Turkey to develop new long range cruise missile

The Turkish defense contractor Roketsan Thursday announced it had developed a new generation cruise missile that can be launched from land, sea and air platforms.

The cruise missile, named Çakır, will be a new force multiplier for the armed forces with its state-of-the-art features and effective warhead, the company said in a statement.

It is still in the design phase, and its first tests are scheduled for later this year, with platform integration to take place in 2023.

It will be test-fired from the country’s landmark unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) Akıncı, the most advanced and sophisticated drone built by Turkey.

With a range of over 150 kilometers (93 miles), the cruise missile will be launchable from fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, assault drones, tactical land vehicles and naval platforms.

It will be equipped with the KTJ1750 turbo-jet engine developed by Kale Arge.

It also provides operational versatility against targets above the ground or sea, as well as those in caves.

Featuring a unique warhead and impact point selection systems, it will be highly destructive, said the statement, adding that the missile will be able to engage targets with high precision regardless of weather conditions thanks to its advanced mid- and terminal phase guidance systems.

It will also boast network-based datalink facilitates and human-in-the-loop capabilities for updating, attacking/re-attacking, or aborting targets mid-flight.

Also capable of carrying multiple payloads, the missile will be able to coordinate and intercommunicate with other ordinances as a swarm.

Çakır also offers high survivability with its unique design and radar absorbing material used on the frame.

 

 

 

dailysabah.com