Turkey is gradually reducing its dependence on US weapons and replacing advanced weapons it produces by itself.
The Turkish Air Force announced that its F-16 fighter had used a domestically produced Bozdogan air-to-air missile to successfully intercept a hypothetical target during the exercise.
“The test was done with a script dealing with an external air attack. As soon as it detected and locked the target, the fighter launched Bozdogan. The missile hit the target with absolute precision. “The Turkish Air Force said in a statement.
Self-produced rocket launchers F-16 Earth.
The source added that, prior to this exemplary interception, Bozdogan also successfully conducted many other interceptions when launched from fixed platforms on the ground.
These are state tests before they enter service. The results of the Bozdogan development program have made not only the manufacturer, the Air Force but also President Recep Tayyip Erdogan very pleased.
“When officially put into service, Ankara will have a weapon that no other country has. In particular, this missile will replace the US-made AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9X ammunition. served in the Turkish Air Force, “Erdogan said.
According to Drive, not only the US-made AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X are gradually being replaced in Turkey, but the legendary American anti-ship missile Harpoon also suffers the same fate in the Turkish Navy.
Specifically, on the new generation of Turkish Milgem-class warships, Harpoon is replaced by the Atmaca (Hawk) missile line researched and developed by Turkish defense contractor Roketsan.
It is known that Atmaca is the first anti-ship missile produced by Turkey. It can glide through ships before hitting and destroying any warship it targets.
At first glance, the Atmaca missile looks quite similar to Russia’s Harpoon or Kh-35 anti-ship missiles. Like other rockets, Atmaca is launched from a launcher using a rocket engine, helping to propel the missile to move at high speed.
After finishing the propulsion process, the jet engine will be activated and help the missile fly to the target position. Thanks to the integration of an altimeter radar, the missile can fly just above the waves easily to avoid being shot down when attacking enemies. Roketsan officially developed the Atmaca missile since 2009.
The missile can operate in all weather conditions, highly effective against moving and fixed targets at sea. The maximum range of the Atmaca is believed to be about 250km – this range is much further than the AGM-84 Harpoon.
“A powerful Turkey needs to have state-of-the-art weapons of its own in order not to be dependent on external supply, even though those countries are known as close allies.
In some areas that are not yet our strengths, such as defensive weapons and fighters, Ankara will seek partners that are more reliable and not affected by political factors, “said a member of the company. Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said.
From the statement of the AKP representative showed that this is the reason why Turkey decided to carry out the deal of Russia’s S-400 interceptor system despite the US and some NATO members threatening sanctions. .
In addition, the Turkish Air Force is currently negotiating with the Russian side on the fighter deal. It is not clear that this NATO member is looking to buy Russian Su-35 fighter or Su-57 stealth fighter.
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