The chapter supported the biennial 12th Naval Systems Seminar held at the Naval Museum in Istanbul in May. The seminar was attended by Turkish Naval Forces Command executives, Naval Research Center Command and shipyards personnel, academicians and shipbuilding industry executives and industry representatives working on naval systems. Exhibitions and presentations were made by domestic and foreign participants in the two-day seminar. Commemorative plaques were presented at the seminar on the 50th anniversary of the Naval Research Center Command, and family photos were taken with personnel who contributed to the organization. At the seminar, it was announced by the submarine fleet commander that the Turkish Naval Forces had started the nuclear submarine construction program with domestic resources. Rear Adm. Massimo Esposito, Italian Navy (Ret.), AFCEA Europe general manager, who visited the chapter, also attended the seminar and met with senior Turkish Naval Forces executives and exc … Read more

AFCEA Europe General Manager Rear Adm. Massimo Esposito, Italian Navy (Ret.), visited the chapter in May. The visit was held simultaneously with the 12th Naval Systems Seminar supported by the chapter and held at the Naval Museum.

During the visit, Esposito met with high-level admirals of the Turkish Naval Forces, defense industry executives, chapter officers and members and was informed about the chapter's activities and events.

The general manager's visit was very useful in terms of the explanation and exchange of views on future activities. The chapter would like to express its gratitude to Esposito for coming to visit and giving members the opportunity to meet with him.

In January, the chapter's FY 2025 Regular General Assembly was hosted by TARGET AŞ. The chapter would like to express gratitude to the participants and supporters who attended the meeting in which the previous term management and auditing were cleared, and the FY 2025 chapter officers and auditing boards were elected.

In January, the chapter visited Rear Adm. Fatih Erden, TUN, deputy general manager of shipyards of the Ministry of National Defense, in his office.

During the visit, members learned that the shipyards, whose management is affiliated with the Ministry of National Defense, have established a leading military shipbuilding capability in the world, including today's aircraft carrier construction, thanks to their contributions to military shipbuilding activities and the experienced technical personnel they have trained.

In addition, long-term cooperation agreements work with potential manufacturers to create domestic supply sources for raw materials, components, systems and related services of critical importance in the production, maintenance, repair and modernization activities of shipyards supplied from abroad.

The chapter congratulates the efforts of the general management of shipyards, whose most important capital is its qualified and experienced human resources, … Read more

In November, the chapter visited the office of Behcet Karatas, general manager of ASFAT, an effective solution partner in exports for the Turkish defense industry.

During the conversation, chapter members learned that ASFAT, which is fully publicly owned and has the authority to make "state-to-state" agreements within the Ministry of National Defense, also improves the possibilities and capabilities of military factories and shipyards, modernizes maintenance and repair facilities, maximizes production facilities and improves their capacities.

In this context, ASFAT, in cooperation with the General Directorate of Military Factories and General Directorate of Shipyards affiliated with the Ministry of National Defense, manages and implements the necessary project planning processes to bring the knowledge of the Turkish defense industry together with the world.

The chapter congratulates ASFAT, whose most important capital is its qualified human resources, on its eff … Read more

In November, the chapter visited Aselsan's Deputy General Manager and Defence Systems Technologies Sector President Zekeriyya Sahin in his office.
Chapter members and Sahin had a pleasant conversation about Aselsan, the leader of the Turkish defense industry in military electronic systems company, and its international successes, contributions to Turkiye's defense and developments in recent years. Discussions ranged from Aselsan's rapid developments in military electronics systems powered by the infrastructure and corporate culture that has settled since its establishment, to its young and dynamic workforce, its forward-looking competent management team and policies that support the national defense industry.
All in attendance renewed their confidence that this rapidly developing sector in Turkiye will quickly reach the position it deserves in the world as Aselsan works together with Turkish defense cluster and with academic institutions. Also, members expressed their beli … Read more

In October, the chapter organized the conference titled, "Development of the Turkish Defense Industry," presented by Nevzat Çaglayan.

