President & CEO, ASELSAN
ASELSAN, Turkey’s technology leader with a legacy of half a century, is a key player in the global defense electronics market, offering over 500 products in areas like electronic warfare, radar, military communication, and avionic systems. “Our recent sales data shows strong growth worldwide, with a particular increase in the Pacific region. Looking ahead, we plan to expand in key regions,” says Ahmet Akyol, President & CEO. In an interview with Aeromag, he delves into ASELSAN’s journey, explores its groundbreaking innovations, and discusses the company’s strategic goals, including its ambitious aim to become one of the top 30 global defense companies by 2030.
ASELSAN has been a leader in defense technology for about five decades. Could you talk about the company’s growth and key milestones during this period?
ASELSAN began its operations in 1975 with the aim of meeting the Turkish Armed Forces’ communication needs through domestic and unique solutions. The company started with a team of four engineers producing radio systems in an apartment building. Today, ASELSAN has grown to become a global defense electronics company, with more than 500 products spanning diverse fields—ranging from electronic warfare to radar technologies, from military communication to avionic systems. We produce high-tech products and systems serving both military and civilian users across 91 countries with our experience of up to half a century, our highly skilled workforce exceeding 11,000 employees and our approach that focuses on a sustainable future based on innovation.
Some of the key milestones in ASELSAN’s growth include its first export in 1983, followed by the production of its first avionics device in 1988 for the F-16 program. In 1990, ASELSAN shares were offered to the public. By 1992, ASELSAN had expanded its product range to include radar systems and in 2006, the company entered among Top 100 defense companies for the first time. Today, it is ranked 42nd, as a result of its relentless efforts to achieve the better.
These key milestones reflect the company’s commitment to innovation and technological advancement, along with its deep engineering expertise.
Our key performance indicators also reflect the success of our company. To mention a few:
• ASELSAN consistently demonstrates a growth rate exceeding 10% annually in dollar terms.
• The company invests an average of $250 million annually. In 2024, ASELSAN made three new investments totaling $400 million to enhance its serial production capacity.
• The company’s backlog has surpassed $12 billion.
ASELSAN has expanded its portfolio across various sectors, from military systems to civilian technologies. How do you ensure innovation and excellence in both areas?
On the military side, ASELSAN is a global leader in radar, electronic warfare systems, microelectronics, guidance and electro-optic systems, defense technologies, communication and information technologies. Our ability to lead in these sectors stems from our commitment to developing cutting-edge, unique technologies that have proven themselves on the battlefield. On the civilian side, we have an assertion in various civil applications, such as transportation, security, automation, energy, and healthcare.
We have adopted a strategic approach with some key elements to ensure innovation and excellence in all areas that we operate.
A critical element behind our success is our highly skilled and young workforce. ASELSAN does not only focus on hiring the most competent experts in their respective fields, but also on their ongoing academic and technical development in the workplace. This enables us to be placed at the top of the list of companies that young talent in Türkiye wants to work for.
Second element is our focus and investment in R&D and serial production. Every year, we allocate a certain share of our annual turnover to R&D. In line with our mission of pioneering the technology, our teams work on R&D projects from all technology readiness levels to ensure innovation in all components we design. We also heavily invest in new generation mass production technologies including AI, IoT, and robotic automation to ensure operational continuity and excellence.
Another element behind our operational excellence is undoubtfully our internal technology management practices, based on an integrated roadmap that lays out our technology and product plans and shows how they are interrelated, over spanning multiple years. This helps us to assess how each research-and-development project ties into the products we want to introduce to the market. This roadmap ensures that Every technology that we develop is somehow linked to a specific product and progress aligns with strategic goals.
As the last element, being able to understand and address the needs of our end-users is key to sustain our excellence and market growth. Our products and systems, which are used operationally by Türkiye and other countries, are continuously improved based on the feedback we receive from military exercises and even battlefields. This constant innovation, combined with a strong commitment to excellence, allows us to maintain high standards and remain competitive globally, delivering advanced, high-quality solutions across various industries.
Could you provide an overview of your New Network-Based Communication Systems, including the AcroSAT-Ka45-A, T-Link LOS-A, T-Link LOS-MG, and ARTCom 6993-A URAL?
