On the countdown to IDEF25 international defence exhibition to be held in Istanbul, ROKETSAN teased another new missile that appears to use a ramjet engine.
ROKETSAN shared the missile partially with the statement “High precision beyond visual range”. Previously, another missile that appears to be a new ballistic missile or guided artillery rocket was teased.
The missile shown partially has two air intakes, which suggests it is using ramjet propulsion. Additionally, the folding fins can be seen clearly in the video, suggesting it is launched from a canister. Surface launch requires a booster, especially for ramjets, which need supersonic speeds to start up.
The missile could be either an anti-ship missile or an air defence missile as the folding fins indicate that it is not an airborne missile.
Supersonic shipborne anti-ship missiles are rare in the world, with Russia, China, and Taiwan being notable users, and their high speed makes them more difficult to intercept, especially at low altitudes, compared to subsonic anti-ship missiles. Their manoeuvre capacity at final phase are low. They are mostly preferred on oceans.
The second scenario of an air defence missile would mark something even rarer, with only two such missile types (Russian 2K11 and Indian Akash 1S) being used as of now. However, these missiles’ outdated ramjets, lacking efficiency, render them with somewhat short range figures despite their sheer size. Norwegian Nammo has been the only one to throw in the idea of a new ramjet-powered air defence missile with an engine to allow longer range engagements than similar sized missiles.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor:Özgür Ekşi