During the conference, audience members learned the history of development of the Turkish defense industry, starting from the Ottoman Empire, in line with developments within the scope of international policies shaped after the Turkish Republic period and world wars. The development of Turkiye's national defense industry gained momentum with the problems encountered in the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation and the effects of the subsequent arms embargoes.

With this momentum, the Turkish defense industry, which has grown, especially in the last 20 years, has reached a level that competes with the leading countries of the world today.

The chapter is grateful to Çaglayan, who summarized his presentation with the words of the great leader Ataturk: "Great works, important breakthroughs can only be achieved by working together. Work together … Read more

The chapter organized a webinar on "CBRN [chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear] Surveillance Systems" presented by Osman Samim Kalaycıoğlu in June. Participants understood that factors such as today's large number of nuclear power reactor wastes, the use of radiological substances in clinical medical practices and the easy buying and selling of toxic substances increase the CBRN threats in civilian environments. In the webinar, attendees learned about modern CBRN observation systems used especially on surface ships and their multiple usage areas, as well as the features and details of advanced models used in the detection of toxic industrial agents.

In the chapter's May webinar, "Disaster and War Surgery," Mehmet Eryilmaz, MD, professor of surgery, Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi, presented information about the nature and purpose of disaster and war surgery, current developments in the subject and the needs of the military health systems.

Webinar participants also learned the importance of correctly intervening in injuries resulting from trauma in military and civilian life and the features and details of early life-saving interventions in trauma situations and injuries. In addition, information was presented about control surgeries performed by front-line surgical teams and developments in medical evacuation systems.

In April, chapter officers visited Cemil Sagiroglu, general manager, BITES, in his office. While there, officers introduced AFCEA International as an association and explained the activities and benefits provided to corporate members.

BITES is a technology-based innovative brand located in Ankara, Turkiye. The company offers a wide range of products, including next-generation computer-based training systems and synthetic environments, 3D virtual maintenance trainers, low-cost synthetic training aids and hardware components, advanced training management information systems, mission-planning, after action review-debriefing software solutions and a serious game engine-driven image generator for all kinds of virtual training applications.

Weaknesses in power parameters such as frequency, interruptions, variations, imbalances, flicker, dips and swells, harmonics and power factor cause premature failure of electronic devices or reduced performance of the equipment. These causes cannot be allowed to be effective, especially in vital systems.

Reliable power protection for mission-critical systems requires high-quality power products, customizable, durable power solutions designed according to customer-specified requirements, especially suitable for shipboard, tactical military, industrial and other harsh operating environments, ensuring continuity of operations when failure is not an option.

The chapter would like to express its gratitude to Oguz Tanır on behalf of all participants, as well as the Turkish Defense Industry News Group, for his presentation of the webinar on "New Technologies and Applications in Shipbuilding." The webinar discussed how today's technological innovations, such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality and digital twin, have become effective and even mandatory in the shipbuilding industry, as in all industrial applications. In addition to developing technologies, energy, efficiency, automation and cybersecurity issues, demanding shipbuilding requirements, fuel types to be used in the future, carbon dioxide emission targets set by IMO and restrictions that may be imposed on ports in particular may come to the fore in a radical way. And these will force changes in the shipbuilding methods of the future. So, fleets that do not comply with these restrictions will face difficulty in maritime transportation.

In the webinar "Overview of Submarine Combat Management Systems" presented by Omur Hanyali, the operations of submarines, the masters of the depths, the sound of depth and the compilation of a recognized tactical picture by submarines were evaluated.

In the webinar, chapter members learned about the need for an integrated structure, especially where acoustic sensors are intertwined with the combat management system, and how it was achieved to meet the needs of submarine systems that differ from surface combatant platforms. Attendees learned the place and functions of these systems, which include the capabilities provided by developing technology, with the network-enabled capabilities in the operational environment.

In February, the webinar titled "Quantum Technologies and Intelligence" presented by M. Tuncay Gencoglu, associate professor, Firat University, significantly impacted participants' perspectives on the developments in quantum technologies and the effects of these technologies, especially on the field of intelligence.

