ROKETSAN has bought ASSAN Group’s defence industry assets through an auction held by the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund of Turkiye, or TMSF, in a move that expands the company’s position in ammunition, rocket, warhead and energetic materials production.
The auction was held at TMSF’s headquarters in Istanbul’s Esentepe district on 8 July 2026. ROKETSAN won the tender with a $471 million offer for ASSAN Group’s commercial and economic integrity.
The estimated tender value had been set at $416.5 million. The final acquisition price therefore stood above the initial value announced for the process.
The sale followed a legal and administrative process that began in 2025 after ASSAN Group was placed under TMSF management as part of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. TMSF had been appointed as trustee to companies within the group before the decision was taken to sell its defence-related assets, rights and commercial operations.
According to information reported by Anadolu Agency, ROKETSAN will establish a new company as its wholly owned subsidiary after the acquisition and operate the ASSAN facilities through this structure. The company will also make new investments in the facilities and carry out technology and infrastructure transfers.
The facilities will be used for the production of Mk-series general-purpose aircraft bombs, 107 mm and 122 mm rockets, GPS-aided guidance technologies, 155 mm guided artillery rounds, explosives and energetic materials.
Anadolu Agency also reported that ROKETSAN will continue producing warheads for ballistic missiles, including the TAYFUN ballistic missile, at these facilities.
The acquisition is significant for ROKETSAN’s vertical integration strategy. The company is already one of Turkiye’s main missile, rocket and guided munition producers. Bringing ASSAN Group’s ammunition, energetic materials and warhead production capacity under its control could strengthen supply security, increase production flexibility and support future scaling in missile, rocket, bomb and artillery ammunition programmes.
The transaction also carries wider importance for Turkiye’s defence industrial base. Demand for munitions, energetic materials, guided artillery rounds and rocket systems has increased sharply since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, while NATO countries are trying to expand ammunition production and reduce bottlenecks in critical supply chains.
The timing is also notable. The acquisition came one day after ROKETSAN was named among Turkish companies linked to NATO capability tracks announced during the Ankara Summit Defence Industry Forum. These tracks included strike capabilities and integrated air and missile defence, two areas where ammunition, warhead, rocket and energetic materials capacity directly affect industrial depth.
Author: Özgür Ekşi
