In this insightful interview, Mr. Ahmet Akyol details the strategic expansion and technological focus of ASELSAN, one of Türkiye’s main defense companies with a large portfolio of solutions. As the company celebrates its 50th anniversary, Mr. Akyol announced a major shift, planning for the next 50 years to be dedicated to increasing international collaborations and transforming the company’s business and portfolio under the CEO office. This global strategy involves serving proven products directly from local locations to end users, demonstrated by the opening of new operational offices, including one recently established in Egypt.
A significant portion of the conversation focused on ASELSAN’s technological vision to address modern warfare challenges, primarily through achieving capabilities for longer distances using smarter ammunition. Akyol outlined the effectiveness of their five different guidance kit families, such as TOLUN, which is proven, deployed, and in use across many countries. He emphasized the role of CRPA and other navigation solutions in ensuring accuracy even under heavy jamming and in GPS-denied environments. The interview also highlighted major agreements, including co-production and co-development projects signed with local companies like EDGE in the UAE, which involve vehicle payloads and aircraft payloads.
Furthermore, the discussion delved into the crucial aspect of vehicle survival and self-protection systems in the modern battlefield. Akyol detailed ASELSAN’s full tank modernization packages, which include stabilized solutions, thermal sights, and the core, fully networked, and integrated self-protection system to be known as MİĞFER. Leveraging 50 years of experience, ASELSAN aims to be a key partner in system engineering, delivering solutions that are both technically sound and highly cost-effective in tank and vehicle modernization.
Q: How is ASELSAN using offices and partnership relationship in the MENA region?
A: ASELSAN is one of the main companies of Türkiye, especially having many different solutions and a huge portfolio. At this stage, we are trying to increase international collaborations. We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the foundation. The next 50 years will be the international collaboration years. We assess the next program under the CEO office, aiming to transform our portfolio and our business. Our company policy is to serve our proven products from directly local locations, from the end users and customers. Day by day, we invest and open new offices, and we are now operational in many countries. One of the latest offices is in Egypt. Egypt is now formed, ready, and operational. We will collaborate more with local partners; initial agreements have been signed with local companies by our office. The level of collaboration between governments and nations with Egypt is very well and is on the track to support collaboration level activities in the region.
Q: Could you elaborate on how ASELSAN aims to address modern warfare challenges, particularly regarding long-range capabilities and smart ammunition?
A: Our vision is to achieve compatibility for longer distances with smarter ammunition. We have five different guidance kit families. TOLUN is one of the names of the family, and it is all-round. TOLUN has some varieties, including TOLUN F, Fragmented TOLUN, and there will be some new versions like penetrator and also other warhead types. This system is now proven, deployed, and in use in many countries. To make your systems advantageous, air defense systems are a key solution. The engine range of our air defense systems is very satisfying, which means it is cost-effective over longer distances. We offer this to the international market, including Egypt and others. Our CRPA and other navigation solutions offer accuracy under heavy jamming and even work in GPS-denied environments. It has guidance capability to effectively convert dump bombs to smart bombs. This conversion is done using guidance kits for countries’ stocks (MK series and other series). We have the laser, INS plus GPS, and also wing-assisted versions. They have the capability to survive under jamming. For laser guidance kits, an effective way of precise guidance, especially for anti-terrorism activities using precise bombs with very reasonable cost, is very impressive. To have longer distance, we have INS plus GPS guidance, and for precise longer distance operation, we have laser plus INS plus GPS solutions. We use the wing-assisted longest-range kit family for aircrafts and also for UAVs. There is a huge interest in this family in the international market, especially the wing-assisted KGK-84, which is capable of carrying one-ton weighted bombs.
Q: We normally see the use of wing-assisted kits on MK-82 and MK-83 families. Are you extending this capability, and what are the updates on international partnerships, particularly in the UAE?
A: Roughly, it is very common having MK-82/83 families with wing assistance. But regarding the MK-84 agreement, we signed with EDGE in UAE. We have projects ongoing and signed new projects with this local company and other companies concerning vehicle payloads and aircraft payloads. We have also signed two different agreements with EDGE for co-production and co-development. An important time for us was the visit of His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Zayed to our facilities. Thanks to their agreement and support, our present support, leveraged by their collaboration, will result in many new projects for regional solutions and technologies.
Q: Focusing on vehicles, how important are drone offense modernization and self-protection systems for effective modern warfare?
A: Yes, due to the development in the battlefield, self-protection systems and survival are very critical issues for the vehicles. Key challenges for vehicles include precise first-round hit and killer capability, protection capability, and sensor capability. We offer a full modernization package. This includes our own stabilized solutions, thermal day/night sights, laser rangefinders, and ballistic computers. We can also fuse the sensors, including our own sensors and other meteorological sensors and radar systems. Only very limited countries have self-protection solutions. Our self-protection system is a core, fully networked, and fully integrated solution against missiles and other threats. We have a very precise radar and precise ammunition against missiles and others. For tanks and vehicle protection, this is vitally important. The first tested self-protection system is named MİĞFER. MİĞFER includes a pre-vision system that detects soft and hard kill threats. We are one of the key solution partners in the world system engineering capability with 50 years of experience. We have modernized more than 500 vehicles and supplied many equipment to the ALTAY program in Türkiye and in third countries. We develop systems experiencing control, communication, electro-optics, radar, self-protection, whatever it takes. We have delivered many systems to the field where customers are satisfied. Not only is it technically sound, but it is also one of the most cost-effective solutions in tank and vehicle modernization.
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