ASELSAN is well-known globally for its expertise in communication systems and we are proud to showcase some of our cutting-edge communication technologies developed with national and indigenous capabilities at the Vietnam Defence Expo. Our communication solutions including T-Link System, the AcroSAT KA45-A Air Satellite Communication Terminal, and the ARTCom 6993-A URAL are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, and they provide secure and uninterrupted communication service.
Our T-Link System offers network-based, encrypted, and electronic warfare-resistant communication, taking tactical data transfer to a new level. Designed for air, land, and naval platforms, the T-Link family includes the T-Link LOS-A, which provides secure communication and TACAN navigation capabilities for air platforms with its high-speed frequency hopping feature. The T-Link LOS-MG delivers reliable communication for both land and naval platforms, while the compact T-Link LOS-C is tailored for unmanned systems and smaller vehicles. The T-Link BLOS enables seamless and reliable beyond-line-of-sight communication between various platforms, offering an integrated solution for dynamic operational needs.
ASELSAN’s AcroSAT KA45-A, designed for manned and unmanned aerial vehicles, ensures high-speed, secure, and uninterrupted communication over Ka-band frequencies. Its compact and lightweight design, combined with advanced RF features, allows it to operate without any polarization restrictions, and its 3-axis stabilization ensures uninterrupted communication even in challenging environments, including regions near the equator. Developed using additive manufacturing technology, AcroSAT sets new benchmarks in satellite communication.
Our ARTCom 6993-A URAL enables users to conduct reliable, secure, and high-performance tactical communication in both peace and wartime scenarios. With its ability to transmit both voice and data, it allows secure air-to-air and air-to-ground communication among land based and aerial units.
It serves as a valuable component of communication network in critical missions such as command and control, air defense, close combat support, Intelligence, Reconnaissance, Surveillance (ISR), firefighting operations.
At ASELSAN, we continuously refine our products based on user feedback, reducing dependency on foreign technologies while strengthening international collaborations with allied nations. With these innovations, we aim to empower the future of defense communication systems.
What are the key factors driving ASELSAN’s successful global expansion, leading to exports to 90 different countries to date?
ASELSAN’s success can be largely attributed to its customer-focused approach, which prioritizes the needs of our end users. We ensure high-quality service through our after-sales support activities, including technical and operational training. Additionally, our products consistently deliver superior performance, which strengthens our competitive position in the global market.
ASELSAN’s global presence continues to expand, along with the increase in the number of countries we export and the share of export in our annual revenue. Furthermore, having offices and subsidiaries in 20 countries is a key part of our global strategy. Our offices abroad allow us to be closer to our customers, better understand local market needs, and provide tailored solutions and support.
Our recent sales data shows strong growth worldwide, with a particularly increase in the Pacific region. Looking ahead, we are planning to continue expanding in some key regions, especially Africa and Latin America where we have started to develop strong relations and expand our presence. ASELSAN’s expansion strategy will keep focusing on increasing our global market presence and deepening relationships with our customers, ensuring we stay on a strong and sustainable growth trajectory.
Could you elaborate on the key features and capabilities of the ANTIDOT 2-U series of electronic warfare pods developed by ASELSAN?
ASELSAN has developed ANTIDOT 2-U series which is an advanced electronic warfare solution developed by our company to enhance the capabilities of tactical UAVs. The system is available in multiple configurations, including the ANTIDOT 2-U, ANTIDOT 2-U LB/MB/HB, and ANTIDOT 2-U/S, each designed for different operational needs. We have unveiled these systems recently during the SAHA Expo Exhibition held in İstanbul in October.
The ANTIDOT 2-U system provides comprehensive protection against air defense systems, supporting critical missions by enabling UAVs to carry out their objectives safely. It features an autonomous electronic attack capability, using high output power and broad frequency coverage to suppress and deceive enemy radars, ensuring the UAV’s safety and the protection of nearby assets. This system integrates easily with UAVs equipped to carry munitions like MAM-L, allowing operators to choose whether to mount the pod or ammunition based on mission requirements, ensuring flexibility without compromising performance.
Our ANTIDOT 2-U LB/MB/HB is a compact electronic warfare system with both support and attack functionalities. It detects and neutralizes air defense threats while offering escort jamming to protect the UAV and other friendly assets. Its lightweight design (weighing only 11kg) and low power consumption (380W) make it highly versatile, enabling seamless integration with a variety of UAVs, providing a flexible and mission-specific solution.
