| Çelik Kubbe (Steel Dome) | |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Turkey |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2025–present |
| Used by | Turkish Armed Forces |
| Production history | |
| Designer | |
| Manufacturer | |
| Produced | 2024–present |
Steel Dome (Turkish: Çelik Kubbe) is a multi-layered combined air defense system developed by Turkey using domestic technology. It has an integrated architecture, where air defense systems operate at different altitudes in an integrated manner. The system includes domestic systems such as Sungur, GÖKSUR, Korkut, Gürz SHORAD, Hisar-A, Hisar-O, Siper missile systems, Aselsan EIRS, ALP 100-G, ALP 300-G radars and REDET, PUHU, KORAL, VURAL (REDET-II) electronic warfare systems. Its integrated architecture creates a common air picture and increases defense effectiveness with artificial intelligence-based decision support systems.
The Steel Dome Project was approved at the Defense Industry Executive Committee (SSİK) meeting held on 6 August 2024. The system aims to integrate sensor and weapon systems within a network-centric structure within a layered air defense architecture, create a common air picture, and transfer this data to artificial intelligence-supported decision-making systems.
It was developed by Aselsan in cooperation with Roketsan, Havelsan, Tübitak SAGE and MKE.
Steel Dome entered the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces on 27 August 2025 in a ceremony which Aselsan delivered a 47 piece high, medium, and low-altitude air defense system and radar, totaling $460 million. It was announced that these deliveries were the first component of Turkey's air defense project. Erdoğan stated at the ceremony that one Siper battery consisting of 10 vehicles, three Hisar batteries consisting of 21 vehicles, seven PUHU and two REDET electronic warfare systems, ALP 300-G, ALP 100-G radars were delivered. On 26 November 2025, the Turkish Defence Agency signed a $6.5 billion contract with Aselsan, Havelsan, and Roketsan for the procurement of new air-defense systems for the “Steel Dome” project.
Steel Dome integrates domestic air defense systems that are effective at varying altitudes. The system includes radars, electro-optical sensors, command and control centers, and air defense elements with different ranges.
DRONDEF (Drone Defense System) is an integrated counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) developed by ASELSAN as part of the Steel Dome air defense architecture. It employs a layered architecture combining sensors, electronic warfare systems, directed-energy weapons, kinetic effectors, autonomous interceptor drones, and high-power electromagnetic (HPEM) systems to counter mini and micro unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) threats. According to ASELSAN, the system has a detection range of up to 10 km, with all subsystems integrated through a unified command and control (C2) center supported by artificial intelligence. The system comprises the following components:
DRONDEF is designed to protect critical infrastructure, military bases, convoys, and mobile units against low-altitude UAV threats. It can operate both as part of the broader Steel Dome network and as a standalone system.