The opening ceremony of the Combat Management Systems Technologies Center (SYSTM), which is located within the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command, was realized with the participation of the Minister of National Defence Vecdi Gönül, the Commander of the Naval Forces Admiral E?ref U?ur Yi?it, the Undersecretary for Defence Industries Murad Bayar, North Sea Area Commander Vice Admiral Mehmet Otuzbiro?lu, the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Commander Rear Admiral Nurhan Kakyao?lu, the Chairman of the Board of HAVELSAN Hayrettin Uzun, the General Manager of HAVELSAN Faruk Yarman as well as many high-level guests. HAVELSAN will reinforce its experiences on the Ship Integrated Warfare Management System (GENESIS) Project. In particular, in sea platforms, HAVELSAN will make a name for itself with indigenous designs in the area of system integration that will allow more than one independent systems to operate together in concert with each other. Within the 5,435 m2 closed area, the Center includes GENESIS, LCT, MILGEM, a ground basedtest system laboratory and a software development office.
Delivering the opening remarks, General Manager Faruk Yarman, stated that by establishing the Sea Combat Systems Directorate it had made their dreams become a vision by focusing their activities on Naval Forces Command projects and added: “Our work starting in 2001 with the MELTEM-2 Project and the agreement signed in 2004 for the GENESIS G-Class Frigate Modernization Project has brought us to a new turning pointon the subject of development and integration of combat management systems by becoming a partner with ARMERKOM. The experience gained up to that time reached a new level with the MILGEM Project. With the New Type Patrol Boat Project, HAVELSAN, as the principle integrator, developed its competence in naval platforms. As with the Landing Ship Tank (LCT) and the New Type Submarine Projects that are at the contract signing stage, with the Landing Platform Dock (LPD), MILGEM-3 and TF 2000 Projects that are at the proposal preparation stages, we would be honored to take on additional responsibilities. In the Sectoral Strategy Document issued by the SSM and covering the period 2009-2016, HAVELSAN is positioned as the principle contractor in combat management systems and integration. This investment that took place on the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command’s land is an open indication of the strategic importance given by the Naval Forces Command and the SSM in developing the existing cooperation in all projects. In meeting its expanding operational requirements through network supported abilities, our work on the real time, integrated, interoperable, network supported new generation command control system, the ADVENT R&D Project started by the Naval Forces Command, is continuing. With our new Center, we will continue our activities with defence industry companies, universities and R&D institutions.”
Later speaking at the opening ceremony, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of HAVELSAN, Hayrettin Uzun stated that HAVELSAN continued its growth trend in 2009 with a work volume exceeding 1 billion USD, sales of 190.1 million TL, exports of 57 million USD and thus HAVELSAN had met its strategic goals. Strengthening its customer and partnership relations, Uzun underlined that they had signedcontracts with SSM for the Flight Training Simulator for the T-38 Training Aircraft (ARISIM); the Flight Training Simulator for the Basic Training Aircraft (TESIM); the Cougar Helicopter Simulation (HELSIM); the F-16 Training Simulator and the MILGEM Combat System Project. With DAPA of Korea, a contract for the Electronic Combat Training System; with ATLAS, contracts for the development, maintenance and sustainment of command control systems and software for submarines; with Raytheon a cooperation agreement in the joint marketing of the G-Class Frigate GENESIS System; a Memorandum of Understanding with KAI and Finmeccanica in appraising industrial technology and commercial opportunities and a cooperation agreement with Rheinmetal for the Submarine Control Simulator and the Submarine Command Team Training Simulator had been signed.
In his remarks the Undersecretary for Defence Industries Murad Bayar said the following: “The Naval Forces Command has provided considerable support to the industry with projects and technological support on the one hand and, on the other hand, with staffing and land allocation. Having this Center at the place allocated for it is an important and critical step in terms of forming a joint synergy. I believe that with a project towards developing a next generation network supported integrated combat management system, the world’s most developed system will come out of Turkey.”
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of National Defence Vecdi Gönül stated that: “The Istanbul Naval Shipyard undertook a historic step in the development of the naval defence industry with the MILGEM Project. The Naval Forces Command with this project that joins the national industry’s opportunities and capabilities has a leading project in the design and building of combat ships in our country. The capabilities of the supply industry developed within the coverage of this project forms a foundation for future projects. In addition, our technological competence in software and hardware will also develop. Having succeeded in the design, production and integration of combat management systems, HAVELSAN plays a key role in the industry. Aside from national projects, work on the sale of these systems to third countries continues. Within this coverage, work on submitting a proposal on the modernization of ships in the inventory of the Pakistani Naval Forces has commenced. With the investment undertaken today, the Naval Forces Command gains a closer work opportunity on combat management systems and thus, I believe, that the projects will obtain effectiveness and speed in this area.”
Since SSM is seriously determined to keep local content as high as possible, local companies have no other alternative then to comply with the demand. Being one of those companies, HAVELSAN is the second largest in the area of defense electronics and the largest local contractor for the naval projects. First HAVELSAN involvement in the naval defense arena has happened to be the GENESIS project. Combat Management Systems of Ex-PERRY class frigates are now being modified and modernized by HAVELSAN. GENESIS has been originally designed by the Turkish Navy R&D Department and transferred over to HAVELSAN for further development. So far, a total of 5 out of 8 frigates have been successfully upgraded and turned over to the navy even before the contract deadline.

This outstanding achievement has encouraged HAVELSAN for more challenging tasks for the Turkish Navy. As a result of more R&D effort and some investment, HAVELSAN has successfully designed its first indigenous Ship Data Distribution System.

The two main ingredients of modern ship’s system integration are the Combat Management System (CMS) for combat departments and the Ship Data Distribution System (SDDS) for the Navigation Department. Being aware of the potential integration implications and a probable high cost of an imported system, HAVELSAN engineers have toyed with the idea of designing one of their own SDDS. In less than two years, they have managed to design, develop and successfully test HAVELSAN’s first “open-architecture” SDDS. Moreover, two different variants of HAVELSAN SDDS have already been implemented in two important SSM projects: MILGEM and The New Type Patrol Boat (NTPB).

HAVELSAN is still a young and relatively small company when compared with other international defense corporates such as RAYTHEON and THALES. Being aware of its limitations and in order to satisfy SSM requirements in industrial participation and technology production through indigenous defense capabilities, HAVELSAN seeks balanced local and international partnership for a true cooperation model in most of its contracts. For example, in addition to cooperation of HAVELSAN with local firms under the industrial participation requirements of SSM, HAVELSAN and RAYTHEON work together in an effort to export GENESIS solution to other ex-PERRY class owners. Early this year, HAVELSAN signed a contract with ATLAS as a subcontractor to design and develop an underwater CMS for the Turkish New Type AIP Submarine project. In addition, negotiations are about to be concluded between HAVELSAN and RAYTHEON on torpedo integration part of the same project.