Turkey’s strides in domestic and national defense industry initiatives continue at full speed. The Electronic Support Pod (EDPOD), integrated into F-16 fighter jets and developed by TÜBİTAK BİLGEM, has successfully passed all tests conducted against real radar systems. With its critical components developed entirely through local and national resources, the system elevates Turkey’s electronic warfare capabilities to a higher level.
The announcement was made by Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır via his social media account. Kacır stated, “In line with our National Technology Initiative goals, we continue working to develop the critical infrastructures and original technologies that our country needs, for a fully independent and strong Turkey.”
Superior Detection and Recording Capabilities Against Enemy Radars
EDPOD can instantly detect enemy target tracking radars, missile guidance systems, and target illumination radar signals. The system is capable of high-capacity raw data recording by logging these signals and can also determine the precise location of threats.
Radar contact data, location information, and signals vital for post-mission analysis can be recorded at high capacity by the system. This enables much more effective evaluations after operations.
Integrated Operations Through Real-Time Data Sharing
The F-16 EDPOD is designed to share detected threat information in real time with other military units via designated data channels. This feature allows for real-time coordination among units on the field, enhancing operational effectiveness.
Advantages Over Foreign Counterparts
One of the most significant features of the F-16 EDPOD is that its critical components are developed entirely with domestic and national resources, unlike its foreign counterparts. Developed by the Advanced Technologies Research Institute (ILTAREN) under TÜBİTAK BİLGEM, the system reduces foreign dependency in the field of electronic warfare and provides Turkey with strategic capabilities.
✈️ TÜBİTAK BİLGEM tarafından kritik bileşenleri yerli ve milli imkanlarla geliştirilen radar sinyal algılayıcı taktik elektronik destek podu F-16 EDPOD, gerçek radar sistemlerine karşı gerçekleştirilen tüm testleri başarıyla tamamladı. 📡
🇹🇷 #MilliTeknolojiHamlesi hedeflerimiz… pic.twitter.com/p3VSqavNnN
— Mehmet Fatih KACIR (@mfatihkacir) April 11, 2025
