The 16th International MÜSİAD EXPO organized by the MÜSİAD biennially was held at the CNR Congress Center in Istanbul on 9-12 November 2016. The high technology fair, 3rd High Tech Port by MÜSİAD, took place simultaneously with the MÜSİAD EXPO.

Many domestic and foreign defense and military representatives attended the event held under the auspices of the President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

In his remark at the opening ceremony of the event, President  Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that he has been closely following the activities of MÜSİAD since its establishment in 1990 and he touched upon the importance of this organization’s contributions to the economy. Pointing out that Turkey has made historical progress especially in the economy in the last 14 years, President Mr. Erdoğan stated that the average rate of growth during the years 2003-2015 has been 4.7 percent and added that the growth figures were quite over the world average despite all the mishaps occurring in the last three years. President Mr. Erdoğan expressed that even in 2015, the year in which 2 elections and severe terrorist attacks took place in Turkey, Turkey reached a growth rate of 4 percent while the world average was 3.1 percent and where the growth rates of all other developing countries except a few remained at 2 percent.

 Addressing the attendees at the opening ceremony of the MÜSİAD Expo, MÜSİAD Chairman Mr.Nail Olpak said: “The advances experienced in technology these days have reached a level that can bring great changes to every area in a short time. Technologies only imagined just a few decades earlier have now transformed into ordinary tools and are used in our daily lives.  These technologies are progressing towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution of the World, a future that will change the production processes, as machines communicate amongst themselves.

This development we are talking about also affects the economy in every way: Because of determining both the process and result of technology and, at the same time, production, we are seeing the dominance of technology-intensive and high-value-added products invade the commodities markets day after day. R&D and Innovation investments are also performed this way for their qualities. These qualities are again being passed to a centrally located competitive environment in the global economy in place of cost for this same reason, turning each one into an indicator that points to both the positions and visions of countries. 

Therefore, business that is performed focusing on increasing the share of technology-intensive and value-added products in production have also increased in intensity in order to be able to continue the advancement of Turkey’s economy, which has been steadily growing for the last ten years, without sticking to a middle income. Our country has reunited with qualities that can compete internationally by having gone a remarkable distance in strategic sectors, like defense and aviation industries in particular, through investments in R&D and Innovation that have shown a significant increase, parallel with economic growth.

As MÜSİAD, we have brought the High-Tech Port project to life in order to close the distance that has been crossed in Turkey’s defense and aviation industry. Through the High-Tech Port exhibition that we’ve designed to both exhibit national technologies and also to show Turkey’s vision to the world, we’ve prepared fertile grounds not just to market your product by bringing together investors, producers, project owners, business people, and stakeholders from relevant government agencies and organizations but also for the transfer of technology.

The first High-Tech Port was held at our 15th MÜSİAD Expo in Istanbul from November 26-30, 2014 with the participation of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The following year we were in Qatar: The second one of these important projects was held in Doha from October 6-8, 2015 with the participation of the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah bin-Nasir bin-Caliph al-Sani, under the auspices of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin-Hamad al-Tani, together with our Undersecretary of the Defense Industry.

Sixty-seven companies and institutions from Turkey met to develop commercial relations between the two countries in the area of defense and aviation, coming together with business partners and stakeholders from Qatar. A business climate was realized that approached a total value of $ 500 million through more than 600 registered business meetings.

The third High-Tech Port will be held in a separate hall this year within the 16th MÜSİAD EXPO. We welcome prominent companies from the defense and aviation industry to our exposition. Defense ministers and armed forces commanders from more than 20 countries will attend the third High-Tech Port. Of course, high-tech production companies from Turkey and major manufacturers like Airbus, Boeing and Lockheed Martin will also be exhibited at the fair.

Both Turkey’s sufficiently great and growing market and the level that Turkey’s aviation and defense industry has arrived at, as well the profile of visitors to country delegations from OEM officials are taking the stage as the most productive business development in the area of High-Tech Port. We can say that High Tech Port is the right address by providing a business development environment and opportunities for gaining new suppliers and business partners among the companies which are engaged with in high-tech production and active in the Turkish Defense and Aviation Industry.”

Following the speeches, the opening ribbon of the Expo was cut and after this ribbon cutting ceremony the President and his accompanying delegation paid a brief visit to the stands of the Turkish Defense Companies at the 3rd High Tech Port hall.

