ASELSAN, one of the leading companies of the Turkish defense industry, successfully tested its advanced counter-UAV systems developed against mini and micro unmanned aerial vehicle threats. İHTAR, EJDERHA and GÖKBERK, which are among the important components of the ÇELİKKUBBE air defense architecture, successfully neutralized designated targets in three different scenarios during a test activity held at ASELSAN’s Gölbek Test Center.

The demonstration was carried out with the participation of delegations from 19 different countries, as well as members of the national and international press. The activity showed the effectiveness of ASELSAN’s multi-layered counter-drone solutions against low-altitude and asymmetric aerial threats, which have become increasingly common in modern battlefields.

ASELSAN’s countermeasure set, called DRONEDEF, includes several solutions designed for different threat levels. These include the İHTAR Counter-UAV System, GÖKBERK 5/10 kW Laser Weapon System, KORKUT 25 weapon system with airburst ammunition, GÖKALP autonomous interceptor UAV, EJDERHA AD high-power electromagnetic system, ŞAHİN LITE, ŞAHİN DUAL and MİĞFER self-defense system against FPV drones. In the live demonstration, İHTAR Anti-UAV System equipped with the AURA 200G radar unit, GÖKBERK Laser Weapon System and EJDERHA High-Power Electromagnetic Anti-UAV Countermeasure System were used.

As part of the scenario, the systems responded to multiple drones attacking from different directions. The swarm drones were first detected by the sensing subsystem. Two of the detected UAVs were neutralized by the İHTAR System within seconds. As the remaining threats continued to approach, the command-and-control subsystem assigned the targets to available hard-kill systems. At this stage, EJDERHA and GÖKBERK searched for and tracked the targets using the data transferred from İHTAR.

When the targets entered engagement range, the UAVs were successfully destroyed by GÖKBERK and EJDERHA. These three systems, operating in the lowest layer of the ÇELİKKUBBE concept, demonstrated coordinated performance against mini and micro UAV threats. The successful completion of the detection, tracking, target assignment and destruction chain against drones approaching from different directions highlighted ASELSAN’s advanced level in counter-UAV technologies.

The İHTAR system stands out as an AI-supported countermeasure solution designed to operate in both urban and rural environments. It combines AESA radar technology, advanced image processing algorithms and programmable FPV jamming capabilities in a single architecture. With these features, İHTAR can detect mini and micro UAV threats at an early stage, identify them with high accuracy and neutralize them using electronic warfare capabilities.

EJDERHA, positioned on a mobile platform, operates with directed energy technology. The system generates high-power electromagnetic waves through vacuum electronics technology, disabling the electronic components of hostile targets. GÖKBERK, on the other hand, provides physical destruction capability against targets through its laser weapon system. The combined use of İHTAR, EJDERHA and GÖKBERK shows that Türkiye has fielded not only jamming-based solutions, but also electromagnetic and laser-based destruction capabilities against drone threats.

ASELSAN’s successful tests once again demonstrated the importance of indigenous solutions against mini, micro and FPV drone threats that are increasingly used in modern warfare. These systems, operating in the lower layer of the ÇELİKKUBBE architecture, are expected to play an important role in protecting critical facilities, military units, base areas and mobile forces. The coordinated operation of İHTAR, EJDERHA and GÖKBERK in the same scenario represents a significant achievement for the Turkish defense industry’s layered air defense approach.