Fast-growing Aselsan is making a high-profile first solo appearance at a Dubai air show, with the Turkish company exhibiting just a fraction of its broad portfolio of aerospace products.

Describing the biennial event as “one of the main aviation exhibitions in the world – like Farnborough and Paris”, president and chief executive Ahmet Akyol notes that its previous appearances had been made alongside local partners.

“This is the first time we are attending separately as Aselsan,” he told FlightGlobal as the show opened on 17 November.

But while it is exhibiting in its own right for the first time, the company is in no way a new arrival to the industry – in fact, it marked the 50^th anniversary of its formation on 14 November.

It also is not new to the region, with five local joint ventures already established, including in the United Arab Emirates, and with an established presence in Abu Dhabi.

“We have very close strategic partnerships, and we develop technologies together,” he notes. “We consider the region as a partner, not a customer. The idea is to collaborate more, develop technologies and make business together.”

Referring to the UAE, he notes: “We have the same geography, we know the threats and the environment, and we have the solutions.” One example is its Steel Dome multi-layered air-defence system.

To expand on this, Aselsan’s CEO has signed new agreements at the show to broaden its work with local players.

Under a new pact with UAE company Calidus, it will supply digital cockpit equipment including a large area display, plus navigation systems, for the WX-80 cloud seeding derivative of the B-250 basic trainer.

“We are happy to see the programme as a future collaboration and a long-term partnership,” he says.

Akyol outlines Aselsan’s products as spanning six technology areas: avionics, guidance, radar, optics, communications and electronic warfare (EW). “This is a complete solution for the electronics side of the industry, including fighters, helicopters and UAVs.”

In a timely demonstration of the company’s capabilities, fellow Turkish developer Baykar Technologies has just flown its Kizilelema unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) for the first time carrying an Aselsan-produced electro-optical targeting system (EOTS). This offers a passive means of detecting airborne threats, including stealthy vehicles.

“This is a high-end solution – only two or three countries have this technology,” Akyol says, with the EOTS equipment among the systems on display here.

Underscoring the pace of development by Turkish industry, this came just weeks after the UCAV had also been flown carrying Aselsan’s Murad active electronically scanned array radar for the first time.

Also on display at the show is the company’s KGK-84 guidance kit, which equips a Mk 84 1,000kg (2,200lb) bomb with a range-extending wingkit and precision targeting. “This is a unique solution for fighter jets,” he says.

“As a payload provider company, we are ready to increase our international collaborations,” he says, with this strategy forming part of its ‘aselsaneXt’ programme.

That approach is delivering strong results. In its recent third-quarter financial results, the company reported a 171% increase in the value of its international contracts versus the same period a year ago, to total almost $2 billion. New orders surged by 76%.

“Day by day, year by year we are increasing our international business. Activities like [exhibiting at] Dubai help our international relations, and are also an opportunity to showcase new products and solutions.

“One of the strongest points of Aselsan is the innovation cycle: the speed of new equipment design and delivery,” Akyol says. The company brought 31 new products to the market from scratch in 2024, he notes.

With 13,000 employees and already among the eight largest defence companies in Europe by revenue, Aselsan is currently growing the latter metric at a rate of over 20% annually. Akyol says this is the result of a team effort across the entire company.

“Starting from the CEO to the C[-suite] level and all employees, we did a huge job,” he says. “It is difficult to grow everything, but we did it.

“We are contributing to international peace and prosperity, in the NATO region and others. Today, 24 international subsidiaries of Aselsan are active, and we are open to joint ventures and other opportunities in the market.”