The Turkish MoD held a press meeting in front of the test aircraft of the 401st Test Squadron and the indigenously developed munitions alongside them.

The location of this week’s Turkish MoD press meeting was the home of the 401st Squadron, the 1st Air Supply and Maintenance Centre in Eskişehir.

The press meeting was held in front of one F-16 and one F-4E 2020 fighter used by the 401st Test Squadron alongside various munitions developed by Turkiye for fighter jets. The munitions include: Gökdoğan BVRAAM, Bozdoğan WVRAAM, SOM-B1 cruise missile, LGK-82 laser guidance kit, and HGK-82 GNSS/INS guidance kit. The choice of venue may have been a deliberate decision by the Turkish MoD to highlight the strength and progress of the Turkish defence industry.

Munitions Present in the Meeting

SOM-B1 is the configuration of a SOM-B cruise missile fitted with a 230 kg HE-FRAG warhead, whereas SOM-B2 uses a penetrating-shaped charge warhead. SOM-B family is the second instalment in the SOM series of cruise missiles, introducing an IIR seeker with automatic target recognition capability lacked by SOM-A. SOM-B1 can reach a range of 250 km and be used against various surface targets.

Gökdoğan and Bozdoğan are the indigenous successors to the AIM-120 and AIM-9 series of air-to-air missiles and will be used on various manned/unmanned aircraft including F-16s with ÖZGÜR modernisation, KAAN fighter jet, Kızılelma unmanned fighter, and Akıncı UCAV.

LGK-82 is the variant of the LGK line of laser guidance kits intended for Mk82 500 lb general-purpose bombs and, by extension of the QFAB-250-LG derivative, FAB-250 general-purpose bombs.

HGK-82 is TÜBİTAK SAGE's GNSS/INS guidance kit for 500 lb Mk82 general-purpose bombs and is in use with both manned and unmanned aircraft.

Turkish MoD’s Stance on SAFE Initiative of EU

On the other hand, Turkish MoD sources commented on the EU's SAFE initiative and its restrictions on non-EU members. They noted that these limitations affect large-scale defence procurement cooperation. According to the sources, excluding non-EU allies means missing out on valuable opportunities. They added that other non-EU countries have raised similar concerns. Türkiye will continue efforts to cooperate with open-minded and visionary European partners, whether within the SAFE framework or through other channels.

Author: Kaan Azman

Editor: Özgür Ekşi