Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır announced that Türkiye has achieved a significant success in the field of defense industry. The F-16 EDPOD (Electronic Support Pod) radar signal detector tactical electronic support pod, developed by the TÜBİTAK Informatics and Information Security Advanced Technologies Research Center (BİLGEM) with domestic and national resources, has successfully completed all the challenging tests conducted against real radar systems. This development is considered a strategic step that will significantly increase Türkiye's capabilities in the field of electronic warfare.
Critical Success in the National Technology Move
Minister Kacır, in his statement on the social media platform X, described this important development as a critical step taken in line with the National Technology Move goals. Kacır stated, “In line with our National Technology Move goals, we continue to develop the critical infrastructures and original technologies our country needs and work for a ‘Fully Independent Great Turkey’,” and underlined the vision of a domestic and national defense industry. The success of the F-16 EDPOD once again demonstrates Türkiye’s determination to reduce its external dependency in the field of defense and to have a say in critical technologies.
EDPOD's Rigorous Testing Process
According to the information provided by Minister Kacır, the F-16 EDPOD, whose critical components were developed by TÜBİTAK BİLGEM engineers using completely domestic and national resources, underwent a comprehensive and challenging test process against real radar systems. These tests aimed to measure the pod's ability to detect, classify and apply electronic warfare tactics against different radar threats. The fact that EDPOD successfully completed all these tests proves the reliability and effectiveness of the system. This success once again demonstrates the engineering capability and technological depth of the Turkish defense industry.
A Strategic Step Towards a Fully Independent Türkiye
The development of the F-16 EDPOD and its success in tests are of great importance as a strategic step taken towards Türkiye’s “Fully Independent Great Turkey” goal. Electronic warfare capabilities play a critical role in the survival and mission effectiveness of modern fighter aircraft. Thanks to this pod developed with domestic and national resources, the Turkish Air Force’s F-16 fleet will have a more effective electronic defense capability against enemy radar systems. This will both increase the safety of pilots and significantly increase operational effectiveness. This success of TÜBİTAK BİLGEM also constitutes an important source of motivation for future defense projects.
