A new firing test with ROKETSAN’s UAV-122 supersonic missile was conducted with Baykar’s AKINCI UCAV following the first test conducted in December 2023. The new missile fired from AKINCI UCAV hit the target at a 55 km distance. UAV-122 can be regarded as the lighter and cheaper alternative to UAV-230. The lower weight can allow for increased capacity, which is beneficial for either saturation attacks at medium ranges or better freedom of carriage of other payloads. For comparison, UAV-230 weighs 225 kg, whereas UAV -122 can be expected to have a weight identical to TRG-122’s 76 kg.
ROKETSAN revealed another feature of the missile. The missile has been stated to be able to follow a low-altitude or a high-altitude route to the target.
UAV-230 of ROKETSAN achieved a milestone this year as well. During the latest test, the missile hit a sea target 150 km away with sub-meter accuracy. This is a testament to ROKETSAN’s GPS/INS guidance capabilities with the missile’s high speed considered.
The UAV series of aero-ballistic missiles will provide a medium-to-long-range strike capability with speed-based penetration capabilities at a lower cost compared to cruise missiles like SOM and ÇAKIR. While there has been no information regarding integrating the missiles on other platforms like the F-16, longer ranges compared will be possible thanks to higher speed and altitude.