Many defense industry and technology companies such as Aselsan, Roketsan, TAI, Havelsan, TEI, STM, Otokar, FNSS, Nurol Makina, MKEK, Katmerciler, Vestel Defense, AYESAŞ, Nurol Technology, SDT, Turkish Technic, TÜBİTAK institutes, Bites, BNA, TÜRKSAT, Meteksan Defense, TDA, SaSaD, SAHA Istanbul in addition to the public institutions and associations attended the High Tech Port by MÜSİAD exhibition. The products and capabilities of 75 companies were demonstrated at the hall and various military and defense delegations from 20 countries visited the companies and gathered information on the displayed products and capabilities. 

Moreover, the companies launched their latest high technology products throughout the event. 

Katmerciler Introduced the “Hızır” 4*4 Tactical Wheeled Armoured Vehicle

Katmerciler introduced the “Hızır” 4x4 Tactical Wheeled Armoured Vehicle which it developed for fulfilling the demands of the Land Forces and Special Forces Command and turned into prototypes to the public with the participation of President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Katmerciler also displayed the Patrol and Command Control vehicle developed with the Nefer armor protection system applied over the Jeep Rubicon, together with KHAN APC vehicle at the event. 

In addition, “Altay” Main Battle Tank - of which the serial production negotiations continue - has been one of the platforms that stood out at the event. President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Vice Chairman of the Board of Koç Holding and Chairman of Otokar Mr. Ali Y. Koç visited the Otokar stand in which the FTR (Fire Test Rig) of the Altay tank was displayed and gathered information on the national Main Battle Tank Altay from the CEO of Koç Holding CEO Mr. Levent Çakıroğlu and Otokar General Manager Mr. Serdar Görgüç.

Mr. Ali Y. Koç said in his statement, at the Otokar stand, that despite many international and national unrest, Turkey continued to remain amongst the leading countries of the world with its economic performance and added the following: “In order to reinforce its global position and overcome the threats, Turkey has to continue developing its innovation and technological power. As the Koç Group we are pressing ahead our investments increasing our R&D and innovation capabilities in a determined manner in addition to our faith and trust in our country’s potential and its future. The national defense projects provide significant contribution to the industrial development of our country. Turkey’s greatest land systems project Altay designed and developed under Otokar’s main contractorship has brought great momentum to our defense industry. With the help of Altay project, our defense industry managed to develop its own resources and capabilities within such a short period of 7 years and Otokar and sub-contractors acquired remarkable know-how and experience and thus our sector created its own technology. This event taking place today also puts forth the level that the Turkish defense industry reached at the international arena.”

Mr. Ali Y. Koç also stated that they remain ready to take part in the serial production of the national Main Battle Tank Altay of which Otokar was assigned as the main contractor and continued, “With our human resources specially trained for this task and our experiences, we are ready to provide our best for our country. For 29 years, we have been making our mark as Otokar with the notable projects providing momentum to the development of the defense industry. Approximately 30 thousand military vehicles of Otokar are providing services around the various regions of the world utilized by nearly 30 armies, Turkish Armed Forces being in the first place, the friendly and allied nation’s armies and task forces of the United Nations. We have the sufficient competency to successfully accomplish the mass production of Altay which will become the national pride of Turkey. If assigned, we are ready to fulfil all responsibilities falling at our plate. Beyond merely fulfilling the requirements of our country’s defense industry, we are aiming to raise the level to accomplish the export of Altay. I believe that the interest of the friendly and allied countries to Altay will provide positive contribution to the export activities of our country’s defense industry in the long run.”

Otokar also displayed the Arma 8x8 and Arma 6x6 Armored Personnel Carrier vehicles and its indigenous weapon turret systems at its designated stand area. 

Nurol Makina Launched the delivery of Ejder “Yalçın” 4x4

One of the leading land platform manufacturing companies of the Turkish Defense Industry - Nurol Makina and Industry Co.Inc.- conducted the press launch of the Ejder Yalçın 4x4 vehicle with the Aselsan production 12.7 mm ‘Sarp’ Turret weapon system installed over it at the High Tech Port fair.

