CSG and Aselsan Form EU-Based Joint Ventures to Unveil the Korkut Air Defense System
•February 11, 2026
0
Why It Matters
The venture bolsters European industrial sovereignty and provides NATO allies with affordable, rapidly deployable counter‑drone capability, reshaping regional defence procurement.
Key Takeaways
- •EU JV shifts Korkut production to Czech and Slovak plants.
- •System uses 35mm airburst rounds, effective against drone swarms.
- •Compliance with NATO/EU rules enhances European procurement eligibility.
- •Mobile Tatra chassis enables rapid deployment with mechanized units.
- •Cost per UAV neutralized comparable to UAV cost, boosting efficiency.
Pulse Analysis
The CSG‑Aselsan joint venture reflects a broader push for European defence‑industrial autonomy. By moving Korkut’s production into the EU, the partners sidestep export‑control bottlenecks and align the system with NATO standards, a critical factor for member‑state acquisition programs. This localisation not only secures supply chains but also signals a strategic commitment to collaborative development across Central and Eastern Europe, where defence budgets increasingly favour interoperable, domestically supported platforms.
Technically, Korkut’s twin 35 mm cannons paired with programmable airburst munitions deliver a high‑volume, low‑cost response to the proliferating drone threat. The system’s 4 km engagement envelope and rapid fire rate make it ideal for protecting forward units and critical infrastructure against swarms, where missile‑based interceptors are both scarce and expensive. Mounted on a Tatra 6×6 chassis, Korkut offers the mobility to keep pace with mechanised formations, ensuring continuous coverage across dynamic battlefields.
From a market perspective, the EU‑based production line opens Korkut to a wider pool of NATO and EU customers who must meet stringent procurement criteria. Its cost‑effectiveness—neutralising a UAV for roughly the same price as the target—positions it as a competitive alternative to legacy gun systems and emerging laser‑based solutions. As European nations prioritize counter‑drone capabilities after lessons learned in Ukraine, the Korkut JV could become a cornerstone of short‑range air‑defence contracts, driving further joint‑development initiatives across the continent.
CSG and Aselsan form EU-based Joint Ventures to Unveil the Korkut air Defense System
In early 2026, Czech defence conglomerate CSG (through its Excalibur subsidiary) and Turkey’s Aselsan announced a new EU‑based joint venture to produce the Korkut mobile air-defence system. The agreement was formalized on 4 February and aims to “expand joint defence capabilities for European and global markets” and marks a major step in strengthening defence‑industrial cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe. Production and integration of the Korkut system will be shifted to CSG facilities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia under the deal.
The EU-based venture will focus on short-range air defence, electronic warfare, smart munitions, and border security. By locating the venture within the EU, the partners ensure the system complies with NATO and EU procurement rules. CSG’s press release notes that this localization will “reinforce European industrial sovereignty” and meet Alliance requirements. In effect, the JV aims to provide European armies with local access to a combat-proven system rather than buying an off‑the‑shelf foreign design.
CSG and Aselsan form EU-based joint ventures to unveil the Korkut air defence system. (CSG)
The Korkut air-defence system is a very short-range, mobile gun system designed to counter low-altitude threats. In its basic form, it mounts twin 35mm Aselsan autocannons on a turret with advanced fire-control radar and electro-optical sensors. Each cannon can fire about 1,100 rounds per minute, giving the system an effective engagement range of roughly 4 km. Crucially, Korkut uses programmable “airburst” ammunition (such as the 35 mm ATOM round) that detonates at a set distance to shower a target with tungsten fragments, greatly increasing the hit probability against small drones. Mounted on the wheeled Tatra Force 6×6 truck chassis, the system provides high road speed and off-road mobility, enabling it to move with mechanized units and offering a flexible counter-swarm capability.
Europe’s renewed focus on counter‑drone defences provides the strategic context for this JV. Experience in Ukraine has put a premium on mobile, gun‑based air defence for low-cost drones rather than relying on scarce missile interceptors. By producing Korkut within the EU and tying it to a NATO‑standard vehicle, the venture makes the system eligible for European procurement and ensures rapid support by local industry. Excalibur CEO Miloš Šivara stressed the cost-effectiveness of Korkut: its programmable rounds mean “the cost of neutralizing a single UAV is comparable to the cost of the UAV itself,” a level of efficiency “conventional missile‑based systems cannot achieve”.
The KORKUT Air Defense Gun System integrated into the chassis of the 8×8 ARMA tactical wheeled armored vehicle (ASELSAN)
Aselsan’s General Manager Ahmet Akyol added that integrating Korkut on the Tatra truck “combines advanced sensor and fire-control technologies with a highly mobile and reliable vehicle,” creating “a flexible solution for today’s dynamic battlefield”. The truck-mounted Korkut variant was first previewed at the 2025 IDET defence exhibition in Brno, and was formally unveiled alongside the CSG‑Aselsan JV announcement on 4 February.
The post CSG and Aselsan form EU-based Joint Ventures to Unveil the Korkut air Defense System appeared first on Overt Defense.
0
Comments
Want to join the conversation?
Loading comments...