At the 3rd International Military Radar and Border Security Summit, attention was drawn to border security, the migrant crisis and the opportunities awaiting the domestic defense industry.
President Erdoğan gave the message: "We continue to fight threats to our border security, particularly preventing irregular migration and terrorist infiltration."
President of the Presidency of Defense Industry Prof. Dr. İsmail Demir: “We are planning to make the first delivery of our Early Warning Radar System to our Air Force Command next month. We will also take the first product of the Low Altitude Radar System Project, the new product of the EIRS radar family, into the inventory next year.”
The 3rd International Military Radar and Border Security Summit - MRBS, organized by the Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association - MUSIAD Ankara Branch, with the support of the Ministry of National Defense and the Presidency of Defense Industry of the Republic of Turkey, under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior - MRBS, on October 5, 2021 at Hacettepe Beytepe Congress Center. started. During the two-day MRBS, many topics on the agenda of the sector, from border security to irregular migration, were discussed, while representatives of the domestic and national defense industry introduced the products they produced with the latest technology.
MRBS was opened with the message shared by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. President of the Presidency of Defense Industry Prof. Dr. İsmail Demir, MUSIAD Deputy Chairman Gökhan Yetkin, MUSIAD Ankara President Hasan Fehmi Yılmaz and MUSIAD Ankara Defense Industry Sector Board Chairman Mr. Fatih Altunbaş gave important messages about the border security, the migrant crisis and the opportunities awaiting the domestic defense industry at the opening of the MRBS.
“I believe that MRBS will guide our security units”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan shared the following in his written message for the opening of MRBS: “Turkey has been at the crossroads of civilizations throughout history and has always attracted the attention of states pursuing global hegemony with its geo-strategic location that unites three continents. Today, world politics are shaped in the geography where our country is located. In a region where instabilities and conflicts are intense, Turkey impresses with its internal peace, economic power and superior military capabilities. Our country, which acts with the principle of "Peace at home, peace in the world" in its foreign policy, is one of the most reliable partners for its friends and neighbors. In this success, our country's sensitivity to the protection of the existing borders in our region, as well as the importance it attaches to border security, has a great share. As we have stated on every occasion; We do not and never have eyes on the territory or sovereignty of anyone, any country. The sole purpose of the steps we take inside and the military operations we carry out abroad is to ensure the security of our borders, thus ensuring the safety of life and property of our citizens. The counter-terrorism operations we carry out within the framework of our right of self-defense stemming from international law also serve this purpose. With the new equipment we have developed in the defense industry, we are moving our country to a different place in fortifying the security of its borders, as in every field. We continue to fight threats to our border security, especially preventing irregular migration and terrorist infiltration. I believe that your summit, which was held for the third time this year with a wide participation from both local and foreign, will contribute and guide our security units in this regard.”
The first delivery of the Early Warning Radar System will be made in November.
President of the Presidency of Defense Industry Prof. Dr. İsmail Demir said: “In recent years, the 3-kilometer land border of our country, primarily the Syrian border, has been violated in various ways. Our border line needs to be monitored 7/24 for illegal refugee crossings, terrorist crossings and smuggling activity. If the border security level is high, the problems created by these threats will be minimized. As the Presidency of Defense Industries, we continue to work in line with the needs and demands of user authorities in this field. It is of great importance to meet our medium and long-term needs for military and civilian radar systems domestically, to develop the capabilities of the domestic industry in this field, and to increase the knowledge in universities and research institutions within the defense industry. In this context, we plan to make the first delivery of our Early Warning Radar System to our Air Force Command next month. We plan to increase the number of our national radar systems, which will significantly increase the capabilities of our security forces, in the coming years. In addition, with our Border Security System Project KAYI, we ensure the preparation of infrastructures for the installation and integration of sensor systems for 7/24 border line monitoring, control and data recording at our border police stations. Within the scope of our project, many Sub-Systems, especially cameras, land surveillance radars, cable-guided balloon system, land wide area surveillance system and fiber optic acoustic sensor, are used in an integrated manner. In this way, an uninterrupted security solution is provided. We have reached the final stage in the development activities of the Coastal Surveillance Radar System (SGRS) Project, which is of great importance for the safety of our coastline. This year, we aim to expand the scope of the new Coastal Surveillance Stations by commissioning and putting new functions into service.”
Low Altitude Radar System will enter the inventory in 2022
prof. Dr. Demir continued his words as follows: “Drone systems, which have become a serious threat especially in recent months and will be discussed in detail at the conference, can also be developed locally and nationally as a result of the investments made. In addition to our radar systems used for naval and air surveillance, our activities for the national development of the nose radars of the F-16 aircraft in the inventory of our Air Force and the Akıncı UAV system that we delivered this year continue. In addition to conventional radar systems, the tests of the prototypes developed for Passive Radar Systems, which will increase our resistance against electronic warfare and support our armed forces in detecting low-visibility aircraft, were successfully completed at the beginning of this year. The activities required for mass production are currently being carried out. Similarly, our technology acquisition contract for Multistatic Radar Systems was signed last month. In addition, we will take the first product of the Low Altitude Radar System Project, the new product of the EIRS radar family, into the inventory next year.”