Addressing the participants at the launching ceremony, Deputy General Manager of Nurol Makina Dr. Anıl Karel stated that with the help of its strong power group and fully independent suspension the Armored Personnel Carrier Vehicle, Ejder Yalçın 4x4 had the capability of performing in all types of fields and added that they would continue to manufacture more improved configurations with the deliveries they would be conducting in the upcoming period.

Underlining that they initiated the delivery process within the scope of the 180 vehicles ordered by the Special Forces Command, Dr. Anıl Karel expressed that 7.62 mm machine gun system is to be integrated to these vehicles that will be delivered. Dr. Karel stressed that the protection level of the vehicle was increased a level higher compared to the previous configuration.

Dr. Anıl Karel emphasized that the Ejder “Yalçın” 4x4 Armored Vehicle Carrier was in the radar of many foreign countries adding the fact that the procurement processes lingered in the foreign sales however they expected to share the good news soon with the public.

Vestel Defense introduced the Tactical Class “Karayel” UAV platform’s armed version that is integrated with the Roketsan production MAM missile to the press while the various delegations from the gulf countries showed great interest in the Armed “Karayel” platforms and gathered information from the officials.

One of the prominent participants of the fair, FNSS, launched the presentation of the 25 mm single seater turret configuration of the AV8 8X8 Tactical Wheeled Armored Combat Vehicle (the production of which continues for the Malaysian Armed Forces) and “Kunduz” Azmim Amphibious Armored Engineering Bulldozer which entered into Turkish Armed Forces inventory previously. The New Generation Tracked Armored Combat Vehicle Kaplan-30 took its place at the FNSS stand as well. 

The preliminary prototype of the “Sapan” electro- magnetic launching system that was previously presented to the Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Mr. Faruk Özlü was also launched at the TÜBİTAK stand. The system which has not yet been released as a prototype is aimed to be manufactured as a product, according to the results of the feasibility report.

Aselsan has Unveiled Anti-Drone and Man-Portable Drone Jammer Systems

One of the standing out technological products at the fair were the IHTAR Anti- Drone system of Aselsan which is capable of detecting, tracking and preventing the micro and mini UAV systems that is under the prototype stage currently and the Man- Portable Drone Jammer “IHASAVAR”. Aselsan representatives shared the details of the utilization areas and working principles of the two products launched at the event with our magazine.

With the “IHASAVAR” Anti-drone system composed of the Aselsan production “Acar” radar system, “Gergedan” counter measure jammer and electro-optical thermal cameras; the neutralization of the threatening micro and mini UAV systems is aimed.

The target initially detected through the “Acar” radar could be observed over the map on the command control screen. The operating system then directs the electro optical cameras towards the target through the map. The target drone could be neutralized via the jammer system by the operator. With the GPS jammer, the target can give different reactions compared with the reactions of the drone model. As a result, some of the drone models are suspended in the air while others are capable of conducting safe landings automatically and some drone models confuse their direction and steer away from their target.

This system that could be installed to the armored vehicles could also be utilized at the critical facilities such as the oil pipelines, airports, stadiums on the masts. In cases where the installation of multiple systems is required at the various locations of campus of the facilities with the great areas, the system is directed centrally by the command control office. 

In addition to the Anti-Drone “IHASAVAR”, Aselsan also launched the Man-Portable Drone Jammer System which offers the mobile utilization of an operator at the High Tech Port event.

Within the scope of the project initiated with the aim of neutralizing the recent UAV threats emerging especially at the operational regions, the system developed is composed of a backpack. This backpack containing a Jammer, a Battery and a control unit additionally has a directed antenna in the form of weapon of 2 kg. The user detecting the target through the binoculars over the directed antenna system could direct the RF signals generated by the jammer in a width of 60 degrees, extending wider as it gets further. Through this broadcast, the signals between the GPS satellites and the user are terminated and thus the drone gets neutralized. With the help of this system capable of jamming the Remote Command and Data Link frequencies, the drone’s capacity of simultaneous image capturing and data transfer is also prevented. 

Man-Portable Drone Jammer system is particularly intended to be actively used at the border regions, border patrols and base regions.

The 4th of the High Tech Port by MÜSİAD event is planned to be conducted at a foreign country which has not yet been declared. The 2nd High Tech Port event, which took place in 2015, was executed at the capital city of Qatar, Doha.