The rise of quantum technologies also creates an art of storytelling. Starting with the mysterious world of subatomic particles and extending into the depths of global cyber networks, this story will not only increase the information processing capacity of each qubit but will also reweave the fabric of cybersecurity and intelligence.

Webinar attendees received answers to questions such as how quantum transformation will shape the future of the cyber world and how intelligence collection and analysis methods will evolve with these new technologies that are hidden in the depths of quantum.

In January, chapter officers visited Serdar Muldur, the vice rector of OSTIM Technical University, and explained the opportunities of AFCEA International for university students. OSTIM Technical University (OTU) is located in Ankara at the heart of the industry and business world, including the defense industry with its multicultural structure. OTU combines theory and practice by placing talent and competence at the center of the education and training system, provides added value to society with interdisciplinary scientific approaches and develops creative solution proposals in cooperation with all stakeholders with an open university approach. OTU is a thematic, entrepreneurial and innovative university of international standards.

The chapter's 2024 fiscal year general assembly was held in January. At the meeting, the FY 2023 activity report and the audit board report were discussed and approved by the participants.

Additionally, the 2024 budget and activity plan were approved. The election of the next term chapter officers and auditing boards also took place at the meeting.

Chapter officers visited the company managers of Artron, located in Hacettepe Teknokent, Ankara, and exchanged information.

Artron was established in 2011. As a leading defense sector stakeholder, they provide avionics subsystems to the aviation industry. The company also has extensive knowledge and broad expertise in the development of electronic hardware and embedded software for aerospace and automotive applications. Currently, it produces dozens of different products, all of which are verified and approved according to customer needs and standards.

Chapter officers visited chapter member Burak Isiktan in his office. Isiktan was appointed as the general manager of EHSIM Elektronik Harp Sistemleri Muhendislik Ticaret A.S. company. EHSIM was established with the participation of the Defense Industry Technologies Inc., SSTEK, a subsidiary of the Presidency of Defense Industries, ASELSAN and HAVELSAN companies of the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation.

EHSIM carries out research and development activities in radio frequency (RF), radar and microwave technologies and designs digital and analog systems. EHSIM also works on software development and system engineering, testing and integration and integrated logistics support fields for electronic warfare systems.

One of their many products in the electronic warfare field of activity, Countermeasure Release System (CRS), provides protection against RF- and infrared-guided missiles in a multi-threat environment. CRS also enables the integrated use of chaff, flare and other sma … Read more

In November, the chapter celebrated its 34th anniversary by hosting a dinner with its members.

Defense sector stakeholders came together at the 11th Naval Systems Seminar held in Ankara, Turkiye, in November 2023. More than 600 participants from the defense industry and sector stakeholders, especially the Turkish Naval Forces and Coast Guard Command, watched 40+ presentations for two days in this year's seminar, which was first held in 2008.

In May, the chapter held a webinar on "The Effects of New and Game-changing Technologies on Military Strategy." New age developments have deeply penetrated and shaped lives with many extraordinary phenomena such as the internet, smart phone, digital money, digital state, social media and metaverse. Where digitalization and emerging technologies have long affected social and economic life, this has led to the development of military thought and has made important contributions to this point of view. It also affects the forms of performance and forces revolutionary changes. The webinar, in which the topic and the approaches of the important actors in the world were clearly conveyed, the participants shared their experiences and knowledge, along with new perspectives and information.

The chapter organized a webinar in April titled "Pedestal Mounted Stinger Project, Achievements and Lessons Learned." The chapter enjoyed the presentation of Brig. Gen. Cemal Alagoz (Ret.) and learned that the project was a milestone in the development of the Turkish defense industry and its support for the establishment of important infrastructure despite the technological inadequacies of the time. The chapter is grateful to him for this spectacular webinar and contribution to the breakthrough of the Turkish defense industry and would like to express its endless gratitude on behalf of all the participants, the Turkish Defense Industry News Group and the chapter for the support provided to this chain of webinars. The chapter hopes to continue these with the idea that knowledge increases when shared.

