In recent years, Türkiye has made a name for itself with military shipbuilding projects, and it’s now taking that success even further. HAVELSAN’s combat management system, ADVENT, plays a key role in this process. Experts say only a handful of countries in the world can build similar systems, and highlight ADVENT’s strategic value as it’s used across four continents.

A new contract recently announced by HAVELSAN, one of Türkiye’s leading defense companies, has significance far beyond a simple export success. The company signed a deal with the Chilean Navy to supply the ADVENT Combat Management System (CMS) for two frigates to be modernized.

Though this may initially appear as a system export, experts emphasize that it reflects Türkiye’s advanced capabilities. What does HAVELSAN’s ADVENT system do? Why is it important for Türkiye’s maritime strategy? And how should its exports be interpreted?

We discussed these questions with Defense and Maritime Expert Kozan Selçuk Erkan, who also shared insights on what elevates this system to a “strategic product.”

“DEVELOPED WITH THE WORLD’S LATEST TECHNOLOGIES”

ADVENT is officially classified as a “combat management system,” but Erkan elaborates that it goes far beyond this. He stresses that the system was developed using the latest global technologies. It’s crucial not only to acquire information but also to analyze it accurately and share it with other systems when needed. ADVENT has four different versions to meet these needs.

He offers a concrete example: “Think of a ship’s control system seeing the images gathered by a UAV in the sky. Add a ground-based element if needed. You’re enabling various platforms to communicate. In essence, you’re freeing the ship from relying solely on its onboard sensors, allowing it to receive real-time data from distant systems—offering a much clearer picture of the battlefield. That’s exactly what ADVENT does.”

“MORE THAN JUST A SHIPBUILDING NATION”

Türkiye has a long history in naval platform production. But recent years have seen a shift from using foreign technologies to building ships and systems almost entirely domestically.

Erkan points out that Turkish defense industry has reached a mature stage. “We’ve gone beyond just building ships. We now observe real-time data from sea and air. Soon, we might even collect underwater data using unmanned submersibles,” he said. Early detection and identification of threats gives a major tactical edge, he added.

“FEW COUNTRIES CAN BUILD SUCH A SYSTEM”

According to Erkan, the ADVENT system—developed in coordination with the Turkish Navy—places Türkiye among the few countries that can create such a system with national resources.

“The number of countries that can independently develop a combat management system capable of collecting such comprehensive data in a network-centric structure is extremely limited,” he noted.

He added: “We’re no longer just shipbuilders. We’re now exporting defense systems for ships built by other countries too. For example, we exported the Gökdeniz close-in weapon system to the Philippines. Now, we know HAVELSAN is exporting ADVENT to Chile. We’re capable of installing both software and hardware on foreign vessels. Türkiye is now among the top-tier players in global naval technology.”

Given the current global economic constraints but increasing security needs, Erkan believes countries offering cost-effective solutions like Türkiye will have a strong advantage. “We’ll hear much more about HAVELSAN ADVENT and other Turkish defense exports in the coming years.”

ADVENT COMBAT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM REACHES 4 CONTINENTS

ADVENT, a key force behind Türkiye’s maritime power, has now reached 4 continents and 9 countries with its latest export to the Chilean Navy. The system is now in use in Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America.

ADVENT is integrated into more than 85 platforms worldwide, including ships, submarines, aircraft, land vehicles, and unmanned systems. It has four distinct versions for different platforms:

ADVENT SYS for naval platforms


ADVENT ROTA for unmanned systems


ADVENT MARTI for air platforms


ADVENT Ufuk for maritime situational awareness.