Türkiye’s Aselsan unveils new systems to be integrated into Steel Dome air defense

Turkish firm Aselsan unveiled new systems developed to be integrated into Türkiye’s Steel Dome multi-layered air defense, as showcased at this week’s International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF 2025) in Istanbul.

Ahmet Akyol, the firm’s CEO, said at the event, which began Tuesday, that the firm developed new electromagnetic products, introducing the Ejderha system — an air defense system to neutralize air vehicles like swarm and kamikaze drones.

“We are showcasing the electromagnetic shield of the Steel Dome for the first time on the international stage,” he said. “This is a technology that can physically disable electronic circuits of aerial vehicles when they enter a certain range — approximately a kilometer.”

Akyol said the Ejderha uses high-power electronic waves and will act as an important shield, while the new version of the electronic warfare system Koral will jam and scramble radar of hostile targets, “opening up a highway of sorts for our aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) against air defense systems — now with around twofold performance versus the already existing Koral.”

He highlighted that the Turan system, set to work with Steel Dome, is an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered architecture, which will allow for all elements within the multi-layered air system to be interconnected and managed from a single network, while the autonomous missile defense system Gurz will be implemented as an unmanned ground vehicle.

Akyol said the new Goktan air defense technology will combine missile systems with guided munition technology, allowing them to be launched from the ground to certain altitudes instead of being dropped off aircraft.

He added that Aselsan’s efforts for Türkiye’s Steel Dome allowed the company to work on NATO’s air defense architecture.

Aselsan’s Goktan land-based precision strike system will ensure full accuracy against targets from all directions while resisting GNSS jamming, while the Koral 200’s new version will silence enemy air defenses, Ejderha will neutralize drones with microwaves, the Turan system will enable seamless connectivity and coordination with robust encryption, and the Gurz unmanned air defense system will deal with short-range, fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft with missiles.

Now in its 17th edition, the six-day IDEF 2025 fair opened on Tuesday. The event, organized by KFA Fairs with support from Türkiye's Defense Industries Secretariat and the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, has Anadolu as its global communications partner.