Roketsan announces completion timeline for Türkiye’s Steel Dome air defense system

ROKETSAN General Manager Murat Ikinci has announced that Türkiye’s domestically developed Steel Dome air defense system will be completed as soon as possible.

Speaking at the Global Strategy Conference on Defense and Aerospace Industry, Ikinci emphasized that the new system will not only protect Türkiye’s mainland but also its maritime zones.

Türkiye’s growing defense industry and export success

Ikinci highlighted Türkiye’s progress in defense exports, noting that 2024 was a significant year with over $7 billion in defense exports. “We are here in Antalya discussing defense export strategies with industry representatives. The goal is to determine how we can further increase Türkiye’s defense exports,” Ikinci stated.

He expressed confidence that the country’s defense exports could soon reach $10 billion or even $20 billion.

He also confirmed that Roketsan secured more than $1 billion in export contracts in 2024 alone. “This means that Roketsan will continue to grow rapidly. We have consistently maintained an annual growth rate of over 30% in dollar terms. With the acceleration of exports, Roketsan will soon secure its rightful place in the global defense market,” he added.

Türkiye’s air defense capabilities

Ikinci underscored Türkiye’s advancements in air defense systems, noting that the country has successfully deployed multiple systems, including:

• Sungur (low-altitude air defense missile system)
• HISAR-A and HISAR-O (low- and medium-altitude systems)
• SIPER (high-altitude air defense system)

“These systems have been successfully deployed in the field and are actively used,” Ikinci said.

Steel Dome: A comprehensive air defense system

Ikinci described Steel Dome as an advanced, integrated air defense system that consolidates multiple air defense elements under a centralized command and control structure. “Steel Dome will integrate all existing air defense systems into a single network. It is designed to ensure effective defense capabilities not only over our homeland but also over our maritime zones,” he stated.

He also noted that Türkiye’s naval air defense capabilities will be significantly enhanced through the integration of Steel Dome with the National Vertical Launcher System (MIDLAS), which allows for the deployment of national missiles from naval vessels.

MIDLAS can store guided missiles (G/M) with canisters below deck, has the ability to launch different G/M types with hot or cold launch methods with the commands it receives through the ship combat management system, and can launch surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, surface-to-land and torpedo type missiles simultaneously from its different cells.

It is an electromechanical launch system that can contain different missile types and fire these missiles individually or sequentially at different targets and can take preventive and isolating security measures when necessary for the safety of the ship and personnel.

MIDLAS has a tactical-size version and an attack-size version which carry longer-range missiles. In addition, there are single-cell versions for adaptive deployment and station-based versions for base/port/region protection.

• Tactical version weight: 15,000 kilograms
• Tactical version length: 2x3x6.7 M
• Strik version weight: 18,000 kilograms
• Strik version length: 2x3x8 M
• Single-cell tactical weight: 2,500 kilograms
• Single-cell tactical length: 1.2×1.4×6.7 M
• Single-cell strike weight: 3,500 kilograms
• Single-cell strike length: 1.2×1.4×8 M

Strategic cooperation and future enhancements

The development of Steel Dome involves multiple key Turkish defense organizations, including Aselsan, Rokitsan, TUBITAK SAGE, and the Machinery and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE). “This project is a collaborative effort, and we are committed to completing it as soon as possible,” Ikinci emphasized.

Looking ahead, he stated that Steel Dome’s capabilities will be continually enhanced to counter evolving threats. “As new threats emerge, we will continue improving the system to ensure comprehensive security for Türkiye,” he concluded.