A Giant Facility by Aselsan in the Region
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister Prof. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Chief of General Staff Full Gen. Necdet Özel, Deputy Prime Minister Yalçın Akdoğan, Minister of Interior Sebahattin Öztürk, Minister of Youth and Sports Akif Çağatay Kılıç, Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Fikri Işık, Minister of Justice Kenan İpek, Minister of National Defence Yılmaz, Qatari Minister of Defence Hamad Bin Ali el-Atiyye, military representatives of foreign countries and many visitors attended the opening ceremony.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the accompanying delegation accomplished the ribbon cutting and opening of the center. In his speech at the ceremony, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated those who contributed to the establishment of the center, directors of the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation being in the first place and stated that Aselsan continued to be the source of pride both in our country and in the world with its ever-increasing achievements every year.
President Erdoğan mentioned that he believed Aselsan, which was restructured last year, reached a robust functioning that is in line with Turkey’s objectives for year 2023 and added “I would like to wish all the best to Aselsan that is celebrating its 40th anniversary of establishment this year and express that we expect more services from our distinguished company”.
“No Penny to Spend on Foreign Resources for the Needs of our Defence Industry”
President Erdoğan addressed the governmental and private sector representatives of defence industry in his speech as follows: “We should accomplish our existing projects immediately. We observed that during the Cyprus Peace Operation of 1974, the ones who were by our side withdrew their support in less than no time. Fortunately they did. They withdrew their support by using their silencing techniques and radios went out. Then, we established Aselsan. We should swiftly include our products that are at the production stage to the inventory of our Turkish Armed Forces. We should rapidly take new projects into our agenda. We should accelerate the R&D activities, design, prototype production activities as much as possible. We do not have a single penny to spend on foreign resources for the needs of our defence industry. Because this nation supports this area by allocating its own resources with savings from its livelihood. We shape and evaluate the budget of our defence industry with this understanding”.
Emphasizing on the fact that New Turkey will not only be a self-sufficient country but also assist her allies, brothers and cover their needs, President Erdoğan continued: “Myself as the President and our Government will extend our full support all the way regarding this issue, there is no question. I congratulate Aselsan for its achievements so far and for the existing projects it executes. Still, this is not enough. We need many more defence industry institutions like Aselsan. I claim that our private sector needs to exert more efforts in this matter and believe that a formation of competition is essential. I expect more efforts from our other companies and universities in this respect”.
“I Wish Good Luck to Aselsan Radar and Electronic Warfare Technology Center”
President Erdoğan finished his speech as follows: “We do not want to feel ashamed once again for manufacturing a desk at a factory originally built for aircraft production. Hopefully, this country will not once more make the mistake of giving up from establishing an automobile company just because a car was stuck on the road as it ran out of gas. At this point and with these wishes, I wish good luck to the Radar and Electronic Warfare Technology Center established at Aselsan’s Gölbaşı Premises. I once again would like to congratulate those who contributed to the establishment of this center. Saluting you with love and respect, I wish God help us!”
In his speech Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said, “The establishment of Radar and Electronic Warfare Technology Center at the 40th anniversary of Aselsan constitutes a historical move. This great move awoke pride in our nation, fear in those who have negative feelings towards Turkey and strength, support and excitement in our allies”.
“Aselsan Came a Long Way in 40 Years”
Prime Minister continued, “Unless one is technologically independent and if one is abandoned by the technology it applies during hardship, then one may push his vital capacity to its limits and become a hero. Then again, the technological infrastructure should be in accordance as well. Aselsan was established stemming from such experiences and came a long way in 40 years”.
