HAVELSAN is taking another major step that will further strengthen Türkiye’s capabilities in aviation and defense technologies. The foundation of the 17,000-square-meter Flight Simulator Production and Integration Facility, currently under construction in Ankara, was laid in the presence of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and representatives from the defense industry. Once completed, the new complex is expected to significantly increase HAVELSAN’s capacity in both civil and military flight simulator production. The investment is seen not only as an expansion of the company’s manufacturing infrastructure, but also as a strategic move that will reinforce Türkiye’s position in the global flight simulation and aviation training market.

According to the project plan, the new facility will enable HAVELSAN to produce more than 30 flight simulators per year. At the same time, it will allow 16 different simulators to be developed concurrently across various production and integration stages. When combined with the company’s existing infrastructure in Ankara, HAVELSAN aims to reach a total capacity of 40 commercial and military simulators either under development or in operational phases simultaneously. This scale of production is expected to position HAVELSAN among the largest full flight simulator manufacturing centers in Europe and the Middle East.

The facility will also provide critical infrastructure for the development of next-generation simulator technologies. One of the standout systems in this effort is the STARVIEW-B collimated visual system, developed by HAVELSAN’s image systems team. Designed for advanced training environments, the system aims to improve visual realism and procedural accuracy for pilots. In addition, it is intended to increase technological independence in simulator sub-systems, reducing reliance on foreign technologies. STARVIEW-B is also a key component of HAVELSAN’s broader STARLINE FSTD product family strategy, which focuses on developing globally competitive full flight simulators for both military and civil aviation markets.

Planned to enter service in 2027, the facility is expected to create hundreds of highly qualified engineering and technical jobs in Ankara. Beyond employment, the investment is projected to make a substantial contribution to Türkiye’s broader aviation and defense technology ecosystem. In recent years, HAVELSAN has expanded its simulator operations considerably, delivering solutions for the civil aviation sector to customers such as Turkish Airlines, SunExpress, and IFTC, while also achieving notable export success. The company also continues to support national aviation platforms including HÜRJET, HÜRKUŞ, KAAN, and GÖKBEY with simulator and training systems. With more than 40 years of experience, HAVELSAN has developed simulators for a wide range of platforms, and once its current order backlog is completed, the company will have delivered more than 400 simulators for over 60 military and civil platforms to domestic and international users. This highlights HAVELSAN’s growing role as a global player in the flight simulation industry.