Our ANTIDOT 2-U/S is an electronic support system that specializes in detecting, recording, and locating signals from threat radars, providing accurate direction and location information. This data is transmitted in real-time to the Ground Control Station, enhancing situational awareness and allowing for cost-effective, risk-free operations. Weighing 30kg and operating at 400W, it functions autonomously, making it an ideal solution for tactical UAVs.
Together, the ANTIDOT 2-U series offers robust electronic warfare capabilities for UAVs, providing mission-critical protection, enhanced situational awareness, and operational flexibility, while maintaining ease of integration and minimal impact on UAV performance.
What are the key products ASELSAN will be showcasing at the Vietnam Defence Expo, and how do they enhance the capabilities of modern defense systems?
At Vietnam Defence Expo, our company is planning to showcase its electronic warfare, communication, radar, land platform and naval platform systems at the booth. As ASELSAN, we offer our systems with superior capabilities within the scope of the integrated electronic warfare project for air, land and naval forces to meet the electronic warfare needs of the Armed Forces on different platforms. Thanks to this project, we aim to increase the technical knowledge of Vietnamese end users, as well as providing integration with existing systems already in inventory of Vietnam.
Among the communication solutions we will be exhibiting are our vehicle, backpack, airborne, and naval radios, satellite antennas, and combined interrogators and transponders, which are some of the areas where ASELSAN has extensive experience. Within the scope of radar technologies, which are among the areas in which ASELSAN is assertive, our MURAD AESA nose radar, ALP Early Warning Radar and STR Weapon Locating Radar will be presented to the attention of the participants.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), one of the most notable outputs of the Turkish defense industry in recent years, have attracted considerable attention in the international defense sector. ASELSAN plays a major role in enhancing the capabilities of these systems with the payloads it provides for UAVs. Prominent UAV payloads from ASELSAN include the ASELFLIR 500/600 electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) camera systems; guided munitions like TOLUN and TOLUN IIR; guidance kits such as GÖZDE, LGK, KGK, and HGK; electronic warfare pods; signal intelligence and jamming solutions; radars; and communication systems.
ASELSAN has broad expertise in naval sphere, too. We are providing our state-of-the-art solutions to different naval platforms globally. Within the scope of MİLGEM 5 Project carried out for the demand of Turkish Navy; supply, integration, testing, EMI/ EMC analysis, tests and ILS activities of Combat Systems are conducted by ASELSAN. Combat Systems supplied by ASELSAN include naval surveillance radar, fire control radar, naval electro-optics, weapons, electronic warfare suite and sonars.
By participating in VDE, we aim to develop existing collaborations and open doors to new partnerships by meeting with local and global players, by bringing our experience in radar, electronic warfare, communication systems, and weapon systems to the end-users.
Could you share the steps ASELSAN is taking to achieve its ambitious goal of becoming one of the 30 largest defense companies in the world by 2030?
We are extremely proud of ASELSAN’s recent growth performance, especially in terms of our position on the “TOP 100 Defense Companies” list published annually by Defense News. In the rankings announced in August, we made a significant leap, moving up from 47th place to 42nd, based on our defense revenues.
Our defense revenues reached approximately 3 billion USD in 2023, marking a nearly 30% growth from the previous year. Overall, our total revenue for 2023 was 3.2 billion USD, with defense accounting for 94% of that.
Additionally, according to SIPRI, ASELSAN outperformed the defense market with a remarkable 12% growth rate for 2023, as the global defense industry grew by an average of 4%.
Looking ahead, we are planning the future of our company carefully. As part of our strategic vision, AselsaneXt 2030, we have set an ambitious target to be among the top 30 defense companies in the world by 2030. In order to achieve this ambitious target, we will need to increase the share of export in our total defense revenue to around 50%.
To achieve this, we are focusing on three core principles:
• Developing best-in-class products to ensure that our offerings remain at the forefront of technological innovation.
• Creating game-changing technologies that redefine capabilities within the defense sector.
• Growing through international collaborations to expand our global footprint and enhance our expertise through partnerships with key global players.
With this approach, we are confident that ASELSAN will continue to grow and make a significant impact on the global defense industry in the years ahead.