The chapter enjoyed the March talk on "Military Planning, Management Approach and Fighting Against Earthquakes." The webinar made significant contributions to members' perspectives on the application of planning, management, training and logistics methods applied in military activities to defense measure studies against disasters related to the survival of the country.

The chapter is grateful to Lt. Gen. Nazım Altintas, Turkish Army (Ret.), and would like to express endless gratitude on behalf of all the participants and the Turkish Defense Industry News Group for the support provided to this chain of conversations. Chapter members believe and wish to continue the idea that knowledge increases when shared.

Chapter board members visited the office of Erdal Torun, deputy general manager of Meteksan Defense Industry Inc., one of the leading actors of the Turkish defense industry. During the visit, members discussed Meteksan Defense's contributions to the defense industry of Turkiye and expressed their opinions about the communication and information-sharing opportunities provided by the international platforms of nongovernmental organizations. They also discussed the necessity of exports for the sustainability of developing defense industry and the importance of international relations and promotions for this purpose.

In January, the chapter held their Annual General Assembly Meeting at the corporate member ASELSAN AS facilities. Chapter officers summarized last year's activities, and budgetary and activity decisions were made for next year. New chapter officers and audit board members also were selected.

Chapter officers visited the office of Mustafa Yaman, deputy general manager of the Communications and Information Technologies Sector of ASELSAN AS. During the meeting, attendees evaluated contributions of AFCEA to corporate members, especially in terms of being a gateway to the international platform. In addition, ASELSAN AS, which is the chapter's most important corporate member, has also been the locomotive of the Turkish defense industry in electronic and defense systems. Finally, participants discussed what can be done to promote the company on international platforms.

The chapter celebrated its 33rd anniversary in November by holding a cocktail party at the facilities of corporate member TARGET AS. Attendees discussed ideas for the future of the chapter and more effective opportunities for stakeholders. The chapter looks forward to many more successful years.

In November, the chapter participated as a supporter in the fifth Land Systems Seminar. The representatives of the Defense Industry Presidency, the General Staff, the Land Forces Command and the Gendarmerie General Command attended along with members of the academic and defense industry. AFCEA was promoted, and information about AFCEA was shared by establishing relations with the stakeholders participating in the seminar.

The chapter held a webinar on The Importance of Consortia in the Defense Industry. Due to the feasibility of high-cost and high-tech projects and the lifetime logistics costs, the needs and technological competencies of friendly and allied countries are united by establishing a consortium. In this way, not only will the projects be accomplished, but the industries of these countries will get to know each others capabilities more closely, providing a chance to act together in the future. Participants in the webinar examined this method, which is widely applied (especially in NATO-member countries). They also discussed how this method enables countries to have state-of-the-art systems and gain capabilities for their own countries in the future.

In March, participants enjoyed the webinar on "Design-Oriented Thinking and Management.' The webinar presented the general approach, concept and managerial practices of design thinking, which is one of the important methods of developing differentiation strategies, especially in today's business world, where fierce competition has constantly increased in recent years. Today's companies are evaluated from a wide perspective, both from employers and employees, from a strategic and managerial point of view, in the professional corporate business life of design-oriented thinking. The webinar analyzed the advantages design-oriented thinking provides in areas such as retail management, planning, development of sales, marketing and brand strategies, and management of institutionalization projects.

In February, the chapter hosted a webinar on "Configuration-Based Logistics Support." Webinar participants and presenters established that unless the logistic support of multi-unit systems, the production of which takes many years, is based on configuration, the spare parts that keep the system afloat cannot be used effectively either physically or functionally and will remain idle in warehouses. The presenters emphasized that to avoid such a negative situation, in line with the feedback from the manufacturer and the user, the engineering changes that have been proposed before production, during production and even during use should be closely followed. These changes should be recorded and audited. For this purpose, the Configuration Management Plan should be specified in the annex of the production contracts and carefully implemented.

