TURKISH DEFENSE INDUSTRY
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SimBT references: from naval delivery to exports

SimBT references: from naval delivery to exports
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Quick answer: SimBT’s publicly stated references cover institutions in Turkey such as the Turkish Naval Forces Command, the Gendarmerie General Command, the General Directorate of Security and Turkish State Railways (TCDD); on the export side they cover the portable maritime simulator agreement announced at IDEF 2023 and the TakBul sales agreements signed at DIMDEX 2018. SimBT also lists the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), Aselsan, Havelsan, Roketsan, TUSAŞ and STM among its customers; contract values are not officially disclosed.

Verifiable delivery: the SGD simulator at the Naval Forces

According to the company’s announcement for DSS 2021 (the 10th Naval Systems Seminar), SimBT delivered its virtual bridge simulator, named SGD, to the Turkish Naval Forces Command at the end of 2020; at the date of the seminar the product was in active use for personnel training. SGD is the naval application of the VR-based virtual bridge product in the MarSim family. The scope and value of the delivery contract are not officially disclosed.

Personnel wearing a virtual reality headset and backpack computer at a helm console in a virtual bridge environment
Bridge training with a virtual reality headset; the virtual bridge environment the user sees appears in the background. Photo: US Navy / Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Internal security reference: use of TakBul

The company’s DIMDEX 2018 announcement states that the TakBul identity, face and licence plate recognition system integrated with augmented reality glasses was at that date “in use by the Gendarmerie General Command and the General Directorate of Security”. According to the same text, sales agreements for TakBul were signed at the exhibition in Qatar; the buyers were not disclosed. The stand was visited by the then Chief of the General Staff Hulusi Akar and the then Undersecretary for Defence Industries İsmail Demir.

Export steps

There are two public records on SimBT’s exports:

  • IDEF 2023: the company announced that it had reached “an agreement on the export” of the portable maritime simulator it presented at the exhibition. The country, quantity and value were not disclosed.
  • DIMDEX 2018: it was announced that sales agreements for TakBul were signed during the exhibition. The identity of the foreign buyer was not disclosed.

The company’s total export volume and its distribution by country are not officially disclosed. This picture shows that exports have begun at company scale but that public data remains limited.

SimBT participation image for the DIMDEX 2018 exhibition in Qatar
TakBul sales agreements were announced at DIMDEX 2018. Source: SimBT

Public reference table

YearInstitution / eventSubjectSource
2020Turkish Naval Forces CommandDelivery of the SGD virtual bridge simulatorsimbt.com.tr/dss-2021
2018Gendarmerie General Command and the General Directorate of SecurityStatement that the TakBul system is in usesimbt.com.tr/dimdex-2018-2
2018DIMDEX (Qatar)TakBul sales agreementssimbt.com.tr/dimdex-2018-2
2022Air Technical Schools Command (HAVKOM)Participation in an AR/VR maintenance and repair workshopsimbt.com.tr/havkom-2022
2023IDEF 2023Portable maritime simulator export agreementsimbt.com.tr/idef-2023
—TCDDTSim train simulator (developed to the TCDD network)simbt.com.tr/urunler (land family)

Corporate customer list

The company’s promotional material states that more than 55 research and development projects have been carried out for the SSB, the Turkish Armed Forces, the Turkish Naval Forces Command, the Turkish Coast Guard Command, Aselsan, Havelsan, Roketsan, TUSAŞ and STM. Its LinkedIn profile also mentions Mercedes-Benz and Rönesans Holding from the private sector. The scope of individual projects on those lists is not officially disclosed. The known matches between products and institutions are marked in the product guide; for details on the management side see the Who owns SimBT? file.

Military personnel trying a head-mounted display in a briefing room while civilian participants look on
A head-mounted display trial carried out for military personnel. Photo: John Williams / Wikimedia Commons, public domain

Frequently asked questions

Does SimBT export?

Yes; agreements were announced for the portable maritime simulator at IDEF 2023 and for TakBul at DIMDEX 2018. The buyer countries and values are not officially disclosed.

Does the Turkish navy use a SimBT product?

According to the company announcement the SGD virtual bridge simulator was delivered to the Turkish Naval Forces Command at the end of 2020 and is used in training.

Which institutions use TakBul?

According to the company’s 2018 announcement, the Gendarmerie General Command and the General Directorate of Security. Current use is not officially disclosed.

Does SimBT have customers outside defence?

A train simulator was developed for TCDD; Mercedes-Benz and Rönesans Holding are mentioned on the LinkedIn profile. Project details were not disclosed.

Are contract values known?

No. The value of no SimBT contract is public, and the company does not disclose turnover either.

Sources and verification note

Reference information rests on the company’s own announcements; points with independent confirmation are indicated in the text. Undisclosed data has been marked “Not officially disclosed.” Accessed: August 12, 2026.

  • https://www.simbt.com.tr/dss-2021
  • https://www.simbt.com.tr/idef-2023
  • https://www.simbt.com.tr/dimdex-2018-2/
  • https://www.simbt.com.tr/havkom-2022
  • https://tr.linkedin.com/company/simbt-co
  • https://www.sahaistanbul.org.tr/firma/simbt-simulasyon-bilim-ve-teknolojileri

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