Turkey to Boost Defense Budget by 229% and Deploy 'Steel Dome' on Its Navy: What Is Known

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz announced that Ankara intends to increase defense spending by 229% under the Medium-Term Program for 2027–2029. According to him, defense and security are regarded as key prerequisites for the country's economic development, so budgetary resources will be allocated in strict accordance with the state's strategic needs. The stated priority is the development of indigenous technologies in the defense industry: Ankara aims to meet the armed forces' needs independently and produce high value-added products, minimizing dependence on imports of weapons and technologies.

'Steel Dome': Multi-Layer Air Defense Goes to Sea

A separate strategic direction has become the development of the multi-layer air defense system 'Steel Dome' (Çelik Kubbe). Turkey has already partially deployed elements of the complex and begun integrating its components onto naval vessels. In the first phase, very short-range air defense systems are being used on maritime platforms. In the coming years, as new ships are added to the fleet, more advanced components are planned to be deployed. Among the short-range defense systems already used on ships of various classes is the GÖKDENİZ system, designed to counter missile, drone, and other aerial threats. An additional component of the short-range tier will be TOLGA — a system for countering low-altitude asymmetric threats, including drones, attack UAVs, and cruise missiles. The same tier will also include GÖKSUR and LEVENT, which have been undergoing testing for a long time.

Medium and Long Range: MİDLAS, HİSAR, and SİPER

At medium and long ranges, the Turkish Navy plans to use the MİDLAS vertical launch system, as well as naval versions of the domestic HİSAR and SİPER complexes. The HİSAR-D RF complex is intended to provide short- and medium-range air defense. SİPER, in turn, is one of the components of the long-range tier of the 'Steel Dome,' and its naval version, SİPER BLOK 1-D, is designed to protect the fleet's critical surface platforms. Thus, Ankara is forming a closed multi-layer architecture of naval air defense, in which each tier covers a specific range of distances and types of threats.

Expanding the Technological Frontier Beyond Defense

Yılmaz emphasized that the expansion of research, development, production, and innovation potential will not be limited to the defense sector. The priority list also includes critical civilian and dual-use fields: medical technologies, the semiconductor industry, and artificial intelligence. This indicates that Ankara views technological sovereignty as a cross-cutting national security task, rather than an exclusively military project.

The Ukrainian Vector: Interest in a 'Drone Deal' and Joint Projects

Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, Turkey is actively building up the potential of its armed forces and shows significant interest in cooperation with Kyiv in the defense-industrial sphere, but is approaching the issue cautiously, stated Ukraine's Ambassador to Turkey Nariman Jelyal. According to him, Ankara is not averse to signing the so-called Drone Deal — an agreement on the supply of unmanned systems — but continues to seek the most advantageous format for itself. Kyiv and Ankara are also discussing the possibility of implementing joint projects in third-country markets, which could serve as an additional economic incentive for deepening the two countries' defense partnership.

Contradictory Data

Although Vice President Yılmaz's statement about a 229% increase in defense spending is official and recorded within the framework of the Medium-Term Program, this figure itself describes a planned target value for 2027–2029, rather than an already approved and executable budget. The specific financing mechanisms and the allocation of funds by line items were not disclosed at the time of publication. As for the Drone Deal with Ukraine, the wording of the parties is qualified: Ankara is 'not averse' to signing the agreement but is 'seeking the most advantageous format,' while Kyiv, according to the ambassador, is approaching the negotiations cautiously. Thus, neither the budget increase nor the defense agreement with Ukraine is, at present, a completed deal; they represent stated intentions that are still being worked out.