ASELSAN brings the Steel Dome to Eurosatory 2026 for European allies

ASELSAN used the Eurosatory 2026 show in Paris (15-19 June) to put Turkiye’s Steel Dome multi-layer air and missile defence architecture, its DRONEDEF counter-UAV framework and the KALKAN II/M active-phased-array radar front and centre. With over 14,000 staff and an order backlog above USD 20 billion, the company pitched modular, interoperable solutions that plug into NATO architectures to European allies.

Lead

ASELSAN, Turkiye’s largest defence-electronics house, attended the 2026 edition of Eurosatory — one of the world’s largest land and security shows — with a cross-domain portfolio. According to 15 June 2026 reporting by defence-industry.eu, the company presented a NATO-compatible solution set built on interoperability, modularity and seamless integration into allied architectures.

The show took place at the centre of Europe’s rearmament agenda. Open sources indicate 58 Turkish institutions and firms attended Eurosatory 2026, led by primes such as ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN, MKE, BMC and OTOKAR — a strong sign of the Turkish industry’s appetite for the European market.

Systems on display

As reported by defence-industry.eu, the centrepiece of ASELSAN’s stand was the Steel Dome networked air- and missile-defence concept, which fuses sensors, command-and-control and effectors over a network. The company also displayed the KALKAN II/M, a mobile search radar with active-phased-array technology for short- and medium-range air defence, able to detect UAVs, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and air-to-ground threats.

On counter-drone, ASELSAN unveiled DRONEDEF, an integrated framework combining the İHTAR, GÖKBERK, KORKUT 100/25 SB and EJDERHA systems and blending kinetic, directed-energy and electromagnetic countermeasures in one frame. KORAL AD for radar electronic warfare, the TOLUN L / TOLUN IRR precision munitions and the LGK laser guidance kit, plus the KILIÇ family of autonomous underwater vehicles, rounded out the display.

What is the Steel Dome?

The Steel Dome (Çelik Kubbe) is Turkiye’s national integrated air- and missile-defence architecture, designed to bind layers of differing range and altitude under a single command-and-control roof. It aims to run gun/missile systems such as KORKUT and GÜRZ at low altitude, the HISAR family at short-to-medium range, SİPER at long range, and a GÖKBERK laser plus electronic-warfare layer against drones — all under a common operating picture.

The core of the approach is layer complementarity rather than the performance of any single weapon. Fusing sensor data into one command-and-control network allows the best effector to be assigned to each incoming threat and resources to be used efficiently. Presenting the concept as a whole at Eurosatory signals an intent to position it not just as a national programme but as an exportable architecture.

DRONEDEF and the counter-drone layer

Recent battlefields have pushed the threat of cheap, massed unmanned aircraft to the top of the defence agenda. ASELSAN’s DRONEDEF framework answers that many-sided threat in layers: radar and electro-optical sensors for detection and identification, and — depending on the case — jamming, directed energy (laser) and kinetic fire to neutralise.

Within it, the GÖKBERK laser air-defence system, KORKUT’s 35 mm gun power and the electronic/sensing capabilities of İHTAR and EJDERHA are considered together. Cost-effectiveness is critical: rather than spending an expensive missile on a cheap drone, matching the effector to the threat’s value determines the sustainability of the counter-drone capability.

Background

Open sources place ASELSAN as Turkiye’s defence-electronics locomotive, with more than 14,000 staff and an order backlog exceeding USD 20 billion. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s recent visit to the company’s Ankara facilities was among the developments raising its visibility within the alliance.

ASELSAN’s European push is not limited to show stands. A February 2026 partnership with the Czech firm Excalibur International (CSG Group) to integrate the KORKUT air-defence system onto the Tatra Force 6×6 platform aimed to localise production in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Eurosatory display reads as a continuation of that Europe-focused strategy. As Envanter Medya reported at the show’s opening, European primes also built large stands around the rearmament theme alongside the Turkish firms.

Why it matters for Turkiye and the region

The Eurosatory display shows the Turkish defence industry rising to a position that exports system architectures, not just platforms. Presenting the Steel Dome as a whole reflects Turkiye’s claim to be an end-to-end solution provider in air defence rather than a parts supplier. As Europe scrambles for air- and missile-defence capability, that positioning opens a strategic window.

The second dimension is interoperability. ASELSAN foregrounding integration with NATO standards and allied command-and-control answers one of European buyers’ top criteria directly. Local-production partnerships, such as integrating KORKUT onto the Czech Tatra platform, offer a model that meets buyer countries’ industrial-participation and employment expectations. On counter-drone, Turkiye’s intensive field experience is a strong reference when marketing solutions like DRONEDEF.

Open-source verification

• ASELSAN’s attendance at Eurosatory 2026 and the system family on display are corroborated consistently across multiple independent sources, including defence-industry.eu, Defensehere and TURDEF.
• The 14,000-plus staff and USD 20 billion-plus backlog figures are confirmed by the company’s public statements and industry sources.
• The Steel Dome’s layered architecture (KORKUT, HISAR, SİPER, GÖKBERK) is extensively documented in open sources.
• Whether any new contract or value was disclosed at the show is not officially confirmed as of publication; the display is a showcase activity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Steel Dome?

Turkiye’s national integrated air- and missile-defence architecture, binding air-defence layers from low altitude to long range under a single command-and-control roof.

What does DRONEDEF do?

It is ASELSAN’s counter-drone framework combining the İHTAR, GÖKBERK, KORKUT 100/25 SB and EJDERHA systems, gathering kinetic, laser and electronic countermeasures under one roof.

Did ASELSAN sign a new deal at Eurosatory?

As of publication no new contract signed at the show is officially confirmed; the display is a promotion and visibility activity.

Why does it matter for Turkiye?

It shows the Turkish industry rising to export system architectures rather than platforms, finding an opportunity window in Europe’s rearmament.

Bottom line

ASELSAN’s Eurosatory 2026 stand was among the most visible expressions on the European stage of the integrated capability Turkiye has reached in air defence. Presenting the Steel Dome and DRONEDEF as an architecture shows Turkiye has built an ecosystem that both meets its own need and is export-ready. Whether a concrete contract emerges from the show remains to be seen — but the picture on display suggests Turkiye has moved from being a player at the table to one of those setting it.

Sources

• defence-industry.eu — ASELSAN at Eurosatory 2026: strengthening multi-domain defense for allied forces (15 June 2026)
• Defensehere — ASELSAN to highlight its latest defense technologies at Eurosatory 2026
• TURDEF — Europe’s rearmament takes centre stage at Eurosatory 2026
• Türkiye Today — Aselsan’s Korkut enters Europe via Czech partnership

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