ASELSAN has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Czech defense company Excalibur International to establish a Europe-based joint venture aimed at expanding its presence in the European air defense market.
Under the agreement, Excalibur International—part of the CSG Group—will market a version of ASELSAN’s KORKUT Air Defense System integrated onto the Tatra Force 6×6 wheeled platform to European customers.
According to a statement from CSG, the partnership is intended to broaden joint defense capabilities across both European and global markets. The agreement is described as a strategic step to deepen international defense industry cooperation, extending beyond Central and Eastern Europe.
The newly formed joint venture will focus on technical collaboration in key areas including air defense, electronic warfare, smart munitions, and border security. As part of the localization strategy, production activities are expected to shift to CSG facilities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The first concrete outcome of the partnership will be the integration of the KORKUT system onto the Tatra Force 6×6 platform. Designed for European armed forces as well as the wider export market, the system is positioned as a highly mobile and cost-effective alternative to comparable European-made air defense solutions.
Rising threats from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on modern battlefields are expected to drive demand for mobile, short-range air defense systems. In this context, KORKUT—mounted on the combat-proven Tatra platform—is anticipated to attract early customer interest and secure a competitive position in the international market.
Excalibur International Chief Executive Miloš Šivara said KORKUT offers a modern and effective response to UAV threats. He noted that the system employs high-precision programmable ammunition, keeping the cost of neutralizing a single UAV close to the cost of the target itself—an efficiency difficult to achieve with traditional missile-based air defense systems.
ASELSAN General Manager Ahmet Akyol said the partnership strengthens the company’s industrial footprint in Europe and globally. “Integrating KORKUT onto the Tatra platform combines advanced sensors and fire-control technologies with a reliable, high-mobility vehicle, delivering a flexible and combat-proven solution for today’s dynamic operational environments,” Akyol said.
