BEIRUT — Turkish missile producer Roketsan has opened new production facilities as the first part of an investment “to manufacture technologically advanced products at a faster pace,” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan stated at the Ankara facility’s opening ceremonies Tuesday, “With this facility and these systems, which have a completed investment value of $1 billion and a total investment value of $3 billion, we will speed up the steps we take with determination, and will accomplish our targets more quickly,” according to a readout of his remarks.
In a post on X, Roketsan CEO Murat Ikinci called the total investment — which includes a warhead facility, missile integration facilities, and a fuel production facility in Kirikkale, Turkey — “the largest defense industry investments in the history of the Republic.”
Elsewhere during Tuesday’s opening ceremonies, Erdogan announced the delivery of a host of in-house built missiles to the Turkish armed forces including Tayfun, Siper, Atmca, Hisar-A, Hisar-O, Sungur, Cakir, Som, Siha, Mam-T and Mam-L systems.
“With these investments, we will strengthen our multipronged air defense, boost our strategic power, consolidate our cruise and ballistic missile capabilities, and will make remarkable contributions to our smart ammunition family, mass production speed and R&D capacity,” he said during the ceremony.
Missiles produced by Roketsan are also set for export, and the firm has previously inked cooperation agreements with multiple countries, like a joint production deal with Saudi Arabian Military Industries to coproduce cruise and anti-tank guided missiles. The company has also inked an agreement with Indonesia to transfer the production technology of its Cakir cruise missile to Jakarta.
“Today, praise be to Allah, Türkiye is a country capable of protecting its own skies, equipping its own platforms and developing its own ammunition,” Erdogan said during the ceremony.
Barin Kayaoglu, an independent defense analyst in Turkey and professor of history, called the investment in Roketsan a “major” one, and said Ankara is likely looking beyond only defense applications for missile and rocket technology and to future space operations.
“There is more money to be made from space than by shooting munitions at neighboring countries,” he said.