Our defense industry has become a school
Gökhan Yetkin, Deputy Chairman of MUSIAD, said the following at the opening of MRBS: “Our defense industry has become the pride of our country with the breakthroughs it has made in recent years and it has made us proud. The progress in our defense industry has given positive momentum to many industrial branches with a multiplier effect. The defense industry has become a school for other areas of our industry with its advanced technology and engineering capabilities.”
Yetkin: “As MUSIAD, we believe that the way to be a strong state is to be strong economically. When we became economically strong, we had a say in that process, we set up a game, we broke a game. During that time, no one could do anything despite us. That is why domestic and national production will both make our country economically strong and will be one of our most important trump cards at the diplomacy table. The fact that domestic and national production in our defense industry exceeds 75 percent and that we have become a self-sufficient country in the field of advanced technology both makes us strong in military diplomacy and enables us to show quick reflexes against increasing threats. As the MUSIAD family, we are proud to be a part of these efforts with our nearly 100 members serving the defense industry. In our new management period, we want to continue to increase investments in high technology companies in our country and to develop an even more special strategic approach regarding this sector.”
Ankara will be the base for high-tech products
MUSIAD Ankara President Hasan Fehmi Yılmaz said the following at the opening of MRBS: “About 80% of the defense and aerospace industry companies in Turkey are in Ankara. Today, our Ankara deserves to be the center of our defense industry, and it also contributes to the country's economy, exports and employment as a base where superior technological products are produced for the defense of our country and ensuring border security. We are proud that our local and national defense industry representatives increase their production capabilities every year and offer their products to all our security units. With the opening of the Aerospace Organized Industrial Zone, Ankara's goal of being the center of high-tech domestic and national production in the defense industry will be further strengthened.”
“Our industrialists not only put their hands under the responsibility, but also their bodies”
Yılmaz: “We are extremely proud of the fact that the rate of localization in our defense industry has reached 25 percent from 75 percent. Today, many of our MUSIAD member companies make large-scale investments in the defense industry sector, putting their bodies under the responsibility for domestic and national production. With industry cooperation projects, we can increase Ankara's power in the defense industry and produce high-tech, high value-added products locally and nationally in Ankara. As MUSIAD, we are always ready for this.”
MRBS grew 4x
Yılmaz, who also gave information about MRBS, continued his words as follows: “Our summit, which we organized for the first time as MUSIAD Ankara in 2018, reached 4 times the size of the first one this year in terms of both volume and number of participating companies. At the summit, we aim to take the pulse of the industry with important sessions on military radar and border security with experts in their fields. More than 60 companies, especially our leading companies in the defense industry, will exhibit their products in the exhibition area. We will bring the public and private sectors together through B2B meetings and open the door to new collaborations.”
Turkey has the potential to meet the needs of friendly and allied countries.
Mr. Fatih Altunbaş, Chairman of MUSIAD Ankara Defense Industry Sector Board: “The Turkish defense and aerospace industry has developed many projects and products with its own means and capabilities to meet Turkey's needs. Thus, our industry has become a remarkable player in the international arena, in the military radar and border security market. Bringing together defense and aerospace industry companies, academics, technology experts, military inspection and border control experts, and decision makers in the armed forces, gendarmerie and police forces of our country and other countries, MRBS has also managed to attract the attention of the public to this important issue. First of all, the technology and solutions we have developed to meet our own needs have the quality and potential to meet the needs of friendly and allied countries. Thanks to this platform, we see much more clearly here today that we have the opportunity to show this potential in the international arena. With participation from 22 countries and strengthening its international identity this year, MRBS will increase our exports and make a great contribution to our country's economy; It is obvious that it will also provide added value to friendly and allied countries.”
Highlights from MRBS: The latest projects of the domestic and national defense industry are also exhibited at MRBS. Many leading companies in the industry such as TAI, Roketsan, Havelsan, STM, Turaç, Scandium, Aselsan, BMC, HTR, ISISO, Kedacom, Yayla and Robit Teknoloji introduced their new projects produced with the latest technology at MRBS.
USA, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Denmark, Indonesia, Palestine, France, South Sudan, Spain, Japan, Kazakhstan, TRNC, Congo, Kosovo, Pakistan, Serbia, Visitors from 22 countries, mainly Sri Lanka, Ukraine and Jordan, attended MRBS.
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