When Cheap Drones Become Costly Threats: Inside Turkİye’s AI-Powered ‘Steel Dome’
By Hafzi Mohamed
(BERNAMA photojournalist Hafzi Mohamed was recently invited to Konya, Turkiye, for a firsthand look at ASELSAN’s Steel Dome air defence architecture and to witness the KORKUT 35 anti-aircraft system in action)
KONYA (Turkiye), Oct 29 (Bernama) -- The thunderous sound of anti-aircraft gunfire echoed across a military firing range in Konya, Turkiye, as an advanced defence system demonstrated how modern armies could counter drones, one of today's fastest-growing security threats.
At the Karapinar Firing Test Centre on Sept 23, about 250 kilometres south of Ankara, Bernama witnessed how Turkish defence technology company ASELSAN combined radar, artificial intelligence (AI) and sophisticated weaponry to detect, track and neutralise simulated aerial threats.
The centre of the demonstration was KORKUT 35, a mobile anti-aircraft gun system designed to intercept low-flying drones and other threats before they reach their targets.
The demonstration offered a glimpse into a changing battlefield, where relatively inexpensive drones can destroy military assets and critical infrastructure worth millions of dollars.
The widespread use of kamikaze drones, which crash into their targets carrying explosives, and cruise missiles in conflicts such as Ukraine and the West Asia has fundamentally changed aerial warfare.
It has also exposed a costly dilemma; using expensive interceptor missiles to shoot down cheap drones can quickly drain a country's defence budget and ammunition supplies.
A Smarter Way To Defend The Skies
To address this challenge, Türkiye has developed Steel Dome, or Çelik Kubbe, an AI-powered air defence network that connects radar, sensors, electronic warfare systems and weapons under a single command structure.
Rather than relying on one weapon, Steel Dome provides several layers of protection, from short-range drone defence to longer-range systems capable of countering more sophisticated aerial threats.
Think of it as a central brain that gathers information from different sensors, identifies incoming threats and helps operators choose the most effective response.
Some drones can be disrupted electronically by interfering with their communication or navigation signals, while others must be physically intercepted using guns or missiles.
ASELSAN chief executive officer Ahmet Akyol said such integrated systems had become essential as drones increasingly shaped modern warfare.
“You know there is a drone revolution in the world. So, Steel Dome is the counter-solution to the drone revolution.
“What we see in the world, air defence and drone defence are not only a military activity, it's a part of national security and industrial security as well,” he told Bernama during an international media visit to ASELSAN's headquarters in Ankara.
Akyol said ASELSAN uses specialised AI models developed within secure networks for military applications, including radar, sonar, optics and targeting systems.
Unlike publicly available AI platforms, these systems are designed to process specialised defence data and support military operations.
Korkut 35: The Last Line Of Defence
Back at the firing range, KORKUT 35 demonstrated how short-range weapons could complement more advanced air defence systems.
Mounted on an armoured vehicle, its twin 35mm cannons can fire a combined 1,200 rounds per minute, engaging targets up to four kilometres away.
Its ATOM programmable ammunition is designed to burst near an incoming target, scattering tungsten fragments that can damage or destroy drones without requiring a direct hit.
Supported by radar capable of searching for threats up to 70 kilometres away, KORKUT forms part of the layered defence intended to stop aerial threats that penetrate longer-range protection.
The booming gunfire and rapid response during the demonstration illustrated how speed, precision and coordination have become just as important as firepower.
For countries facing repeated drone attacks, the challenge is no longer simply whether an incoming threat can be destroyed, but how to do so effectively without exhausting costly defensive resources.
Why It Matters To Malaysia?
Although Malaysia is not facing the same battlefield threats as Ukraine or the West Asia, the growing use of drones raises important questions about protecting airports, ports, energy facilities, military installations and communications networks.
It also highlights the importance of developing local defence expertise and reducing dependence on foreign technology, particularly for sensitive military communications.
Malaysia and Turkiye have been strengthening defence industry cooperation, with ASELSAN establishing partnerships with local companies including Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation (BHIC), Sapura Group and NAVAMAS.
Akyol described Malaysia as a key strategic partner, saying ASELSAN was working with local companies to develop secure communications infrastructure that would give the Malaysian government greater control over its encryption systems and communications technology.
“We are now discussing. We are now working on this kind of a huge project with our local partner to build the infrastructure in Malaysia.
“We will provide the infrastructure, then the Malaysian government will have their own secure encryption backbone, key distribution backbone, and waveform," he said.
These technologies would allow Malaysia to manage and protect sensitive communications using systems under its own control.
Akyol said the cooperation would also involve technology transfer, enabling Malaysian partners to develop local capabilities and implement secure software independently.
While this collaboration does not indicate that Malaysia is acquiring Steel Dome, it reflects a broader shift towards technological independence in national defence.
For Malaysia, future security depends not only on what technology a country buys, but also on what it can develop, control, and sustain independently.
-- BERNAMA