The chapter held its annual assembly meeting at the facilities of prime corporate member ASELSAN AS. At the meeting, the activity and financial reports of the previous year were discussed. Chapter officers for the Steering and Audit committees were selected for the new year. In addition, the budget and activity plan proposals for the 2022 fiscal year were discussed and decided by members.

The chapter held a webinar on "Drone Threat and RF Measures" in December. Significant contributions have been made to the perspective on unmanned aerial vehicles and countermeasures, where the advantages of technological developments have become an important threat especially in asymmetric warfare.

In October, chapter officers visited SDT Space & Defence Technologies Inc. The local defense company SDT Inc. has been developing indigenous software, hardware and integrated solutions for defense, space and aviation areas since 2005.

SDT Inc. possesses special expertise in radar-electronic warfare signal processing, image processing/pattern recognition, embedded software systems, avionic systems, land system electronic units, radio frequency jammer systems, satellite technologies and simulation and training systems.

During the visit, officers introduced AFCEA International and explained the opportunities provided to corporate members.

In June, the chapter hosted the webinar, "Can We See the Mathematics Behind Aircraft Design?" This was the second webinar of the month presented by Maj. Musa Yildirim (Ret.). The webinar was user-friendly and not bogged down in concepts and technical terms. Attendees learned the mathematics behind aircraft design and discovered the pervasive nature of mathematics.

In June, participants enjoyed the talk on "War Strategies in Residential Areas" presented by Suat Begec, associate professor, University of Turkish Aeronautical Association. In the webinar, specific characteristics of the "Residential Area Operation Environment" were explained. This operation has gained importance where future wars could take place and also addresses various military needs and strategies.

The presenter, who was a commanding officer in the past, shared his experiences gained from peacekeeping missions abroad and made statements about the needs of the soldiers who will serve in the future wars.

In May, the chapter organized a webinar on "Space Technologies and Homeland Security." At the beginning of the webinar, a brief introduction about space technologies was given by Alim Rustem Aslan, professor and head of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Aerospace Engineering Department of Istanbul Technical University. This was followed by an explanation of history and current developments in space studies within Turkey. Aslan also emphasized the relationship between space technologies and national security and explained the importance of the space technologies race and cooperation in the world. The webinar concluded with the participants asking and answering questions in accordance with the principle of increasing shared knowledge.

In May, the chapter organized a webinar on "The Future of Electronic Cooling: Nano-Scale Passive Heat Dissipaters."

During the webinar, Yigit Akkus, associate professor of mechanical engineering, ASELSAN AS, presented the latest developments in manufacturing techniques, the production of capillary channels in nano and ångström scales and the production of nanoscale heat dissipaters. Akkus also discussed the importance of molecular/atomic-level simulation studies developed to investigate the advantages of using nanoscale passive heat dissipaters in electronic cooling, especially for chip-level cooling.

Chapter members listened with pleasure to this technology conversation, which many industry stakeholders and doyens attended as well as university students. The chapter thanked Akkus for his presentation and ASELSAN AS management for its support.

May's webinar focused on the determination of requirements and the prioritization procedures in the Turkish Armed Forces. The participants also examined the effects of long-term procurement programs, supply procedures, and the urgent needs for development of the defense industry. Presenters emphasized the role of alliances in the requirement determination and development of defense systems and the importance of interaction with defense industry companies during the requirement assessment phase. Many stakeholders and doyens of the sector as well as young university students participated in this lengthy and informative webinar.

In April, the chapter organized a webinar on 5G Technology & Applications in Vertical Sectors. In the webinar, participants discussed general information about civil mobile communication technologies and the place of 5G among mobile communication technologies and its differences from other technologies. In addition, attendees explained new ways of doing business and capabilities that will come into our lives with 5G. Presenters also provided information about the progress of 5G installations in the country and in the world, activities of the manufacturers and the current situation as well as current studies and future predictions regarding the use of 5G in the military field.

