ASELSAN General Manager Ahmet Akyol announced that thanks to the company's high serial production capacity, it can deliver the most complex radar and air defense systems to allies in less than two years.
Speaking at a panel held as part of the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government, Akyol said, "We state clearly from Ankara: If an order is placed today, most of our most complex radar systems and air defense complexes can be delivered to allies in less than two years."
Noting that the Turkish defense industry ecosystem has a high degree of complexity and covers nearly all key areas, Akyol said Turkey's strategic importance within NATO has evolved from geographic location to military power and now to defense industry potential. Akyol stated, "In the NATO 1.0 era, geographic location was at the forefront, while in NATO 2.0 we were seen as the second largest military power. Today, in the NATO 3.0 era, the determining factor is defense industry capability."
Emphasizing that ASELSAN has significantly shortened its order fulfillment times, Akyol said, "Last year, we delivered 28 percent of the orders we received within the same year. This is a direct result of our industrial capacity. In just the last two years, we have increased our serial production capacity by 40 percent. We are currently building one of the world's largest air defense system production bases in Ankara. Investment in this project exceeds 2 billion dollars."
Akyol stated that the most important feature distinguishing ASELSAN from its European competitors is its serial production capability, proven effective through continuous operational feedback in addition to tested products. "This is the success not only of ASELSAN and ROKETSAN, but of our ecosystem encompassing more than 3,000 domestic suppliers. I am closely familiar with the production times and delivery schedules of European companies; I do not think they have a similar level of readiness," he said.
Calling on European governments for an open market and fair competition, the ASELSAN General Manager said, "Open competition offers customers the opportunity to obtain higher quality products at more competitive prices. As the Turkish defense industry, we can offer the best solutions and we have proven this repeatedly in different countries. I believe that Turkey and our defense industry will make even more significant contributions to NATO's collective security compared to the past."
