While the Turkish defense industry is among the few countries in the world with the domestic products it produces in the air, on land, and in the sea, the embargoes brought to prevent this success achieved in a short time are being nullified one by one. The latest development in this area was the helicopter capture system. The developed domestic system will soon be used on ships. Here are 11 domestic products whose embargoes against Turkey in the field of defense have come to naught.
The fact that Turkey started to change the balance in its region with the products it produced after the attack carried out in defense alarmed some countries.
Weapons and systems companies, whose sales and parts are banned by the defense industry, are also mobilizing companies to produce local products.
The latest development in this area was the helicopter capture system.
The helicopter capture system on the ships of the Turkish navy, which is the subject of the embargo, was developed with domestic resources.
The system will begin its first mission with the national frigate TCG Istanbul, which will enter the inventory this year.
Here are the domestic weapons and systems that nullify the embargoes imposed on Turkey by the USA, Israel, Germany, and Canada.
Undoubtedly, one of the biggest contributions to the defense industry of the restrictions and embargoes applied to Turkey as unmanned aerial vehicles.
The fuse of the process that encouraged Turkey to produce its own UAVs was ignited in 2010 when the US Congress did not allow the sale of Predator and Reaper-type UAVs.
Taking action on the developments experienced, TAI carried out the trial tests of the UAVs named ANKA, which it was working on, in 2010.
Baykar Defense, which started the Tactical UAV Project in 2012 along with TAI, accelerated its work and started the first serial delivery in Bayraktar TB2 in 2014.
Following the steps taken in this area in the last 10 years, Bayraktar Akıncı, Bayraktar TB2, Bayraktar DİHA, Bayraktar TB3, Bayraktar Mini UAV, TAI Gözcü, TUSAŞ Anka, TUSAŞ Anka-Aksungur, TUSAŞ Baykuş, TUSAŞ Şimşek, and Vestel Karayel have been put into use and are in the production process. 11 Turkish UAVs and SİHAs were unearthed.
Another embargo applied to Turkey was for vertical launch systems used on warships.
The National Vertical Launching System was put into practice following the embargo imposed on Turkey regarding the US’s supply of the Mark 41 Vertical Launch System.
The Vertical Launch System is known as the system that vertically launches various types of missiles from warships and submarines.
MDAS, whose development activities have been accelerated, is expected to be used for the first time with the TCG Istanbul Frigate.
The first firing test of the National Vertical Launcher System (MIDLAS), manufactured by Roketsan, was successfully carried out. MIDAS will be integrated into the ISTANBUL frigate for the first time in 2023 and will enter the inventory of the Naval Forces.
Following Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 Air Defense System from Russia, the United States suspended the sale of F-35 warplanes, which Turkey paid for in the project it is a partner of.
After this surprising development, the Turkish defense industry accelerated the National Combat Aircraft project. The aircraft is expected to leave the hangar and make its maiden flight in 2023.
The gap left until the national warplane is put into service will be filled with modernized F-16s. With the replacement of 1500 parts, the structural life of the F-16 aircraft will be increased from 8 thousand hours to 12 thousand hours.
Another step towards embargoes was taken against FGM-148 Javelin missiles.
After the sale of the said missiles to Turkey was not allowed, KARAOK was produced as its domestic counterpart.
The guided anti-tank missile developed by Roketsan stands out with its range of 2,500 meters, as well as its portable structure that can be used by a single soldier.
While Turkey’s success in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles alarmed some countries, Canada imposed a sales ban on electro-optical cameras used in SİHAs.
Rolling up its sleeves after Canada’s SİHA move, ASELSAN took the step to end foreign dependency in this field. Canada’s embargo was also voided with the UAV camera CATS, which was produced entirely with domestic facilities.
On the other hand, the S-400 Air Defense System was purchased from Russia instead of the Patriots, which were not allowed to be sold by the USA, while the Turkish defense industry commissioned the Hisar Air Defense Group Project.
The project, carried out by ASELSAN and ROKETSAN under the leadership of the Presidency of the Defense Industry, will enter the inventory with three separate systems.
The first deliveries have been made. With Hisar Projects, Turkey has become one of the few countries that can develop a unique integrated air defense system, with its radar, command and control system, fire control system, communication system, data link, missile, seeker, and all its components, without outside help.
Due to the ‘disguised embargo’ imposed by the USA and Canada as well as Germany, the tank engine named BATU was developed for the ALTAY tank.
It is aimed that the 1500 horsepower engine, which was successfully ignited, will be accepted on the tank in 2024.
Foreign dependency on missile engines, where another covert and secret embargo is applied, will end with KTJ-3200 and TEI-TJ300.
The TEI-TJ300 engine, with its 240 mm diameter and 1342 N thrust force, breaks a world record in this class, while the TEI-TJ300, whose thrust is at the level of 3,200 newtons, can produce 900 horsepower.
It is planned that the missile engines produced with domestic facilities will be used in all domestic missiles, especially SOM and ATMACA, very soon.
Turkish defense industry company HAVELSAN has also developed a domestic simulator that the USA did not sell to Turkey.
The Sniper Training Simulator allows personnel who have just started their sniper training to practice aiming, distance determination, binocular adjustment, and shooting techniques with real equipment in a training environment, without using real ammunition.
The last covert embargo against SİHAs and UAVs came from Germany.
After the propellers purchased from Germany were not given for the TB2s, they were produced locally.
After Baykar developed its own propeller, a discount offer came from Germany this time.
The export ban on the Atak helicopter, on the grounds that the USA did not give an engine permit, will be overcome with the engine to be supplied from Ukraine.
