Delving deeper into Tayfun Block 4:
As Roketsan is getting ready to introduce this missile in to TSK inventory this year, it is important to look at some facts and deduce some calculated guesstimates.
F
If we look at the various statements and foreign write ups on this missile called Tayfun Block 4 ;In reality it is very different to the other Tayfun blocks.
Some of the statements made by officials would only be realised if certain facts are there, as explained below.
Specs as per official and unofficial but logically deduced are:
1. 7200 kg total weight (others are approximately 2300kg)
2. 700 to 1000kg explosive head (others 450 to 500kg)
3. 10 m long
5. midcourse speed estimate 5+ to 10mach .
6. It is expected to impact target at 5 Mach.
7. It is expected to have a manoeuvrable re entry system (MARV)
8. Approximate range of missile is guessed at 1000 to 1500km
9. missile diameter is 938mm (others with 610mm)
First of all this missile, like any other ballistic missile, will lose 2/3rd of its total mass after it has burnt all its fuel. That leaves it with a ~2400kg mass.
In order to sustain hypersonic speeds at terminal phase and impact, as mentioned by officials, it needs to have a very high Ballistic Coefficient threshold. This mass and it’s dimensions is not conducive to sustaining hypersonic speeds due to low Ballistic Coefficient.
BC = M/CxA
M : Mass
C : Drag Coefficient
A : Cross sectional area of missile
For a terminal warhead to achieve or maintain a Mach 5 impact velocity as predicted by Officials, despite it’s mass reduction, its terminal BC must cross hypersonic performance threshold.
Unlike older ballistic missiles where the heavy spent rocket motor stays attached and adds unnecessary drag, the Tayfun Block-4, if is a MARV, ie a separating, manoeuvrable terminal warhead, should keep it’s terminal package streamlined, dense, and physically small, therefore preserving the high BC threshold required for a true Mach 5+ terminal strike.
A detached MARV should maintain a much higher ballistic coefficient as it slices through the dense lower atmosphere with minimal deceleration, ensuring that it hits the ground at maximum available hypersonic velocity.
it is also worth noting that for a MARV (Manoeuvrable Reentry Vehicle), the primary source of terminal deceleration is actually the induced drag from fin actuations used to steer or dodge air defences. If the MARV stays attached to the spent fuel tank section, it wouldn't even be able to manoeuvre perpendicular to the target effectively because the massive aerodynamic forces acting on the giant booster tail and the spent casing could violently tear the missile apart or cause it to tumble.
So Tayfun Block 4, although has been advertised heavily, has some niche secrets which are being kept under wraps for the time being. But it is making us to guesstimate What it can be.
If above guesstimates are true, this is one unstoppable missile that can carry 1000kg of destructive explosives in our inventory, like in Gazap, and cause havoc in enemy territory. Alternatively it can hit sea targets at hypersonic speeds causing unimaginable devastation due to, not only with explosive force but with the Kinetic Energy it carries..
