NATO has awarded Turkish defense firm Aselsan a three-year contract to supply Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) interrogator systems for man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), strengthening the alliance’s ability to safely operate short-range air defense weapons in complex airspace environments. The contract is aimed at improving aircraft identification and reducing the risk of fratricide during joint operations.
The agreement, issued through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), covers the delivery of Mode 5–capable IFF systems designed for integration with shoulder-fired air defense weapons. According to Anadolu Agency, the systems will enable operators to reliably distinguish friendly aircraft from hostile or unidentified aerial threats, a critical capability as NATO faces increasingly sophisticated drones, cruise missiles, and fast-moving aircraft.
The framework deal ensures steady delivery, technical support, and sustainment of IFF hardware across NATO member states over the three-year period. By enabling secure and encrypted identification, the systems enhance operational confidence for MANPADS units deployed in congested or contested airspace, particularly during multinational missions and rapid-response operations.
Aselsan’s contract aligns with broader NATO investments in integrated air and missile defense. In parallel, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, and Spain have procured Patriot missile systems via NSPA, while NATO recently awarded Raytheon a $478 million contract to deliver Patriot GEM-T missiles to Germany, co-financed by Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands. Elsewhere, Poland has achieved full operational capability with its WISŁA air defense system, and Italy has deployed SAMP/T long-range air defense systems to Lithuania as part of NATO’s Baltic air defense posture.
