Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stressed the importance of developing domestic air defense systems, stressing that no country can guarantee its future without having independent capabilities in this field.
"No country that cannot develop its own air defense system can look to the future with confidence in the face of current challenges," Erdogan said during the opening ceremony of the defense company "Aselsan" in Ankara.
The Turkish head of state said that with the new "Steel Dome" air defense system, which includes 47 vehicles and has a value of 460 million dollars, Turkey will rise to "another league" in terms of defense capabilities.
He added that the addition of three "HISAR" medium-range air defense systems and 21 additional vehicles will significantly strengthen the country's preventive capabilities.
According to Erdogan, Turkey is not only consolidating its national defense, but is also making defense industry systems available to its allies and friends, while simultaneously increasing its diplomatic influence on the international stage.
The "Steel Dome" consists of:
- SIPER, long-range air defense system and 10 accompanying vehicles;
- HISAR, medium-range air defense systems, total 21 vehicles;
- KORKUT, air defense system with early warning radars;
- PUHU and REDET, electronic warfare systems.