Turkish aerial munitions more effective with indigenous technology

By Goksel Yildirim

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey is boosting the effectiveness of its security forces' equipment thanks to the homegrown technologies developed by its defense industry.

Even as indigenously developed aerial ordinance guidance kits start to be mass produced, efforts to improve the capabilities of the hardware are underway, Ismail Demir, head of Turkey's Defense Industries Authority, told Anadolu Agency.

Adjustable proximity sensors, developed by Turkish rocket producer Roketsan for Teber laser guidance kits on MK-82 general-purpose bombs, further improved the effectiveness of high-precision Turkish aircraft munitions, added Demir.

Teber kits are integrated onto general purpose MK-81 and MK-82 bombs to increase their strike capability.

The kits make the bombs smart ordinances using inertial measurement units, global positioning systems, and semi-active laser seekers.

An add-on semi-active laser seeker, mounted on the bomb's front section, provides precision hit capabilities against moving targets. The laser seeker may also be fitted with a proximity sensor.

Munitions with Teber kits integrated into F-16 jets can also be used with unmanned aerial vehicles such as the Aksungur and Akinci, which have high payload carrying capacities.