1) Can you describe Roketsan’s international status? What are Roketsan’s short-term and long-term goals?
Since our establishment in 1988, we have been proud to represent Turkey on the international stage, and our goal is to play a leading role in providing local, reliable and ground-breaking rocket and missile solutions. First of all, I want to say that I am very proud to work for a company with such a vision.
As Roketsan, we keep up with the pace of technology development, which allows us to develop indigenous and national products to meet the needs of our land, sea and air armed forces as well as friendly and allied countries. We are also committed to elevating our country to a space alliance under the leadership of our Defense Industry President (SSB). Our export of high-tech defense systems and ammunition to friendly and allied countries helps maintain peace, stability and security, and is another source of strength beyond our domestic work. However, we are not just a company that designs and manufactures rockets and missiles, but a huge technological army that develops advanced technologies. Today, our products have attracted the attention of different countries during the trial phase.
Our core goal is to continuously develop value-added products and further strengthen our country’s technical strength through local and national means. As a “technological power”, our goal is to contribute to Turkey’s global defense and space capabilities, and to provide friendly countries and allies with tailor-made state-of-the-art solutions.
2) MAM-L and UCAV are exported to many countries together. What is the export potential of the recently developed MAM-T?
We are in the final stage of work to introduce MAM-T, the newest member of our smart micro ammunition product line, into the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) inventory.
MAM-T is designed to provide higher warhead efficiency and meet the range requirements of unmanned combat aircraft (UCAV) ammunition. It successfully hit the target in the first firing test held in April 2021 and was launched from Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV. In the final shooting test held in June 2021, AKINCI successfully launched MAM-T, further proving its capabilities and performance capabilities.
MAM-T is developed domestically and locally, and optimized in terms of weight and efficiency, which can effectively counter armored or non-armored vehicles, buildings, and surface targets. Its global positioning and inertial navigation system (GPS/INS) support mid-term guidance capabilities provide high-precision ammunition for moving and fixed targets in the BLOCK-1 configuration, and it also has a semi-active laser seeker. MAM-T is the most in the family The young members are designed to be compatible with different platforms, providing UCAV with a range of more than 30 kilometers, a light attack aircraft with a range of 60 kilometers, and a fighter aircraft with a range of more than 80 kilometers, thus continuing to prove that the family changes the rules of the game potential.
3) Can you share Roketsan’s ongoing air defense project?
As Roketsan, we have developed a wide range of air defense systems. The SUNGUR air defense missile system is one of them-the next-generation short-range air defense missile system. Our goal is to introduce it to the TAF list in 2021.
SUNGUR will provide low-altitude, short-range air defense for units and facilities in theaters or hinterlands, whether stationary or mobile. Since the system can be mobilized, it can easily support deployment units.
The 8 km range air defense missile used in this system is the main difference between SUNGUR and similar products. The missile system has a significant advantage in destroying air targets. Its characteristics are that the explosive power of the warhead is higher than that of similar systems in the inventory, and the imaging infrared seeker (IIR) technology that can maximize the accuracy.
HİSAR air defense missiles are used to protect military bases, ports, facilities and troops from attacks by rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, cruise missiles, air-to-surface missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The HİSAR-A and HİSAR-O missiles use a modular structure as part of the family concept and are designed to be compatible with different platforms, fire control and command control infrastructures.
Another member of our air defense system is the ALKA Directed Energy Weapon System (DEWS), which uses the latest technology. It has been developed to intercept or destroy micro/micro drones and drones, explosion traps in urban areas, and roadside improvised explosive devices (IED). The system will also be introduced into inventory in the near future.
