We are at the most advanced simulation center in the world. Here, take it—follow. Fire at the target. Not even a fly can fly without our knowledge. Weapons free. Target destroyed. Right now, I’m holding the world’s most effective low-altitude air defense missile on my shoulder. We are at the Air Defense School and Training Center Command. We will speak with Haber 7 security analyst Dr. Eray Güçler. Yes sir, what is the importance of this school? Let's hear it from you.
Of course. This center, named after Air Defense Base Officer Emre Kargın who was martyred in northern Iraq, houses simulations of our air defense weapons systems. Here, trainings are provided through these simulations just like real-life firing situations. So personnel—officers, non-commissioned officers, specialists—are equipped with interfaces that simulate real firing depending on their roles, and they receive training as if they’re conducting actual operations. Afterwards, they go to the field and use these weapons with real firings, remaining always ready for war or duty. That’s why this center is extremely valuable. One of the world’s most advanced simulation systems is located here, which gives it even greater importance. We’ll now enter and explore the center in more detail by speaking with the relevant personnel.
Yes sir, let’s go in slowly together. We are right at the heart of the Air Defense School and Training Center Command. The personnel here are trained using simulations of Turkey’s air defense systems, which are indistinguishable from the real thing. Then they apply the training they received here directly in the field using actual weapons.
This is the training simulator for the 35mm low-altitude self-propelled air defense gun system, Korkut. In this simulator, there is one command and control vehicle and three weapon system vehicles. The personnel here are the same ones who operate the Korkut system in the field. They train here and then go to operate the real Korkut system in their assigned areas. They conduct live fire and remain ready for combat, operating 24/7.
Now, the Korkut system is truly a proven low-altitude air defense system. And I say this proudly: we are currently in the most advanced simulation center in the world. There is nothing beyond this.
The Hisar air defense system can operate in teams made up of at least three systems. Any one of the systems in the team is capable of carrying out the command and control function. The Hisar training simulator is used to reinforce the tactical and technical knowledge acquired by trainees in the training field through simulations. It allows for different scenarios involving aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, air-to-ground missiles, and cruise missiles, and is used to train officers, non-commissioned officers, and specialist personnel in various engagement tasks in a safe and cost-effective way.
I will now start the training for engaging air targets. Our consoles here consist of the command control console and the fire control console. The command control operator detects and confirms the track on the command console, then assigns it to the fire control console. Following assignment, the fire control operator engages the target within effective range.
Engage track number 277. Engagement with track 277 initiated. The fire control operator has taken over the engagement. The target will now be automatically tracked. Weapons free. The operator is now executing the firing operation from the fire control console to engage the target. Missile launched. Following the launch, the missile is now flying to intercept the target.
Seconds remaining: 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... target destroyed. This is how we conduct our training. The target has been successfully destroyed.
Another air defense missile system is also trained here: the Sungur air defense missile system. The Sungur system has replaced the U.S.-made Stinger missiles in Turkey’s inventory and has double the range, reaching up to 8 kilometers.
We are currently in the Sungur Training Simulator classroom. The Sungur crew consists of two people: the shooter and the assistant shooter. The Sungur Training Simulator consists of two sections: the instructor’s scenario preparation section and the student training section. In the instructor section, there is a scenario preparation computer and a scenario execution computer. In the student section, the Sungur air defense missile system is identical to the real system in every way. The shooter uses a tablet screen to view the scenario, while the assistant shooter uses virtual reality goggles to observe the same scenario.
The Sungur air defense missile system is a low-altitude, infrared-guided missile system effective against fighter jets, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles. It is man-portable, fired from the shoulder, uses image processing, and operates on a "fire-and-forget" principle with a range of 8 kilometers.
The Sungur Training Simulator is used to reinforce tactical and technical knowledge learned in the classroom by recreating combat environments through simulation. It allows for training in various scenarios involving aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs, and helps develop command, control, and targeting skills in a cost-effective manner. The simulator also allows for training in different terrains, climates, environmental conditions, and varied scenarios.
Now I will start the training for engaging air targets. Three aircraft on the horizon. Lock on and track. [Music] Engage. Jet moving right to left, fire at target. Target destroyed.
I am honestly very excited. I am holding in my hands the most effective low-altitude air defense missile in the world, developed entirely with national and domestic resources. It has a 100% hit accuracy at a range of 8 kilometers in just 22 seconds. It is the best in its class worldwide. And through this integration process—here in this simulation center—personnel receive training directly from these systems. These trainings are based on real scenarios. Thanks to this, our country has now eliminated its dependency on foreign air defense systems, especially from the U.S., in low-altitude defense. Congratulations to everyone involved. Turkish airspace is now under the control of our soldiers. Not even a fly can fly without our knowledge.
Yes, commander. We are in the Stinger training simulator. What activities are carried out here?
We are currently in the Stinger Training Simulator classroom. The Stinger crew consists of one shooter and one assistant shooter. The simulator has two sections: an instructor scenario preparation section and a student training section. The instructor section includes a scenario preparation computer and a scenario execution computer. The student section includes a replica missile system identical to the real one, and both the shooter and assistant use virtual reality goggles to experience the scenario.
Sir, now we are in the Stinger section. We just covered the Sungur. These two systems are similar, but what are the differences?
There are many differences. For starters, the Sungur system has double the range—8 kilometers—compared to the Stinger. Also, Sungur is a smarter and more advanced weapon. For instance, if the shooter targets the wrong object and pulls the trigger, Sungur won't fire. It gives much more control to the operator, with a hit accuracy of 100%, whereas Stinger’s is about 95%. So a weapon system far superior to the American one has been developed by our national and domestic defense industry.
Of course, the Stinger simulator is still necessary. Why? Because we still have Stingers previously acquired from the U.S. As they are used up, the Sungur will completely replace them and become our primary system. But for now, since we still have a stock of Stingers, we continue to train personnel for them. While the Stinger has a 4 km range, the Sungur has 8 km and far higher precision. It is the best low-altitude air defense missile in the world in its class.
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