TRTEST was created to address a long-standing structural gap in the Turkish defense industry: test, verification, and evaluation capability. In modern defense programs, success is not defined solely by design and production capacity, but also by the ability to prove compliance with international military and aviation standards. TRTEST’s mission is to keep this critical phase within national borders as much as possible.

Operational purpose and role

TRTEST enables defense companies to conduct environmental, electromagnetic compatibility, functional safety, software, and hardware verification tests without sending their products abroad. This capability is essential for certification, export readiness, and program security.

Doctrine and concept of use

Rather than acting as a single laboratory operator, TRTEST functions as a national test ecosystem integrator. Its operating doctrine includes:

• Mapping and consolidating existing public and private test infrastructures
• Matching test demand with available domestic capabilities
• Triggering the development of new test capacities where gaps exist
• Reducing foreign dependency in critical verification processes

This approach supports an end-to-end national chain: design – production – testing – certification.

Platform architecture: Online Test Ecosystem

One of TRTEST’s defining features is its Online Test Ecosystem, a digital platform that connects:

• Companies requiring tests
• Laboratories and organizations owning test infrastructures
• Academic and public test centers

Complementing this, the Domestic Test Infrastructure Inventory provides the first centralized and continuously updated mapping of Türkiye’s national test capabilities.

Scope and standards

Based on publicly available information, TRTEST-supported tests largely cover internationally recognized military and aviation standards, including:

• MIL-STD-810G – Environmental conditions
• MIL-STD-461F – EMI/EMC
• MIL-STD-212
• DO-160 – Environmental conditions for airborne equipment
• DO-178 – Software considerations in airborne systems
• DO-254 – Airborne electronic hardware

It is stated that approximately 90% of test requirements for systems below 1 m³ in size can now be met domestically.

Strategic advantages against modern threats

Test independence is a strategic safeguard against embargoes and political constraints. TRTEST delivers:

• Shorter development timelines
• Lower foreign currency expenditure
• Improved information security
• Enhanced competitiveness for export programs

Limitations

Some large-scale or highly specialized tests (for full-size aircraft, large naval platforms, or very high-power radar systems) are not yet fully available domestically according to open sources. Identifying and closing these gaps is a core mission of TRTEST.

Detailed technical information

Test coverage

• Environmental testing (temperature, humidity, vibration, shock)
• Electromagnetic interference and compatibility (EMI/EMC)
• Aviation software and hardware verification
• Military and aerospace standard compliance

Product size limitations

• Publicly stated focus on systems below 1 m³
• Larger systems addressed through ongoing capacity development

Sensors, weapons, or effectors

• TRTEST does not design or manufacture sensors or weapons
• It provides test, verification, and assessment services only

Command, control, and data infrastructure

• Digital matching via the Online Test Ecosystem
• Centralized national test infrastructure inventory

(Detailed technical architecture is not publicly disclosed.)

Personnel and operation

• Ecosystem management model with expert staff
• Tests executed by infrastructure owners, not directly by TRTEST laboratories

Frequently asked questions

What does TRTEST do?

• TRTEST ensures that defense and aerospace products can be tested and verified domestically in accordance with international military and aviation standards, supporting certification and export readiness.

Is TRTEST a single test laboratory?

• No. TRTEST is an ecosystem manager that coordinates and integrates existing public and private test infrastructures across Türkiye.

Which standards are covered?

• Primarily MIL-STD and DO series standards widely used in defense and aerospace programs.

What types of products can be tested?

• According to public information, systems smaller than 1 m³ are largely covered, with expanding capabilities for larger platforms.

Does TRTEST eliminate foreign testing completely?

• Not entirely, but it reportedly enables around 90% of current defense industry test needs to be met domestically.

Can non-defense sectors benefit?

• Yes. Aerospace, high-technology electronics, and safety-critical software and hardware sectors are also within scope.

Sources

• TRTEST Test and Evaluation Inc. official publications
• Public announcements by the Defense Industry Presidency
• Institutional information from TSE, TÜBİTAK, and STM
• Open-source defense industry publications (2021–2023)