Turkey inks deal to replace four foreign-made weapons with local types

MERSIN, Turkey — The Turkish government has signed contracts to replace some foreign-made weapons with locally produced versions, the Defense Ministry announced.

The deals, finalized Jan. 20 with the defense contractor Roketsan and other domestic organizations, sets the stage for the mass production of the Akya torpedo, the Atmaca cruise missile and the Sapan air defense weapon, all made by Roketsan. These systems would help fortify the Turkish navy’s strike power .

Roketsan did not respond to Defense News’ request for contractual details.

“With its technological infrastructure, production capacity and engineering capabilities, Turkey has become a production base for critical technologies. The importance of these projects in the defense industry is better understood in the face of the threats and dangers posed by the sensitive developments in our region and the world,” Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said at the signing ceremony in Ankara.

Other attendees included the chief of naval operations, Adm. Ercüment Tatlioglu; the head of the Defense Industry Agency, Haluk Görgün; and representatives of the companies involved.

The Defense Ministry did not reply to Defense News’ request for further information.

Hello Hawk, goodbye Harpoon

Atmaca (which translates to “Hawk” in English) is a long-range, anti-ship cruise missile developed by Roketsan. It is intended to gradually replace Turkey’s existing inventory of Boeing-made Harpoon missiles.

The navy began the program for a surface-to-surface cruise missile in 2009. As the prime contractor, Roketsan started design studies in September 2012.

The first ship-launched test occurred in November 2019 using the corvette TCG Kinaliada. Following numerous tests in various scenarios, including GPS-free firing and operating in an electronic warfare-heavy environment, the missile was deemed ready for mass production. The final tests concluded in June 2021, and the missile achieved initial operational capability.

In an online meeting held in August 2023 by SAHA Istanbul, a defense expo business in Turkey, the chief executive of the local company STM said the firm signed an agreement with Roketsan to equip 11 naval platforms with Atmaca missiles.

The heavyweight torpedo Akya successfully underwent live-fire testing on the first Preveze-class submarine, TCG Preveze. The weapon’s integration into the submarine class is underway, with plans for subsequent deployment on Gür-class subs.

An Akya heavyweight torpedo is seen near the Preveze-class submarine TCG Preveze prior to a live-fire test, during which the weapon reached initial operating capablity. (Turkish Defense Ministry)

The Akya is expected to replace the Atlas Elektronik-made DM2A4 (SeaHake mod4) and Lockheed Martin-made MK 48 heavyweight torpedoes.

The Akya, which Roketsan designed to engage other submarines and surface targets, can operate autonomously, or a user can control the weapon via a fiber-optic cable. It features an active/passive sonar homing head, and uses wake-steering technology specifically tailored to engage surface targets.

Sapan enters the picture

The Sapan air defense missile is intended to replace the Evolved Seasparrow Missile, a surface-to-air weapon made by RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies .

Derived from Roketsan’s Hisar RF surface-to-air missile, the Sapan entered service with the navy for the frigate TCG Istanbul . While Sapan is said to boast a range exceeding 35 kilometers (22 miles), the company has not disclosed specific specifications.

Roketsan is currently integrating the Siper air defense system with the Midlas vertical launching system on I-class frigates. This is expected to enhance the navy’s ability to engage aerial targets at ranges exceeding 100 kilometers.

Tayfun Ozberk is a Turkey correspondent for Defense News.

土耳其梅尔辛——土耳其国防部宣布，土耳其政府已签署合同，用国产武器替换部分外国制造的武器。

这些于1月20日与国防承包商Roketsan和其他国内企业最终敲定的协议，为Roketsan公司生产的Akya鱼雷、Atmaca巡航导弹和Sapan防空武器的大规模生产奠定了基础。这些系统将有助于增强土耳其海军的打击能力。

Roketsan公司没有回应《防务新闻》关于合同细节的请求。

“凭借其技术基础设施、生产能力和工程技术，土耳其已成为关键技术的生产基地。面对我们地区和世界敏感事态发展带来的威胁和危险，这些项目在国防工业中的重要性就更加显而易见了。”国防部长亚沙尔·居莱尔在安卡拉的签约仪式上表示。

其他出席者包括海军作战部长埃尔居门特·塔特利奥卢海军上将、国防工业局局长哈鲁克·格尔根以及相关公司的代表。

国防部没有回复《防务新闻》的置评请求。

你好，鹰隼；再见，鱼叉。

“阿特马卡”（Atmaca，意为“鹰”）是由罗克特桑公司（Roketsan）研制的一种远程反舰巡航导弹。它旨在逐步取代土耳其目前装备的波音公司制造的“鱼叉”（Harpoon）导弹。

海军于 2009 年启动了地对地巡航导弹项目。作为主承包商，罗克特桑公司于 2012 年 9 月开始进行设计研究。

首次舰载发射试验于2019年11月进行，由TCG Kinaliada号护卫舰执行。经过多次不同场景的测试，包括无GPS发射和在电子战环境下运行，该导弹被认为已具备批量生产条件。最终测试于2021年6月完成，导弹达到初始作战能力。

在土耳其国防展览公司 SAHA Istanbul 于 2023 年 8 月举行的一次线上会议上，当地公司 STM 的首席执行官表示，该公司与 Roketsan 签署了一项协议，为 11 个海军平台配备 Atmaca 导弹。

重型鱼雷“阿基亚”号在首艘普雷韦泽级潜艇“普雷韦泽”号上成功完成了实弹测试。该武器正在与该级潜艇进行整合，并计划随后部署到“居尔”级潜艇上。

在普雷韦泽级潜艇“普雷韦泽”号附近，一枚“阿基亚”重型鱼雷正在进行实弹测试，测试中该武器达到了初始作战能力。（土耳其国防部）

阿基亚鱼雷有望取代阿特拉斯电子公司制造的DM2A4（SeaHake mod4）和洛克希德·马丁公司制造的MK 48重型鱼雷。

“阿基亚”反潜导弹是罗克特桑公司设计的，用于攻击其他潜艇和水面目标。该导弹既可自主运行，也可通过光纤电缆由用户控制。它配备主动/被动声呐导引头，并采用专门针对水面目标设计的尾流控制技术。

萨潘出场了

Sapan防空导弹旨在取代由RTX（前身为雷神技术公司）制造的改进型海麻雀导弹，这是一种地对空武器。

Sapan导弹源自Roketsan公司的Hisar RF地对空导弹，已在土耳其海军的“伊斯坦布尔”号护卫舰上服役。据称Sapan导弹射程超过35公里（22英里），但该公司尚未公布具体参数。

罗克特桑公司目前正在将“西珀”（Siper）防空系统与“米德拉斯”（Midlas）垂直发射系统集成到I级护卫舰上。预计这将增强海军打击100公里以上距离空中目标的能力。

Tayfun Ozberk 是《防务新闻》驻土耳其记者。