In March, the chapter held an Annual General Assembly meeting at the ASELSAN AS premises. ASELSAN AS is a prime corporate member of the chapter located in Ankara. The Chapter Annual Report of 2020 was presented to the participants and the chapter officers were selected. Also, the chapter approved a budget for 2021 during the meeting. A certificate of appreciation was presented to Capt. Zafer Betoner, TUN (Ret), founder of the Turkish Defense Industry News Group, for his cooperation with the chapter.

In March, the chapter organized a webinar on "STINGER Project, Achievements and Lessons Learned." Brig. Gen. Cemal Alagoz (Ret.), who worked in weapons, ammunitions and rocket projects during his working life, presented the advantages and benefits of the consortiums. He also explained the acquisition processes of facilities such as ROKETSAN and ASELSAN MGEO, which are among the leading organizations of the defense industry today, within the scope of the STINGER project. In addition, he discussed the issues experienced during the preparation and execution of international contracts. The chapter is pleased that young members, as well as doyens experienced in the defense industry, showed interest in the interview.

In March, Capt. Oguz Tanir, TUN (Ret.), the chapter's guest speaker, explained that designing and building military ships and/or surface crafts in accordance with a technical specification is an issue that must be managed precisely and carefully and has a significant impact on the efficiency of defense systems. He also emphasized that choosing the most suitable design among many alternatives and making sure the design process will fully meet the operational needs is a multi-criteria decision-making problem. Finally, the guest speaker laid out the most appropriate design in the defense industry as well as research and development activities for the systems needed in the design process.

At the February conference presented by Col. Ercan Ertureten (Ret.), one of the Turkish defense industry doyen, opinions were expressed on how the defense industry could be more effective. Also, ideas were shared on what both procurement authorities and main contractors should do to utilize the lessons learned from the past. The chapter is pleased to see young engineers and university students participating in the conference together with elder doyens of the Turkish defense industry.

The chapter held a virtual general assembly meeting to inform the members about activities of 2020, since regular general assembly meetings were banned due to the epidemic. At the meeting, the 2020 activity and budget reports and the audit board report were presented to the members. In addition, members were given information about the regulation of written general assembly decisions. In the last part of the meeting, members received details about the efficient execution of chapter activities.

In February, chapter officers visited Behcet Karatas, deputy general manager, ASELSAN, and sector president, DST. Zekeriyya Sahin, director, SST Electronics and Software Design, ASELSAN, also attended the meeting. The attendees discussed indigenous designs and developments of corporate member ASELSAN, especially in naval systems, and the success of contracts abroad. Also, officers provided AFCEA corporate news information to corporate members and discussed how to utilize and maximize corporate news benefits.

ASELSAN is the leading defense electronics company in Turkiye's defense industry and is listead as one of the top 50 defense companies in the world.

At the February conference, Maj. Musa Yildirim (Ret.), author of the book "Science Touching Life - The Deep Meaning of Mathematics," talked about the meaning and the scope of mathematics education and its place in the community. Participants also discussed how to improve mathematics education. The chapter was pleased that young people, as well as doyen teachers, showed an interest in this conference.

In January, the Chapter held a video conference on Defense Industry Insights. During the conference, participants explained and evaluated the history and historical effects of the defense industry; technologies and the milestones of the Turkish Defense Industry history; and the problems faced by the defense industry today. The chapter is pleased that its young members, as well as the doyens who have served in the sector, showed interest in the conference.

Chapter officers visited the corporate member TARGET AS. Yalcin Onyuru, founder and CEO, stated that on the 45th anniversary of the company, he donated 45 percent of the company shares to the young employees he trained. TARGET has been a corporate member for 30 years almost from the establishment of the chapter. TARGET has been one of the pioneers in the Turkish defense industry, since 1975 and over the course of time, they have grown their business to include 40 local and foreign companies, providing a wide range of solutions with the latest products and technologies, along with offering reliable services.

In the video conference presented by Rear Adm. Ergun Mengi (Ret.), the economic and strategic importance of the seas was emphasized first. Historical developments in the Turkish maritime, especially the breakthroughs in the Ataturk period, were explained. In addition, recommendations were made regarding what needs to be done to become a maritime nation.