ROKETSAN’s ÇAKIR Cruise Missile Achieves Maiden Ground Launch, Showcasing Enhanced Multi-Platform Capability and Extended Range

ROKETSAN’s next-generation ÇAKIR cruise missile has successfully completed its inaugural land-based firing tests, marking a significant expansion of its operational versatility. Previously integrated into Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), the ÇAKIR missile demonstrated its robust performance by precisely engaging both land and sea targets during two distinct test sequences.

These critical evaluations confirmed the missile’s advanced targeting capabilities. In one test, the land-launched ÇAKIR cruise missile precisely struck its objective utilizing its New-Generation Imaging Infrared (IIR) Seeker Head. A subsequent phase of the tests validated a newly integrated fuel system, successfully exhibiting the platform’s extended range potential. This development solidifies ÇAKIR’s capability to deliver enhanced strike options over greater distances.

Beyond UCAV integration, the ÇAKIR’s development trajectory has now extended to tactical ground vehicles, underscoring its proven multi-platform compatibility in real-world scenarios. The advanced cruise missile boasts low radar observability and an sophisticated navigation architecture, ensuring high strike precision against both terrestrial and maritime targets, even under challenging environmental conditions.

Engineered for resilience, ÇAKIR exhibits robust resistance to adversary electronic warfare (EW) and countermeasure systems. Its state-of-the-art two-way data link facilitates dynamic in-flight mission management, allowing for real-time target updates, mission abort capabilities, and target re-engagement. Furthermore, the missile’s artificial intelligence-supported guidance architecture enables autonomous target recognition, enhancing its operational autonomy and effectiveness.

Developed with a modular architecture, the ÇAKIR missile family is designed to meet the diverse operational requirements of various branches, including the Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force Commands, and the National Intelligence Organization. Distinctive payload options, particularly those incorporating electronic warfare and swarm sensor capabilities, position ÇAKIR as an innovative concept both domestically and within the international defense arena.

The ÇAKIR cruise missile distinguishes itself with a range exceeding 200 kilometers and a launch weight of approximately 275 kilograms (350 kilograms with booster). Its relatively light structure, for its performance class, facilitates multi-carriage on aerial platforms with restricted payload capacities. Bolstering Turkey’s indigenous defense industry, the ÇAKIR utilizes the locally produced KJM KTJ-1750 Turbojet Missile Engine and has already achieved export success, reflecting its competitive edge on the global stage.

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