Representatives from the Ministry of Defence, Turkish Armed Forces, TÜBİTAK and academicians who have R&D projects attended the panel. The panel aims to initiate new technologies to be used in future.
The President of SSB, Professor İsmail Demir, said that 3.5 billion Turkish Lira had been spent on 104 R&D projects so far. Demir reminded that the Defence Industry spent 49 million dollars in 2002 and 1.7 billion dollars in 2019 for R&D. Demir said, “This figure corresponds to approximately 15 per cent of the total sector turnover. This figure is an indication of our industry’s contribution to original product and technology development. “We will continue on our way without compromising on R&D and technology studies in the goal of independent defence industry.”
The R&D Projects and SAGA Calls for which the Decision to Start as a Result of the SSB 7th R&D Panel Meeting were as follows:
Multi-Core Microprocessor Development Project: The project aims to design and verify a multi-core microprocessor, develop operating system support packages, and display all developed components in an integrated manner. The processor to be developed will be used in mission computers of various systems and platforms, primarily military weapon systems.
Aviation Engine Materials Development Program Phase-2 Project: With the project, three different superalloys used in the manufacture of gas turbine engine components and that meet the requirements for high temperature and high-pressure operation will be developed and validated. The project aims to end foreign dependency on the critical materials needed by gas turbine aviation engines, especially turboshaft engine, whose domestic development is ongoing.
Developing Functional Transition Material (FGM) Processes with Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing Technology (DED): Within the project's scope, a robotic system consisting of powder spraying and laser feeding units for the additive manufacturing process with the directed energy accumulation method will be developed. With this system, a liquid fuel rocket nozzle extension will be produced as a prototype, consisting of a transitional material structure and used in Rocket and Missile projects.
PEM Fuel Cell Technology Development Project for Directed Energy Weapon Systems (YESS): The project aims to develop a PEM Fuel Cell-based power supply placed on a tactical wheeled vehicle and provide the electrical energy needed by the “Directed Energy Weapon System” to fulfil its mission. In this way, the noise and vibration loads affecting the target strike performance of the “Directed Energy Weapon System” will be reduced. A power source that is advantageous in terms of volume and weight will be obtained from conventional power supplies with reduced thermal and acoustic traces in a way that makes it challenging to locate.
Development of Swarm Communication Technologies Defence Industry-Wide Area (SAGA) Call: Within the scope of this call, flexible, non-planning, low latency, high bandwidth waveforms that provide communication security for homogeneous or heterogeneous swarm systems consisting of unmanned air, land and sea vehicles, mission planning software and communication systems are aimed to be developed. Thanks to the projects to be initiated with the SAGA call, new communication capabilities will be added to the Swarm Systems consisting of Unmanned Land, Sea and Air vehicles.
Development of Centralized / Distributed Herd Management Technologies
Defence Industry-Wide Area (SAGA) Call: Within the scope of this call, it is aimed to control the herd as a whole without controlling the behaviour of each individual of the operator separately by increasing the level of autonomy. Thanks to the projects to be initiated with the SAGA call, the Swarm Systems consisting of Unmanned Land, Sea and Air vehicles will be given the function of performing everyday tasks at a high level of autonomy.
