Leading Turkish defense electronics prime ASELSAN has officially launched operational production at the first phase of its flagship Oğulbey Technology Base in the Golbaşı/Oğulbey district of Ankara.
Representing a historic $1.5 billion capital expenditure across a 6,500-acre industrial site, the commissioning marks the single largest defense infrastructure investment in the history of the Turkish Republic. The initial phase—which entered active production alongside the commissioning of a new Guided Munition Systems Production Center—integrates advanced robotic assembly automation and high-capacity microelectronics fabrication. The site expansion scales manufacturing throughput for air defense, radar, guided weapons, and land/naval tactical electronics to directly support ASELSAN’s record $30.7+ billion order backlog.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: OĞULBEY TECHNOLOGY BASE & MANUFACTURING INFRASTRUCTURE
Industrial Scope, Facility Footprint & Capital Investment
⚡ Facility Integrator & Prime: ASELSAN A.Ş. (Ankara, Türkiye)
⚡ Facility Location & Scale: Oğulbey District, Ankara; total site area spanning ~6,500 acres (2.6 million m²)
⚡ Project Valuation: $1.5 Billion USD Total Capital Investment (Europe’s largest single air defense & electronics manufacturing complex)
⚡ Operational Status: Phase 1 active manufacturing commissioned late-October 2026; full multi-phase site completion targeted through subsequent build-out phases
⚡ Financial Backing & Capex Growth: Supported by a 228% year-on-year increase in ASELSAN nine-month capacity/infrastructure investments, reaching $684 million USD in 2026 
Primary Production Centers & Advanced Technology Focus Areas
💥 Air & Missile Defense Manufacturing: Dedicated integration assembly bays for the “Çelik Kubbe” (Steel Dome) layered IAMD network, including SİPER, HİSAR, and KORKUT air defense systems
💥 Guided Munition Systems Center: Automated filling, integration, and sensor-alignment facilities for smart guided weapons, laser/satellite guidance kits (LGK/HGK), and precision strike hardware
💥 High-Band Radar & EW Facilities: Cleanroom microelectronics packaging lines for GaN-based AESA radar arrays (ALP 300G/100G) and PUHU electronic warfare suites
💥 Next-Gen R&D Core: On-site research infrastructure covering quantum computing, underwater acoustics, satellite payloads, high-power microwave (HPM) directed-energy, and advanced engineering materials
Automation, Robotics & Supply Chain Operations
🚀 Robotic Assembly & Industry 4.0: Automated guided vehicles (AGVs), multi-axis robotic assembly cells, and AI-driven optical inspection lines to maximize production speed and quality control
🚀 Capacity Scaling Vector: Increases total ASELSAN defense equipment manufacturing throughput capacity by up to 40% upon full operational output
🚀 Backlog Fulfillment Role: Engineered to convert ASELSAN’s $30.744 billion active order book (driven by $14+ billion in new 2026 domestic and international contracts) into accelerated delivery schedules
TIMES OF DEFENCE ASSESSMENT
The operational launch of the first phase of the Oğulbey Technology Base represents a critical industrial transition for ASELSAN and the Turkish defense sector. In recent years, Turkish defense primes have secured massive domestic contracts—such as the multi-layered “Steel Dome” air defense architecture—alongside rapidly expanding international export sales across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. However, sustaining this momentum required scaling physical manufacturing capacity to match demand.
From an engineering and defense industrial perspective, the Oğulbey complex offers three primary advantages:
1. **Resolving the Order Backlog Bottleneck**: With ASELSAN’s order backlog surging past $30.7 billion, traditional manufacturing facilities in Macunköy and Akyurt were operating near peak capacity. Oğulbey provides high-volume, automated production lines that shorten production cycles for high-demand items like AESA radars, electro-optics, and missile guidance kits.
2. **Centralizing Steel Dome Production**: As Türkiye fields the Steel Dome IAMD network, unifying long-range (SİPER), medium-range (HİSAR), and short-range (KORKUT) radar and interceptor electronics production under a single automated umbrella streamlines quality control and software-hardware integration.
3. **Sovereign Microelectronics & Directed Energy Fabrication**: Allocating dedicated R&D and cleanroom space for quantum computing, GaN radar modules, and high-power microwaves (HPM) insulates Turkish defense production from foreign export restrictions while establishing indigenous technological readiness.
