As ‘dome’ air defense discussions rage, Turkey’s Aselsan sees an opening: CEO

Aselsan showcases its wares at IDEX 2025. (Agnes Helou / Breaking Defense)

IDEX 2025 — As the US is sorting out what exactly an American Iron Dome will look like, Turkey is forging ahead with its own Steel Dome — and eyeing potential exports for such air defense systems to both NATO allies and eager Gulf customers, according to a senior Turkish executive.

“The Steel Dome is very promising system. All nations want to have this kind of system,” Ahmet Akyol, president and CEO of Turkish electronics giant Aselsan, told Breaking Defense here in Abu Dhabi. “We are a member of NATO. These are our allies. Also we have got many brother countries in this [Gulf] region and all around the world. So the decision is [a] government decision, but we are ready to contribute [to] peace and prosperity of all brother and allied nation nations.”

Announced in August 2024 and with a name that invokes Israel’s multi-layered defense system that includes its Iron Dome platform, Steel Dome is meant to be a network-centric air defense system equipped with artificial intelligence and is expected to protect Turkey’s entire airspace from “very low altitude to very high altitude” and “very short range to long range” threats, according to a statement issued at the time by the government’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).

Aselsan is one of a handful of Turkish firms, including ballistics maker Roketsan, charged with making the concept a reality. Akyol said there is no projected end date for the Steel Dome to be complete, as it’s a layered system that’s continuously updated.

“We can provide this solution for Turkey and for allied countries right now,” Akyol said. “So in Turkey, this is in progress. Every year we are delivering new systems of the Steel Dome concept, and it will be beneficial for our region.”

As for the name, the American plan has come under no small amount of criticism since Iron Dome refers to a layer of Israel’s overall system that would not be practical for many US air defense needs. Asked whether Steel Dome was a better fit for Turkey’s needs, even if it echoed the Israeli original, Akyol said, “The name is not important the concept is important,” adding the name was chosen by the government not the firm.

Akyol’s mention of the potential to deliver air defense systems to partners in the region will likely be welcome news to Gulf militaries. Other defense firm executives told Breaking Defense during IDEX 2025 that the region is eager for air defenses following the rash of missile and drone threats in recent years.

“Especially after drone and kamikaze attack attacks in the region, [in] Yemen and other conflicts, there is a huge demand for air defense systems and also guidance kits,” he said.

More broadly Aselsan is making a push into the Gulf, to deepen ties here.

“We are opening new entities in this region. Just last week, I was in Oman and opened a new entity in Oman. And also we have got some production facilities like in Jordan,” he said. “So in this region, the trend and the demand is to increase local contribution.”

Akyol said that Aselsan is open for technology transfer. He added that the firm will convert its office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to an excellence center.

“We will have design capabilities in house, in these offices. And also we have got some discussions [for] new joint ventures. Saudi Arabia is one of the key countries for our activities. And day by day, we are increasing activities in Saudi Arabia,” he told Breaking Defense.

After mending ties between Riyadh and Ankara, Turkish firms started to have increased cooperation opportunities in the Saudi market, the largest importer of defense platforms in the Gulf region. That included another Turkish firm, Baykar, selling its AKINCI drones to the Kingdom in 2023.

Akyol added that with Abu Dhabi there are “some technology of transfer and production opportunities are also on the table.” He saw increased regional demand in the following areas: radars, air defense systems, electro-optics and naval platforms.

But Aseslan is also eyeing expansion far from the Gulf, including further into Western Europe, the Far East and Latin America.

“We will have additional capacities and new partnerships, and we will have a more presence in these regions in 2025, and other upcoming years,” he said.

“We will be one of the 30 largest defense companies in defense 100 list in 2030,” Akyol predicted.