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NATO Awards ASELSAN Contract to Add Friend-or-Foe Identification to Shoulder-Fired Air Defenses.
The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) awarded ASELSAN a three-year framework agreement to supply IFF interrogator systems for man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). The move targets a familiar modern risk, crowded airspace with drones and mixed friendly aircraft, where faster identification can reduce fratricide risk and tighten short-range air defense response.
According to a statement released via ASELSAN’s official communication channels on 26 January 2026, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has awarded the Turkish defense firm a three-year framework contract to supply Identification of Friend or Foe (IFF) interrogator systems for NATO man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). The agreement is intended to ensure sustained availability of the capability over the contract period and is framed by both NATO and the company as a contribution to maintaining deterrence against an expanding and increasingly complex set of aerial threats. ASELSAN emphasized that it remains among the limited number of suppliers worldwide capable of producing NATO-compliant Mode 5 IFF systems, a point that carries operational and industrial significance within the Alliance.
NSPA has signed a three-year framework deal with ASELSAN to supply NATO with Mode 5-capable IFF interrogator systems intended for MANPADS teams to improve friendly identification amid growing aerial threats (Picture Source: ASELSAN)
The central importance of the contract lies in the layer at which NATO is choosing to reinforce identification discipline. MANPADS teams operate at the most compressed end of the air defense decision cycle, often dispersed, mobile, and required to act within seconds on incomplete or rapidly changing air pictures. At the same time, NATO air operations have shifted steadily toward lower altitudes, driven by the need for terrain masking, survivability against long-range air defenses, and the proliferation of unmanned aerial systems operating in the same vertical space. This convergence increases the risk that ambiguity at the tactical edge translates either into hesitation that degrades air defense effectiveness or into misidentification with catastrophic consequences. Integrating secure IFF interrogation directly into MANPADS operations addresses that structural risk by enabling faster, more confident engagement decisions without constraining operators through overly restrictive rules of engagement.
Publicly available details from ASELSAN give a clearer picture of the capability being introduced. The company describes its IdentIFF Mode 5 I-MP as a short-range, man-portable interrogator designed to meet NATO’s STANAG 4193 Edition 3 requirements. The system supports encrypted Mode 5 identification through an external cryptographic unit, while also remaining compatible with older identification modes such as Mode 1, 2, and 3/A. Features including built-in test functions, digital target reporting, and multiple interface options suggest it is intended to be integrated into broader air defense workflows rather than used as a stand-alone device. That multi-mode design reflects the realities of coalition operations, where mixed aircraft fleets and uneven modernization mean legacy identification methods continue to coexist alongside the Alliance’s newer standards.
From an operational perspective, extending Mode 5 interrogation to the MANPADS layer strengthens NATO’s ability to operate in congested and contested low-altitude environments. Adversaries increasingly rely on ambiguity as a tactic, employing drones, helicopters, and flight profiles intended to mimic friendly patterns or provoke rushed engagement decisions. Secure, encrypted interrogation reduces the effectiveness of such tactics by giving air defense teams a standardized method to discriminate between cooperative and non-cooperative contacts under time pressure. This enhances both safety and deterrence, as MANPADS units can remain distributed and ready without undermining friendly aviation freedom of maneuver.
The three-year framework structure of the contract further suggests that NATO views this requirement as enduring rather than episodic. Framework agreements are typically used to support recurring orders, configuration standardization, and long-term sustainment rather than single-batch acquisitions. In practical terms, this implies not only hardware delivery but also ongoing integration, training, and support, particularly in areas such as cryptographic key management and procedural alignment across multinational users. Standardizing the capability through an Alliance procurement channel reduces the risk of national disparities, where some units operate with modern identification confidence while others rely on less reliable methods at the same tactical layer.
Industrial implications are also evident. Mode 5 IFF sits within a high-trust segment of defense electronics, involving strict compliance, secure production processes, and close coordination with NATO authorities. The selection of ASELSAN for this role reinforces the company’s position within the Alliance defense-industrial ecosystem and highlights NATO’s willingness to source sensitive enabling technologies from a broader range of member-state suppliers when capability and compliance criteria are met. This approach aligns with current Alliance priorities to diversify supply chains while maintaining interoperability and security standards.
The impact is most clearly seen in fast-moving scenarios at the forward edge. MANPADS teams covering likely approach routes while friendly helicopters or unmanned systems operate at low altitude face fleeting engagement windows measured in seconds. An integrated Mode 5 interrogator allows rapid verification of cooperative aircraft before a launch decision is made, preserving mission tempo for friendly air assets while maintaining credible deterrence against hostile platforms that fail to authenticate. The result is not simply reduced fratricide risk, but a more confident and resilient low-altitude air defense posture.
The ASELSAN-NSPA agreement reflects a deliberate NATO effort to reinforce identification integrity at the lowest and most time-critical tier of air defense. By pushing secure Mode 5 interrogation down to MANPADS teams, the Alliance is addressing a key vulnerability created by dense, low-altitude air operations and adversary use of deception. In a battlespace defined by speed, saturation, and ambiguity, strengthening decision-making at the tactical edge represents a quiet but strategically meaningful modernization step.
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.