Turkey to Develop its Own Long-Range Air Defense System

Turkey has launched efforts to manufacture its own long-range regional air defense system named "Siper," President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday, Daily Sabah reported.

The first delivery of the Siper — meaning trench in English — is planned for 2021, Erdoğan told the participants at an inauguration ceremony for the National Technology Development Infrastructure at the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) Defense Industries Research and Development Institute (SAGE) in capital Ankara.

Turkey is also purchasing S-400 surface-to-air missiles from Russia. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said last week that the installation of the S-400 missile system would begin in October 2019.

The domestic input ratio for the defense industry has reached 65 percent, Erdoğan said, adding that the government aims to increase this ratio.

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