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Aselsan Ushers In A New Era Of Electronic Warfare From Türkiye’s Drones.
Aselsan unveiled its new Electronic Support and Electronic Attack pods for the Baykar TB2 drone at a press event in Ankara on October 7, 2025. The system marks a world-first step in integrating advanced electronic warfare capabilities into lightweight unmanned platforms.
On 7 October 2025 at Aselsan’s Gölbaşı facilities near Ankara, Army Recognition Group attended a dedicated press day that combined executive briefings, product presentations and an exclusive tour of key integration and test areas. Army Recognition was honored to be part of this event, which highlighted a significant step in unmanned electronic warfare with the public presentation of externally mounted Electronic Support/Electronic Attack pods integrated on the Baykar TB2 drone, described by Aselsan as a world-first configuration now are already drawing substantial international attention.
The TB2-mounted ES/EA pods and the ANTIDOT line illustrate Aselsan’s drive to embed sophisticated electromagnetic capabilities on platforms that are already central to Türkiye’s UAV ecosystem. The pods' rapid traction with prospective users and the company’s emphasis on modular integration suggest a near-term broadening of operational options for unmanned systems (Picture source: Army Recognition / Aselsan)
Aselsan underlined that Türkiye’s position at the forefront of the UAV sector carries with it both responsibility and ambition: to deliver distinctive capabilities that differentiate Turkish platforms, particularly in the electromagnetic spectrum. Aselsan emphasized that very few industrial players globally have mastered compact EW pods for unmanned aircraft, whereas Aselsan has developed and tested multiple pod families tailored to Turkish UAVs. Notably, even during evaluation and trials, including participation in NATO exercises, these solutions reportedly generated immediate interest and early orders, reflecting user demand for airborne EW effects delivered from tactical-class drones.
Within this framework, the ANTIDOT 3-U Communication EW Pod was introduced as a counter-UAS countermeasure sized for unmanned carriers. Its small form factor and low mass are intended to ease integration on diverse UAV types while enabling effects against hostile drones. The concept aligns with current operational needs to deny, degrade or disrupt threat systems in a scalable, platform-agnostic manner, extending the protective envelope around high-value assets without imposing the payload penalties typical of larger pods.
Aselsan also detailed the ANTIDOT 2-U family, which is designed to transform even widely used tactical UAVs into electronic warfare assets capable of contributing to the protection of valuable platforms against air-defense threats. A key operational flexibility is loadout choice: on UAVs that can carry MAM-L class munitions, users can decide before a mission whether a pylon should host a weapon or an EW pod, allowing commanders to tailor effects to the scenario. The ANTIDOT 2-U LB/MB/HB variant adds combined electronic support and electronic attack functions in a lightweight package, and mission planners can mount multiple pods on a single UAV when the concept of operations calls for expanded coverage or layered effects.
Complementing the attack-oriented variants, the ANTIDOT 2-U/S Electronic Support System focuses on sensing and geolocation. It can detect, identify and digitally record emissions from threat radars, precisely determine bearing, and ultimately locate emitters. Collected data is transmitted in real time to the ground control station over the aircraft’s communications link, enhancing situational awareness and cueing other effectors. As with the broader family, the system is sized for integration on tactical-class UAVs, preserving the same pre-mission flexibility between kinetic and EW payloads.
Taken together, the TB2-mounted ES/EA pods and the ANTIDOT line illustrate Aselsan’s drive to embed sophisticated electromagnetic capabilities on platforms that are already central to Türkiye’s UAV ecosystem. The pods' rapid traction with prospective users and the company’s emphasis on modular integration suggest a near-term broadening of operational options for unmanned systems. Army Recognition’s direct engagement with Aselsan’s leadership and the guided facility tour provided first-hand insight into this trajectory, which we will continue to monitor as these systems progress through testing toward potential fielding.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.