“Reaching this Capacity is a Historical Milestone”
Prime Minister Davutoğlu added: “All the production accomplished at this premises is hundred percent Turkish. They are the works of Turkish engineers, Turkish designers and Turkish labor. The point we arrived in 12 years is extraordinary. We will not be lulled by this achievement. In this sense, the establishment of Aselsan Radar and Electronic Warfare Technology Center and the capacity it arrived today constitutes a historical milestone”
“Aselsan’s Success Led the Way”
In his speech at the ceremony, Minister of National Defence İsmet Yılmaz said, “The domestic coverage ratio of Turkish Armed Forces’ (TAF) needs has increased to 55 percent. I would like to underline that Aselsan was the pioneer in such an achievement. Starting with merely radio production in 1975, Aselsan now manufactures satellite communication systems, avionic navigation systems, thermal vision, air defence systems, radar and electronic warfare systems, tactical field communication system for the TAF and friendly and allied nations, firing control task computer of Atak helicopter and Altay main combat tank and all their electronic systems. Aselsan transfers its domestic achievements to foreign countries as well. Within this scope, joint production factories in Kazakhstan, Jordan and United Arab Emirates, an Aselsan licensed radio production facility in Pakistan and an R&D company in South Africa are operating. Moreover, the construction of a facility that will conduct radio production in Saudi Arabia with Aselsan’s license continues and is planned to be launched within this year”.
Yılmaz announced that the Radar and Electronic Warfare Technology Center opened presently at Aselsan’s Gölbaşı premises will be conducting the production of radar and electronic warfare systems’ all components from the building stones to modules. The procurement of these components from foreign countries is quite restricted. İsmet Yılmaz reminded the audience that the transistors to be used in these modules will be produced at the factory that is currently under construction in Ankara with Aselsan and Bilkent University’s partnership.
“Aselsan Became a World Brand”
In his speech at the Opening Ceremony for the Radar and Electronic Warfare Technology Center, Aselsan Chairman of the Board Dr. Hasan Canpolat mentioned that, Aselsan became the backbone of the defence industry in Turkey since its date of establishment and turned out to be a worldwide brand. Canpolat stated that as it abandoned the foreign dependency in radar and electronic warfare, Turkey entered the league of limited countries that are capable of design and production in these areas. Canpolat expressed that assuming tasks in the development of the critical technologies of all projects in Turkish defence industry’s agenda, Aselsan’s development had accelerated within the last 10 years and added, “Aselsan is pointed as the fourth fastest growing defence industry company in the world”.
Canpolat expressed that during its growth, Aselsan continuously invested in R&D, technology and labor force and that the company alone covered 34 percent of defence industry’s R&D and 4 percent of Turkey’s commercial R&D.
Mentioning that as Aselsan they invested 3 domestic and 5 foreign companies in the last 3 years, Canpolat stressed that they aimed development in order to achieve a sustainable growth and that they targeted increasing the efficiency of our country’s technology through industrializing the existing capabilities by building partnerships.
Extending information on Aselsan’s fields of activities, Canpolat declared that the company reached a point of such an achievement that it manages to develop radar and electronic warfare products functioning in various areas and tasks.
Canpolat recalled that the establishment of this facility opened today was decided in 2012 and said that development of technologies bearing critical importance in country’s defence will be conducted at this facility. Canpolat underlined the fact that Turkey made great progress in defence industry with the new facilities and with those currently under construction and added, “Turkey freed itself from foreign dependency in radar and electronic warfare area and presently exists among very few countries that are capable of conducting design and production activities in these areas”.
During the ceremony, Aselsan’s Chairman of the Board Dr. Hasan Canpolat handed a certificate representing the 500 saplings rooted at Aselsan’s Gölbaşı premises on behalf of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Biggest Radar and Electronic Warfare Technology Center in the Region
At the facility established in Gölbaşı district of Ankara with an investment of 157 million USD, activities regarding the radar and electronic warfare systems for land, air, naval, space and unmanned platforms will be performed. The facility has been established on an area of 350 thousand square meters, 75 thousand of which is indoors.
The Radar and Electronic Warfare Sector Directorae’s R&D Center that was approved by the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology will be conducting its activities at this campus.
1037 personnel consisting of 776 engineers and 261 technical staff in addition to over 200 support staff will be working at the center.
The design, production, tests and logistical support for all the radar and electronic warfare systems and the antenna, microwave component/ module and software products of these systems that are altogether required by military and civilian forces combat aircraft radars in particular in addition to the long-range air defence radars needed by Turkish Armed Forces will be executed at the Gölbaşı premises of Aselsan.
In order to develop the existing design and production capabilities in radar and electronic warfare areas, new radar and electronic warfare system integration and test zones, microwave component/module design and production facilities, special measurement laboratories have been established at the new campus.
