History of HAVELSAN: Milestones From Founding to Today

The history of HAVELSAN is also the story of Türkiye’s shift from dependence on foreign defence software to indigenous production. Founded in 1982 for a radar project, over more than four decades the company grew into a range spanning combat management systems, simulators, unmanned vehicles and artificial-intelligence platforms. This article summarises its milestones from founding to today, based on open sources.

For a general profile see our What is HAVELSAN? overview, and for its ownership, Who owns HAVELSAN?

Founding: 1982 and nationalisation

HAVELSAN was established in 1982, initially as the foreign-partnered “HAVELSAN-Aydın”, to support the Turkish Air Force’s radar needs. In 1985 the company became a wholly national entity, with the great majority of its capital passing to the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TSKGV). This step was the turning point that transformed HAVELSAN from a foreign-partnered venture into an indigenous defence-software institution.

The naval software era: GENESIS and ADVENT

The field that raised the company’s profile was naval combat management systems. GENESIS, developed from 1999 for the modernisation of Gabya-class frigates, went down in history as Türkiye’s first indigenous combat management system. ADVENT, developed in the 2010s, represented the next generation with its network-centric architecture and in time became the flagship product for export.

Investment in simulation and training

In the 2000s and 2010s HAVELSAN put weight on simulation. ATAKSİM for the T129 ATAK helicopter and various helicopter and aircraft simulators came to the fore in this period. Simulators broadened the company’s portfolio both by cutting the cost of military training and by opening a door into civil aviation.

The era of unmanned systems and AI

In recent years HAVELSAN turned toward unmanned ground, air and naval vehicles and artificial intelligence. The BARKAN and KAPGAN unmanned ground vehicles, the BAHA unmanned aerial vehicle and the SANCAR unmanned surface vessel developed jointly with Yonca-Onuk are products of this turn. On the AI side, the HAVELSAN MAIN enterprise platform was introduced. The company frames this era through its “digital troop” vision, in which different platforms are managed as a swarm from a single centre.

A threshold in exports: a NATO member state

HAVELSAN’s ADVENT combat management system came in time to feature in several countries’ naval programmes. In July 2026 the system’s integration onto a Romanian Navy corvette was announced in open sources as the company’s first combat-management-system export to a NATO member state — a symbolic threshold after long-running exports to various countries.

HAVELSAN history: milestones

Frequently asked questions

When was HAVELSAN founded?

In 1982, initially as the foreign-partnered “HAVELSAN-Aydın”; it became wholly national in 1985.

What field did HAVELSAN first work in?

Its founding purpose was to support the Turkish Air Force’s radar needs; over time naval combat management systems came to the fore.

When was GENESIS developed?

From 1999, for the modernisation of Gabya-class frigates. It is Türkiye’s first indigenous combat management system.

When did HAVELSAN turn to unmanned systems?

Especially in the 2020s, with products such as BARKAN, KAPGAN, BAHA and SANCAR.

When was HAVELSAN’s first NATO export?

It was announced in July 2026, with the integration of the ADVENT system onto a Romanian Navy corvette.

Sources

• HAVELSAN Corporate / History — havelsan.com
• TSKGV, Affiliates — tskgv.org.tr
• Anadolu Agency, “First NATO export for national combat management system”, 5 July 2026