IN Brief:
- Aselsan has introduced new counter-drone and electronic warfare systems at SAHA 2026.
- The systems include radar jamming, communications attack, laser, high-power microwave, and kinetic interception capabilities.
- The portfolio supports Türkiye’s Steel Dome air defence architecture and expanding domestic production base.
Aselsan has introduced a new group of electronic warfare and counter-drone systems at SAHA 2026 in Istanbul, adding further capability to Türkiye’s layered Steel Dome air defence architecture.
The systems include KORAL AD, ILGAR 3-LT, EJDERHA 210, GÖKBERK 10, GÖKALP, and MİĞFER. Together, they cover radar electronic attack, communications disruption, high-power microwave defeat of drone swarms, 10kW laser engagement, autonomous kinetic drone interception, and vehicle-level protection against first-person-view drone threats.
GÖKBERK 10 is designed for precision defence using a 10kW laser, including use around bases and urban areas where uncontrolled effects must be limited. EJDERHA 210 uses high-power microwave energy against mini and micro unmanned aerial vehicles, while GÖKALP is built as an autonomous drone-hunting system capable of physically intercepting hostile UAVs.
MİĞFER is aimed at armoured-vehicle self-protection, using sensors and automated response against FPV drones. The system reflects the rapid shift in battlefield survivability requirements created by small attack drones.
Layered C-UAS production
Counter-drone capability is moving away from single-system solutions. Modern defensive architectures combine detection, classification, electronic attack, directed energy, kinetic interceptors, command software, and platform protection. That drives demand across RF components, high-power electronics, antennas, electro-optics, thermal management, ruggedised computing, and vehicle integration kits.
Laser and microwave systems add demanding production requirements. Power conditioning, beam control, cooling, safety systems, environmental hardening, and repeatable test processes all have to be managed before field deployment. Kinetic drone interceptors introduce a different set of manufacturing pressures around autonomy, tracking, lightweight structures, batteries, and impact performance.
Steel Dome manufacturing base
Aselsan is expanding its role in Steel Dome as Türkiye builds a domestic multi-layered air defence system. The company is expected to deliver more components into the architecture in 2026, including radars, electronic combat systems, defence systems, and payloads.
That places counter-drone and electronic warfare production within a broader national industrial effort. The systems shown at SAHA 2026 sit inside a larger demand profile for integrated air defence, sensor networks, command systems, and naval and land platform protection.
Türkiye’s defence industry has already built export momentum in uncrewed systems. The next manufacturing test is whether layered counter-UAS and EW systems can be produced, integrated, and sustained at similar pace.