Electronic Warfare in Turkish Defense: KORAL, MİLKAR, DRFM Jammers Explained

Electronic warfare is the invisible front of modern combat — and Türkiye now fields one of the most comprehensive indigenous EW portfolios outside the U.S., Russia and Israel. From the long-reach KORAL ED/ET stand-off jammer to MİLKAR communications jammers and DRFM-based radar deception, here is how Türkiye built its electronic warfare capability and what its 2026 inventory looks like.

Why Electronic Warfare Matters

Electronic warfare (EW) — referred to in Turkish as Elektronik Harp (EH) — is the discipline of controlling the electromagnetic spectrum during military operations. It encompasses three overlapping mission areas: Electronic Support (ES), which detects, intercepts and identifies adversary emitters; Electronic Attack (EA), which jams, deceives or destroys adversary radars and communications; and Electronic Protection (EP), which keeps friendly systems operating in a contested spectrum.

In every recent conflict — Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh, the Israeli-Iranian exchanges — EW has been decisive. Side A’s ability to suppress Side B’s radars, jam its communications and degrade its drone links has often mattered more than which side had the bigger missile. Türkiye recognised this early, and built EW as a core sovereign capability through Aselsan, TÜBİTAK BİLGEM and a wider domestic supplier ecosystem.

KORAL: The Stand-Off Radar Jammer

KORAL is Aselsan’s ground-based stand-off radar electronic-attack system, designed to detect, identify, jam and deceive surveillance and fire-control radars over long distances. It is deployed in two-vehicle batteries — an ED (Electronic Detection) vehicle that locates and characterises the emitter and an ET (Electronic Targeting) vehicle that performs the jamming. KORAL famously operated along the Syrian border during Turkish operations there, providing a layered radar-degradation umbrella that supported drone and air operations alike. A more capable KORAL-2 entered the Turkish Armed Forces inventory in 2026.

MİLKAR-3A3: Communications Denial

MİLKAR-3A3 is a mobile communications jamming system optimised for V/UHF-band targets — military radios, push-to-talk networks and the tactical communications backbone of enemy forces. The system is built on a wheeled tactical vehicle, networked into the wider Turkish C4ISR architecture, and capable of operating both as an organic asset of a manoeuvre brigade and as a strategic effects platform under higher headquarters control. MİLKAR has been used in counter-terrorism operations along the southern border and is the Turkish answer to legacy Russian R-330ZH-class systems.

EDPOD and PUHU: Airborne EW

EDPOD is the Tactical Electronic Support Pod developed jointly by TÜBİTAK BİLGEM and Aselsan and integrated into the F-16. It gives the aircraft an organic radar-detection and identification capability — the prerequisite for both self-protection and active electronic attack. EDPOD has been progressively expanded into a family of pods, including the PUHU electronic-attack pod, which gives the F-16 (and in the future KAAN) a stand-in electronic-attack capability.

DRFM Jammers: Radar Deception, Not Just Denial

A DRFM (Digital Radio Frequency Memory) jammer is the most advanced form of radar electronic-attack technology — instead of simply burning through a radar with noise, it samples the radar’s pulse, modifies it and re-transmits a deceptive version. The result is that the radar sees false targets, false bearings or false speeds, and either fires at empty space or stops firing altogether. Turkish industry has developed DRFM jammers for both airborne and ground applications, with newer variants integrated into the wider Steel Dome electronic-warfare layer.

The 2026 EW Stack Inside Steel Dome

Electronic warfare is no longer a separate stovepipe in Turkish doctrine — it is one of Steel Dome’s four integrated layers, alongside surveillance, fire control and interceptors. Aselsan’s REDET stand-off jammer, the PUHU airborne EW pod, the ground-based KORAL family and the VURAL family of self-protection systems all feed and receive data from the Steel Dome battle-management layer. The result is that an emitter detected by one node — a fighter’s EW pod, an EIRS surveillance radar or a stand-off KORAL battery — is instantly available for engagement or jamming by any other.

Where Türkiye Sits Internationally

Few non-Western states field a comprehensive, indigenous EW portfolio of this scope. Russia and China do; Israel does; the U.S. has the largest portfolio in the world. Türkiye has progressively built one of the most complete EW catalogues among NATO’s European Allies, with the additional advantage that its capability stack is exportable — domestic supply chains, no foreign export licences in the critical path.

Export Prospects and the SAHA 2026 Unveil

At SAHA 2026, Aselsan unveiled new EW capabilities explicitly developed for export and for the Steel Dome architecture: a new EW pod for fast-jet escort and stand-in jamming, a high-power microwave (HPM) anti-swarm system, and a next-generation battle-management software layer with AI-assisted target pairing. With Steel Dome being marketed as a complete package to interested customers (including reported talks with Italy), Türkiye’s EW catalogue is positioned to become an export pillar in its own right.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is electronic warfare?

It is the discipline of controlling the electromagnetic spectrum during military operations — detecting emitters, jamming or deceiving adversary radars and communications, and protecting friendly systems against the same.

What does KORAL do?

KORAL is a ground-based stand-off radar jamming system that detects, identifies and jams adversary radars at long range. The newer KORAL-2 entered Turkish Armed Forces service in 2026.

What is a DRFM jammer?

A Digital Radio Frequency Memory jammer is an advanced radar electronic-attack system that samples and re-transmits the adversary’s radar pulse in deceptive form, creating false targets or false bearings.

Who develops Türkiye’s electronic warfare systems?

Primarily Aselsan and TÜBİTAK BİLGEM, with supporting roles from Havelsan and the wider Turkish defence supplier ecosystem.

Is Turkish EW capability exportable?

Yes — domestic supply chains and the absence of foreign export licences in the critical path make the Turkish EW catalogue more exportable than many comparable Western systems.

Conclusion

Electronic warfare is the part of Türkiye’s defence capability that is least visible from the outside — which is precisely the point. The KORAL family, MİLKAR communications jammers, EDPOD / PUHU airborne pods and the latest DRFM-based deception systems together give Türkiye one of the most comprehensive indigenous EW catalogues in NATO. Inside Steel Dome, that EW capability is now an integrated, networked layer rather than a stovepiped niche.

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Sources

Elektronik Harp (EH) Nedir? — Envanter Medya — https://envantermedya.com/elektronik-harp-eh-nedir-modern-savasin-gorunmez-cephesi/

DRFM Jammer Nedir? — Envanter Medya — https://envantermedya.com/drfm-jammer-nedir/

KORAL Elektronik Taarruz Sistemi — Aselsan ürün kataloğu — https://www.aselsan.com/

Aselsan expands Steel Dome air defense system — Türkiye Today — https://www.turkiyetoday.com/nation/aselsan-expands-steel-dome-air-defense-system-with-6-new-systems-3219519

EDPOD Tactical Electronic Support Pod — TÜBİTAK BİLGEM — https://bilgem.tubitak.gov.tr/en/

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