel Dome will rely exclusively on domestically engineered technologies, making it one of the most ambitious locally developed defense initiatives in the country’s history. The program’s momentum comes as Turkey faces a complex regional security environment, with conflicts in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and the Russia-Ukraine battlefield underscoring the need for an advanced and layered national defense shield. Leaders in Ankara have identified the project as a cornerstone of Turkey’s future air-and-missile defense posture.
Earlier this year, the government invested an additional $460 million in complementary equipment essential to the system’s development. These procurements included Hisar O 100 and Siper air defense units, Alp-series radar technologies, Puhu and Redet electronic warfare systems, and Korkut mobile air-defense vehicles. Each system contributes to the multi-tiered engagement framework that will allow the Steel Dome to respond to both low-altitude and high-altitude threats.
The initiative also reflects Turkey’s ongoing transformation into a prominent global defense exporter. Over the past two decades, the country has reduced its reliance on foreign suppliers from 80% to less than 20%. Defense exports climbed to $7.15 billion in 2024, up from $5.5 billion in 2023, driven primarily by the success of its drone and missile programs. Government projections forecast exports surpassing $8 billion in 2025 as Turkey continues expanding its industrial capabilities.
