The invisible but most vital weapon of the modern battlefield is “Time”. “Synchronisation” lies at the heart of everything from the firing of missiles to radars seeing the target, from financial transactions to energy networks. HAVELSAN, the software and system giant of the Turkish defence industry, is ending foreign dependency in this field with a strategic move. The “TimeMaster National Time Server”, developed by HAVELSAN, enables the platforms in the Blue Homeland to manage time not in milliseconds, but in “nanoseconds” precision, with domestic and national capabilities.
With the development of technology, wars are now won not only by the power of ammunition, but also by how harmoniously the systems speak to each other. It is not enough for radars, weapon systems, fire control units and communication devices on a warship to speak the same language; they also need to live the same “time”. The “Time Server” technology, which has been procured from abroad until now and has been the subject of covert embargoes from time to time, was nationalised as a result of three years of intensive R&D work by HAVELSAN engineers.
Pandemic and Embargoes gave birth to “National Time”
Precise time synchronisation, which is one of the most critical needs of military and civilian systems, is one of the most important requirements of HAVELSAN. TimeMaster The product family is now in safe hands. The story of the emergence of the project is another example of the Turkish defence industry's motto “a bad neighbour makes a homeowner”.
Hayrettin Karabudak, Command Control and Defence Technologies Hardware Group Manager at HAVELSAN, describes the trigger of the process in the following words:
“The ruptures in global supply chains during the pandemic, the technological monopolisation tendencies of some countries, and the open or indirect embargoes against Turkey have made it difficult to procure critical components. Seeing this threat, we have made the nationalisation of strategic products a priority target.”
Born with this vision, TimeMaster is not just a piece of hardware, but a strategic shield that ensures the “time sovereignty” of Turkey's critical infrastructures.
The Most Valuable Data of a Platform: Time
When we think of a modern frigate or submarine, hundreds of subsystems (Sensors, Weapons, Command Control, etc.) must be managed like an orchestra conductor. The “Time Server” determines the rhythm of this orchestra.
Karabudak emphasises the importance of time for platforms as follows:
“If you don't synchronise the data with precise time, the ship, radars and weapon systems cannot operate in harmony. All data must be synchronised with time. This synchronisation must be accurate to milliseconds, microseconds or nanoseconds, depending on the need. This can only be achieved with a reliable time server.”
TimeMaster processes the time data it receives via GNSS (Global Satellite Navigation Systems) with Rubidium atomic clock-based precision and pumps it into all the vessels of the ship.
The Key to Network Centric Warfare: “Timed” Strikes, Not “Blind” Strikes
TimeMaster's strategic importance is recognised by the Turkish Navy's greatest force multiplier. ADVENT Combat Management System integrated with the network centric warfare concept. In the Network Centric Warfare concept, while the radar of one ship detects the target, the missile of another ship can lock onto that target.
For this complex engagement to take place, both ships must share the “same time” with nanosecond precision. Thanks to TimeMaster:
- Joint Operations: Multiple platforms (Ship, UAV, Submarine) can act as a single body.
- Data Sharing: Tactical field data is shared without delay and with a labelled timestamp.
- Precision Engagement: One ship's sensor and the other ship's weapon can be fired simultaneously.
Product of 15 Years of Maritime Experience
HAVELSAN did not start from scratch when developing this product; it has 15 years of maritime experience behind it. Company, FLEETSTAR (Vessel Data Distribution System) and SUBSTAR (Submarine Information Distribution System) products, it has equipped nearly 65 platforms in Turkey and abroad.
Building on this experience, TimeMaster has been designed to withstand the most demanding military standards (MIL-STD) and environmental conditions (shock, vibration, temperature). Hayrettin Karabudak announced that the system is now mature enough to be used on Turkish warships and will enter the Navy's inventory with the new FLEETSTAR systems to be delivered in the coming months.
Vital Not Only for Military but Also for Civilian Critical Infrastructures
The vision of the TimeMaster project is not limited to military ships. “If we can't count time, we can't do anything right,” says Karabudak, reminding that the civilian sector is also in need of this technology.
- Finance: Millisecond delays in banking transactions and the stock market can cost millions of dollars.
- Telecommunications: Synchronisation of base stations is vital in 5G and beyond technologies.
- Energy: Frequency and time harmonisation in the distribution of electricity networks is essential for uninterrupted energy.
With the TimeMaster family of time synchronisation cards, submarine-specific GPS antenna distribution units and automatic calibration systems developed by HAVELSAN, HAVELSAN aims to bring Turkey's civilian critical infrastructures under the “National Time” guarantee.
Capturing the Future “On Time”
Acting with the vision of the Turkish Century, the Turkish defence industry is now focusing on the “brain” and “nerve” systems of these platforms after the production of platforms (ships, aircraft and tanks). Although HAVELSAN TimeMaster may look like a simple electronic box from the outside, it is taking its place in the inventory as a strategic technology that ensures that the hearts of the steel fortresses in the Blue Homeland beat at the right rhythm.
From now on, Turkish ships will neither look at the clock of friend nor foe; they will chart their course with their own national time.
