Türkiye’s Defence Industry Council convened at the Presidential Complex in Ankara to assess the country’s defence industry performance throughout 2024 and to chart a course for the years ahead.

The meeting, chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, focused on key accomplishments, critical future projects, and Türkiye’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its domestic and national defence capabilities.

According to a statement issued by the Directorate of Communications of the Turkish Presidency via social media, the Council reaffirmed the state's firm determination to support indigenous defence production and ensure strategic autonomy in military technologies, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

The agenda addressed both current and future projects intended to meet the operational needs of Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Interior. Among the key discussions were advanced unmanned systems, including drone and marine kamikaze platforms, and combat UAVs designed to operate in increasingly complex mission environments.

One of the centrepieces of the meeting was the approval of a new unmanned combat aircraft project tailored for air-to-air, air-to-ground, and air defence missions, highlighting a strategic shift toward developing multi-role, high-performance UAVs capable of adapting to a variety of future battlefield conditions.

Council members also evaluated several major initiatives set to boost Türkiye’s defence capabilities:

• Serial production projects of low-, medium-, and high-altitude air defence systems, along with long-range missile platforms designed to enhance the Turkish Armed Forces' overall strike capability;

• Development of advanced missile systems aimed at creating a “force multiplication” effect, and progress on the TF-2000 air defence destroyer, a state-of-the-art warship intended to significantly strengthen naval air defence operations;

• The MİLDEN national submarine project, which is expected to elevate Türkiye into an elite group of nations capable of independently designing and producing their own submarines, a key milestone in maritime self-sufficiency.

• Strategic programs focused on enabling Türkiye’s independent access to space, reinforcing the country’s aspirations to become a regional leader in space technology and aerospace defence;

• The serial production of the T625 GÖKBEY light-class general-purpose helicopter, to meet growing demand for versatile rotary-wing platforms within the armed forces and civilian agencies.

• A series of procurement and R&D initiatives to bolster electronic warfare capabilities, including systems aimed at defending critical infrastructure and sensitive regions from UAV incursions and other aerial threats.

• The acquisition of additional armed unmanned aerial vehicles and subsystems, ensuring operational readiness and scalability for Türkiye’s drone forces;

• Procurement of a wide range of ground vehicles, including armoured personnel carriers, rescue vehicles, various utility and combat ground systems, ground-based kamikaze drones, as well as training simulators and electro-optical sensor technologies.

Council participants expressed satisfaction with the progress made in 2024 across multiple sectors of the defence industry. They credited these achievements to robust collaboration between government institutions, the private sector, and the strong support of the Turkish people.

The Council emphasised the necessity of sustaining this momentum and called for intensified efforts and coordination in 2025 to advance national defence goals even further.

By Tamilla Hasanova

Source: caliber.az