Saha Expo 2026 – Aselsan add new elements to its Steel Dome widening its C-UAS capabilities - EDR Magazine
AI Analysis
Aselsan is expanding its 'Steel Dome' C-UAS system with two new additions: the Miğfer short-range hard-kill system and the Gökalp autonomous C-UAS system. These developments demonstrate Turkey's commitment to bolstering its layered air defense capabilities against a wide range of drone threats. The company is also actively developing longer-range air defense systems (Siper-A, -3, -4).
Key Takeaways
- Aselsan unveiled the Miğfer, a remotely controlled weapon system with dual 12-gauge automatic shotguns, effective against Class 1 drones up to 100m using specialized anti-drone ammunition (Sterling Magnum Antidrone).
- The Miğfer utilizes a multi-sensor suite (acoustic, lidar, radar, optronics) and AI-powered target classification for automated engagement.
- The Gökalp is an autonomous C-UAS system offered in multiple configurations (details incomplete in this article).
- Aselsan is focused on mass production of existing systems (Korkut, Hısar, Siper 1/2, Alp, Koral) while simultaneously developing new capabilities.
- High-level Turkish defense officials (Minister Guler, SSB Head Gorgun) attended the unveiling, signaling the strategic importance of these systems.
Why It Matters
These advancements indicate a growing emphasis on integrated, layered C-UAS defenses. Turkey is actively investing in both short-range, rapid-response systems (Miğfer) and more sophisticated, autonomous solutions (Gökalp) to counter the increasing proliferation of drones, particularly FPV and small UAVs. This strengthens Turkey's ability to protect critical infrastructure and military assets.
Saha Expo 2026 – Aselsan add new elements to its Steel Dome widening its C-UAS capabilities - EDR Magazine
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Paolo Valpolini
At the Istanbul exhibition Aselsan, the leading Turkish defence electronic company, unveiled two new products that will improve the C-UAS effectiveness of its Steel Dome layered air defence system, also announcing improvements on other existing systems to make them better apt to cooperate in the lower layer
At the unveiling, which was attended by the Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and by the head of the Defence Industries Secretariat (SSB) Haluk Gorgun, Ahmet Akyol, the Aselsan CEO, underlined that the Steel Dome is a system always in development, and that Aselsan is striving to mass produce the first elements such as Korkut, Hısar, Siper 1, Siper 2, Alp, and Koral systems. “At the same time, we are investing in capabilities that we believe we are lacking to address new threats. We just discussed Siper-A, Siper-3, and Siper-4 with our defence industry partners,” he said, referring to upper-layer defence systems. “However, we are here to showcase the products we have developed for the electronics layer and the drone defence layer of the Steel Dome, which we are now moving to the production stage,” he stated before describing the various new and upgraded systems presented at Saha Expo.
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Starting from the shorter-range system, the Miğfer is a remotely controlled weapon system armed with two 12-gauge automatic shotguns, each one able to fire 600 rounds per minute. The turret can rotate 360° in azimuth, its elevation arc being -20°/+70°. Each shotgun has a rifle-type curved magazine containing 20 rounds; at Saha these were Sterling Magnum Antidrone rounds produced by Turaç, a Turkish ammunition producer specialist, those ammunition being lethal against Class 1 drones up to 100 metres range. While the two shotguns are mounted on each side of the mount, on top of it we find the electro-optic subsystem which includes a thermal camera and a laser rangefinder; target detection and tracking is carried out thanks to acoustic sensors, lidar, radar and optronic subsystems which provide the relevant target data to the turret, tracking and classification exploiting those sensors as well as the one mounted on the turret; AI-based algorithms are used for image processing as well as for target classification and prioritisation. The engagement can be fully automated, often the selected mode as at very short distances a man-in-the-loop might make reaction too slow. The Miğfer can be easily installed on any type of land platform, providing a last ditch hard-kill option against the now ubiquitous threat of FPVs and small UAVs.
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Increasing the range, we switch to the second wholly new system shown at Saha Expo by Aselsan in the C-UAS role, the Gökalp. This is an autonomous C-UAS system that can be provided in two versions, both visible in Istanbul. In the outdoor exhibition t