Türkiye’s homegrown missiles ensure national security

By Abdulkadir Gunyol

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye’s domestically produced missiles developed by Ankara-based defense company Roketsan ensure the country’s national security with many prominent air and naval systems.

Roketsan’s Tayfun short-range ballistic missile uses its hypersonic speed to reach a range of over 280 kilometers (174 miles), operating in all weather conditions, day or night.

The Bora tactical ballistic missile, which the Tayfun was used as a base to develop from, also boasts 280 kilometers of range, equipping the user with effective firepower on strategic targets such as artillery and air defense systems, radar command and control positions and communication systems.

The TRG-300 guided missile can be fired at even the most distant targets in less than five minutes with its 20 to 120-kilometer (12 to 74-mile) range, and similarly the TRG-230 has a slightly reduced range of up to 70 kilometers (43.5 miles), but it stands out with its cost-effectiveness and optional laser seeker heads.

Meanwhile, the TRG-122 missile can be effective on targets upwards to 28 kilometers (17.4 miles) away, but its high precision makes it so that civilian casualties can be minimized. Similarly, the TRLG-122 laser-guided missile, with a range of up to 30 kilometers (18.6 miles), can pinpoint targets with its laser seeker head.

The CNRA multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) can fire at targets upwards to 280 kilometers with high accuracy and timing, and targets can be air defense systems, radar sites, command and control systems, logistics facilities and others.

The TR-107 and the TR-122 artillery rockets can continuously fire regardless of the time of day and neutralize targets in all sorts of operations, while the TR-122 and the TRB-122 rockets can be fired from a wide range of MLRSs for operational flexibility and rapid deployment.

The T-106/122 MLRS provides the user effective fire support to maneuver units against high-priority targets in all weather conditions, day or night, and its battery can allow the system to perform independent missions.

Additionally, the parachute-equipped variant of the TR-122 rocket, signal jammers and cameras replaced the traditional warheads, and its dislocating front part allows the engine to be separated so that the payload can glide with the parachute open.

The Kara Atmaca surface-to-surface long-range cruise missile is a jam-resistant munition that can be launched from a tactical land vehicle, and it is planned to be used against fixed land targets with a maximum operation range of 280 kilometers.

The Tanok 120-millimeter laser-guided anti-tank cannon missile can be fired from tanks without modifications and boasts a highly accurate and cost-effective solution on the battlefield with a range of over 6 kilometers (3.73 miles).

Meanwhile, the UMTAS/LUMTAS-GM air-to-surface anti-tank guided missile system is used against targets out of the line of sight without detection with a range of 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) for air platforms and 20 kilometers for air platforms. The two configurations include the image-processing infrared seeker and the semi-active laser seeker heads.

The OMTAS medium-range anti-tank missile system is effective against armored targets, and its seeker head, capable of infrared imaging, allows it to operate day and night in all weather conditions with a range of 4 kilometers (2.5 miles).

In addition, the L-OMTAS laser-guided medium-range anti-tank weapon system is strong against armored threats with its armor-piercing warhead. The missile can lock onto the target before or after firing, making it highly effective against moving targets, and its own tripod platform for launching allows it to be used on land platforms with open or closed turret integration.

The Karaok short-range anti-tank guided missile boasts the capability to attack both fixed and moving targets, tanks and other armored and combat vehicles with a maximum operation range of 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles).

Additionally, the KMC-U tactical missile system features 360-degree rotation and high mobility and can be controlled from the inside or outside of the vehicle it is attached to and boasts infrared and laser-guided warheads.

The 105/155-millimeter Howitzer Ammunition Range Correction Kit is an alternative to the standard fuses used in unguided artillery munitions with multiple fuse functions, and its data link infrastructure allows the kit to track multiple munitions in the air and transmit commands on the fly.

- Domestic air systems

The SOM air-to-surface stand-off missile stands out among Roketsan’s air systems, as it is used against heavily protected targets on land and sea and can reach outside the range of air defense missile systems.

The Teber high-precision guidance kit is used to integrate into MK-81 and MK-82 bombs to enhance their striking capabilities against moving and fixed targets, while the Lacin smart guidance kit uses an imaging infrared seeker warhead and the tactical data link for the MK-82 bomb to boost its capability.

Meanwhile, the UAV-230 air-to-surface ballistic supersonic missile is used as a tool of psychological warfare, as its long range of 150 kilometers (93.2 miles) can attack targets from far away without facing enemy threats.

The MAM-T smart munition is highly destructive in air-to-surface missions and was developed for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and light attack aircraft, and its various warheads can enhance its capabilities. For instance, the MAM-T IIR uses an imaging infrared seeker warhead, allowing the user to deploy the munition even in the harshest of conditions, while the MAM-C laser-guided mini smart munition can be used against human targets, vehicles and other surface targets in a relatively short range of 8 kilometers (5 miles).

Roketsan’s laser-guided long-range anti-tank missile system L-UMTAS is a highly precise armor-piercing weapon used against moving and fixed targets, while the Cirit laser-guided missile is a cost-effective solution against lightly armored and unarmored targets from surface to naval and air vehicles.

The Alpagut smart loitering munition system can also be used similarly to the Cirit missile against fixed and moving targets on sea and surface, whether it be critical facilities like command centers or human targets, with a range of 60 kilometers (37.3 miles).

- Roketsan’s naval systems

The Barbaros is a coastal defense system that can fire the Atmaca and Cakir long-range anti-cruise missiles integrated into the mobile vehicle battery, and its operations and missions can be directed by a command and control vehicle.

Meanwhile, torpedoes Akya and Orka provide high speed and long range and can be internally and externally guided via fiberoptics. The latter, Orka, was developed entirely through domestic capabilities.

The Temren long-range anti-tank missile system is used in integrating anti-tank missiles into Seahawk helicopters and the procurement of guided missiles (G/Ms), while the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Rocket and Launcher System is used against underwater targets, equipped with an integrated weapons management system and sonar with a range of up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) and 300 meters (984 feet) of depth.

- Air defense systems

Roketsan’s Siper long-range air and missile defense system provides for the survival of allied troops in war by limiting, delaying or destroying enemy targets in surface-to-air munition attacks. It is designed to protect strategic facilities with two different variations, while Hisar air defense missiles are used to protect military bases, ports and other facilities against aircraft and UAVs.

The Burc ground-based mobile air defense system employs superior firepower as well as active and passive sensors against air threats, with its tracking capabilities provided by 360-degree air surveillance and fire control data processed by advanced algorithms.

In addition, the Sungur short-range air defense missile system is used against moving and stationary human targets and facilities, while the Levent close-range system, operating similarly to Sungur, is used to neutralize aircraft, UAVs and guided missiles in all weather conditions and surface-to-air attacks.

The Alka directed-energy weapon uses a two-layered close hybrid air defense system, enabling asymmetric threats to be “soft killed” with its electromagnetic jamming weapon and properly neutralized with a laser weapon.

Additionally, the Midlas vertical launcher system stores G/Ms for surface-to-air attacks and can launch them with hot or cold launch methods in accordance with the commands it receives from the vessel’s combat management system. Its electromechanical launching system can fire different types of G/Ms one by one or consecutively at different targets.

*Writing by Emir Yildirim