Which countries does SDT export to?
Quick answer: SDT’s best-known export success is the sale of a data link product to South Korea’s KF-21 fighter program; the company describes itself as the program’s sole Turkish stakeholder. According to statements by General Manager Ömer Korkut, ACMI pods have been integrated on F-16 and JF-17 aircraft in Pakistan, and RF jammer systems have been exported to Libya, Tanzania, Burkina Faso and Nigeria. Even so, figures relayed by Turkish brokerage A1 Capital put foreign sales at 6 percent of 2025 revenue; the company’s 2030 target is to raise that share to 50 percent.
The KF-21 reference: sole Turkish stakeholder
According to the company’s official news announcement, the data link product SDT developed for embedded simulation systems was delivered on schedule to South Korea’s KF-21 program under a contract won in an international tender. The official product page states that the data link systems are used in the South Korean Air Force’s KF-X program, and that the product operates at up to 10 Mbps in frequency bands up to 6 GHz, with AES-256 encryption and a TDMA architecture supporting 200 participants. The technical details of the product family are examined in the ACMI pod file.
What was sold to which markets?
| Country/Region | Product | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea | Data link system for the KF-21 program | SDT official announcement and product page |
| Pakistan | ACMI pod integration for F-16 and JF-17 | General manager interview, June 2025 |
| Libya, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Nigeria | RF jammer systems | General manager interview, June 2025 |
| Pakistan and Malaysia | Liaison offices | General manager interview, A1 Capital note |
| Azerbaijan | SDT Azerbaijan entity | A1 Capital note |
Contract values have not been officially disclosed. The company also told an investor meeting that it has taken steps toward entering the European market and wants to open up to Latin America through visits to Colombia.
What does the fair calendar say about export strategy?
The official news archive documents the company’s presence at fairs in its target markets: IDEAS in Pakistan (2016, 2018, 2024), DSA (2024, 2026) and LIMA (2025) in Malaysia, Indo Defence in Indonesia (2018, 2025), WDS in Saudi Arabia (2024, 2026), IDEX in the United Arab Emirates (2025), SOFEX in Jordan (2024), DIMDEX in Qatar (2018, 2022), the Egypt International Airshow (2024), FEINDEF in Spain (2025), BSDA in Romania (2026) and ADEX in Azerbaijan (2016-2025). The picture points to South Asia, the Gulf, North Africa and Southeast Asia as the priority markets.
What does the financial record show?
According to A1 Capital’s May 2026 note, domestic sales rose to 94 percent of revenue in 2025 while foreign sales slipped to 6 percent; in the first quarter of 2026 the export share stood at 1 percent. The target the company announced at the time of the IPO was 30 percent by 2025. The same note recalls that the sector backdrop is strong: Turkey’s defense and aerospace exports reached the 10 billion dollar level in 2025. For SDT specifically, the assessment is that this macro momentum has not yet fed through to the financials and that growth has come mainly from domestic deliveries. The 2026-2030 strategic plan set out in the same note targets lifting the foreign share of revenue, 6 percent in 2025, to 50 percent by 2030. How quickly the 85.3 million dollar order backlog recorded as of April 2026 converts into exports will be the main indicator for that target. On capacity, the new campus investment in the Ankara Aerospace and Aviation Specialized Organized Industrial Zone (HAB) aims to multiply production numbers for guidance kits, jammers and counter-drone systems. The campus and management strategy are covered in the Ömer Korkut profile, and the capacity figures in the RF jammer file.
Frequently asked questions
What is SDT’s biggest export reference?
The data link system sold to South Korea’s KF-21 fighter program. The company announced that it won the international tender with its own product and is the program’s sole Turkish stakeholder.
Which African countries has SDT sold to?
General Manager Ömer Korkut said RF jammer systems were exported to Libya, Tanzania, Burkina Faso and Nigeria.
How much of revenue comes from exports?
According to figures relayed by A1 Capital, 6 percent in 2025 and 1 percent in the first quarter of 2026. The company’s 2030 target is 50 percent.
Does SDT have offices abroad?
Yes. According to Korkut, liaison offices were opened in Pakistan and Malaysia; the A1 Capital note also mentions an SDT Azerbaijan entity.
Are the contract values known?
No. The values of the export contracts have not been officially disclosed.
Sources and verification note
Export references were supported by the company’s official announcements, interview statements attributed to the general manager by name and a brokerage note. No figures were given for contracts whose values are undisclosed. The KF-21 photograph is used from Wikimedia Commons under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
- https://www.sdt.com.tr/tr/haberler/ozgun-urunumuzle-kazandigimiz-uluslararasi-ihalede-teslimatlarimizi-zamaninda-gerceklestirdik (Accessed: August 12, 2026)
- https://www.sdt.com.tr/tr/cozumlerimiz/radar-elektronik-harp-ve-haberlesme/acmi-pod-data-link-sistemleri (Accessed: August 12, 2026)
- https://euronewsport.com/sdt-uzay-savunma-teknolojileri-genel-muduru-omer-korkut-sdt-olarak-kontrollu-buyumeyi-hedefliyoruz/ (Accessed: August 12, 2026)
- https://a1capital.com.tr/sdttr-toplanti-notu-ve-mali-gorunum/ (Accessed: August 12, 2026)
- https://www.sdt.com.tr/tr/haberler (Accessed: August 12, 2026)
- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2024-09-25_KF-21_Boramae_003.jpg (Accessed: August 12, 2026)
