Two major Turkish defense industry companies, Turkish Aerospace and HAVELSAN, signed a strategic agreement at SAHA EXPO 2026 to support the wider use of national software solutions. Under the agreement, Turkish Aerospace will carry out the digital transformation of its human resources processes with HAVELSAN’s nationally developed KOVAN Next-Generation Business Management System. The agreement once again highlights the importance of developing not only defense platforms and hardware, but also critical enterprise software through national capabilities.

KOVAN was developed by HAVELSAN engineers with more than 25 years of experience in enterprise resource planning. The system is positioned as a next-generation transformation platform that digitizes institutional business processes from end to end. More than a software product, KOVAN integrates workflows between different departments, accelerates processes and supports data-driven decision-making. Turkish Aerospace’s decision to use KOVAN further strengthens the system’s reliability in the defense industry.

Within the scope of the agreement, KOVAN will play a critical role in Turkish Aerospace’s human resources management. Key processes such as performance and career management for approximately 16,000 personnel, as well as recruitment processes for new employees, will be managed through a single integrated platform. This will increase speed, transparency, traceability and sustainability in HR operations. Managing institutional data through a national software infrastructure will also provide an important advantage in terms of security and data sovereignty.

KOVAN is already actively used in Türkiye by several institutions, including the Presidency of Defense Industries, the Turkish Coast Guard Command, BOTAŞ, the Supreme Election Council, Teknopark Istanbul and DeltaV. The system was also recently exported to Azerbaijan, proving its success in the international market. This export achievement shows that HAVELSAN’s capabilities in enterprise software are gaining recognition not only in Türkiye, but also in friendly and allied countries.

HAVELSAN General Manager Mehmet Akif Nacar emphasized the importance of national software for a secure future during the signing ceremony. Nacar stated that HAVELSAN contributes to Türkiye’s digital transformation by developing secure infrastructures and national software. He thanked Turkish Aerospace for choosing KOVAN, which he described as a critical next-generation business management system.

Turkish Aerospace General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu also underlined that software developed with national capabilities is as critical as platforms in the Turkish defense industry. Demiroğlu stated that with the integration of HAVELSAN’s KOVAN system into Turkish Aerospace’s processes, the company’s data will be managed through national software. He added that this valuable step would benefit Turkish Aerospace, HAVELSAN and the Turkish defense industry as a whole.

The KOVAN agreement between Turkish Aerospace and HAVELSAN represents an important milestone in strengthening digital transformation in the defense industry through domestic and national software. Managing critical enterprise processes such as human resources through a secure, integrated and traceable platform will increase operational efficiency in large-scale defense industry organizations. This cooperation will contribute to the wider adoption of national software solutions and strengthen institutional digital independence within Türkiye’s defense ecosystem.