Miilux OY, Türkiye's sole armor steel manufacturer, will showcase its newly produced submarine steel in profile form for the first time at IDEF'25, which will be held in Istanbul between July 22 and 27. With this new production initiative, Miilux OY has achieved the capability to produce the steel required for a submarine hull using domestic resources.
By strengthening domestic production capabilities in the defense industry with the armor steel and submarine steel produced at its factories in Manisa, Miilux OY's Türkiye General Manager Yavuz Yeldan stated, “At IDEF, which will see the active participation of public and private sector representatives as well as domestic and international delegations, we will introduce our advanced technology products to the world.”
As Türkiye's sole domestic producer of armor steel, Miilux OY will showcase its innovative and high-strength armor steel products to domestic and international industry stakeholders at IDEF (International Defense Industry Fair), the international meeting point of the defense industry. IDEF, one of the most prestigious platforms in the defense industry, will host visitors at the Istanbul Fair Center from July 22 to 27.
Miilux OY will showcase samples of its newly produced profile-shaped submarine steel for the first time at the fair. Additionally, the company will display armor steel and submarine steel products, as well as an example of an armored vehicle side door armor system and an armored vehicle capsule offering protection at different levels.
Yavuz Yeldan, General Manager of Miilux OY, which was acquired by OYAK in 2019 as part of its goal to reduce Türkiye's dependence on imports in the armor steel sector, stated, “This strategic step has laid a strong foundation for product development efforts in the domestic and national defense industry. The armor steels produced by Miilux OY are of critical importance for the goal of independence in the defense industry.”
Noting that IDEF welcomes industry professionals every two years in Istanbul, Yeldan said that the fair offers an opportunity to showcase Türkiye's position and production capacity in the defense industry to the world. Yeldan said, “As Miilux OY, we will showcase our advanced technology products on the global stage at IDEF, which serves as an important platform for companies operating in the defense industry to develop new partnerships and promote their products on an international scale.”
Türkiye joins the league of countries producing submarine steel
Yeldan stated that Miilux OY has enabled Türkiye to join the league of countries producing submarine steel, adding that following the sheet-form submarine steel they exhibited for the first time at IDEF'23, they have succeeded in producing profile-form submarine steel.
Yeldan announced that they will introduce this product, which requires high technology and engineering capabilities, for the first time at IDEF’25, stating, “The production of a submarine hull requires both steel plates and steel in profile form to provide strength. With our new production initiative, we have achieved the capability to produce all the submarine hull construction steels required for a submarine hull using domestic resources. With Miilux OY's production, Türkiye has joined the ranks of a select few countries in the world capable of producing submarine steel.”
Yeldan noted that the submarine steels developed by Miilux OY are planned to be used in the MİLDEN (National Submarine) project and revealed that the production of test blocks and testing processes for these products are ongoing.
Capacity to meet the armor needs of land vehicles
Emphasizing that they have achieved significant production power in the field of armor steel thanks to their investments and R&D activities, Yavuz Yeldan stated that Miilux OY's product portfolio offers armor solutions for all land vehicles, including main battle tanks. Yeldan said, “Within this scope, tests of various products with thicknesses exceeding 50 mm required for main battle tank platforms have been successfully completed at internationally accredited institutions.”
First export to Azerbaijan
Yeldan said that they made their first exports of heat-treated high-strength steel products to Azerbaijan in 2024 and that they will export to different markets this year. Yeldan emphasized that they aim to grow in global markets, particularly in neighboring regions and Europe, and have taken concrete steps to deliver advanced armor steel products to different parts of the world in the coming period.
