ANKARA, TURKEY
Turkey’s first indigenously produced maritime missile passed its latest long-distance test launch with flying colors, the nation’s top defense industry official said Saturday.
The Atmaca missile “performed its functions perfectly, it successfully hit a target over 200 kilometers [124 miles] away and is ready to enter the [Turkish Armed Forces’] weapons inventory,” Ismail Demir, the head of Turkey’s Defense Industries Presidency, said on Twitter.
Demir also shared footage of the test.
Made by missile producer Roketsan, Atmaca is expected to enter the Turkish military’s inventory before year’s-end, replacing the US-made Harpoon.
According to Roketsan, Atmaca is a high-precision, long-range, surface-to-surface, precision strike anti-ship missile which can be integrated with patrol boats, frigates, and corvettes.
It boasts a range of over 200 km (124 mi), posing a threat to targets far outside visual range.
It also provides target update, re-attack, and mission abort capability via modern data link.
