TR Missile & Smart Munition Programs

[boredaf]

After a decade, finally!

What I'm curious about is the range. UMTAS has a range of 8 km, it should be more than double that I think. MAM-L has 15 km range, and it is probably the most used munition on our drones right now. If L-Umtas has at least as much range as Mam-L it will be an amazing option for Anka and TB-2/3, as it would be far more effective against armoured targets and all of those drones can still carry several of them.

 

[Sanchez]

What I'm curious about is the range. UMTAS has a range of 8 km, it should be more than double that I think. MAM-L has 15 km range, and it is probably the most used munition on our drones right now. If L-Umtas has at least as much range as Mam-L it will be an amazing option for Anka and TB-2/3, as it would be far more effective against armoured targets and all of those drones can still carry several of them.

They use HEAT warheads for anti armor duties. Speed of the projectile is near meaningless for that kind of warhead. We've seen hundreds of footage over the years, if an AFV is hit by a MAM-L it's either dead or mission killed.

Using UMTAS on drones in place of MAM-L opens up possibilities for greater flight envelopes for munition firing, removes some of the altitude requirements to achieve the reported range and keeps the firing platform further away from the target, lowering risk of it being shot down. It being laser guided still limits the possible range, AF500's laser designator have what, 20km range? That'd be similar to MX-15Ds.

 

[Yasar_TR]

They use HEAT warheads for anti armor duties. Speed of the projectile is near meaningless for that kind of warhead. We've seen hundreds of footage over the years, if an AFV is hit by a MAM-L it's either dead or mission killed.

Using UMTAS on drones in place of MAM-L opens up possibilities for greater flight envelopes for munition firing, removes some of the altitude requirements to achieve the reported range and keeps the firing platform further away from the target, lowering risk of it being shot down. It being laser guided still limits the possible range, AF500's laser designator have what, 20km range? That'd be similar to MX-15Ds.

If you check Aselsan's site you will find the range finder and laser range of said Flir is 30 km.
The unfortunate thing is that these laser guided missiles will have to be launched from Anka S from under cloud flight. That places the platform within manpad range or short range AD systems.
8 km range of Lumtas can be doubled due to high altitude aerial launch. But to really use that advantage, SAR guided version is needed. There was a work to produce 2 different ER versions of this missile ; one with 16-20 km another with 32-50 km range. Like Spike NLOS.
By now we should be in a position to be testing these!

 

[Turkic]

We already have a news page from 2023. I remember when I first read this like yesterday.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.savunmasanayist.com/umtas-gm-en-tehlikeli-turk-tanksavar-fuzesi/&ved=2ahUKEwjmmdal_OiKAxXwSPEDHXf6IY8QFnoECBwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3ZT4xSEWeknKKnXBYjgdJg

32+ kms when ground launched and 50+ kms when air launched for Umtas-GM Block-II according to savunmasanayist.com

(16+ and 20+ for Umtas-GM Block-I)

And if no problem occured, Block-I should be in inventory by now and Block-II should be getting ready for it according to the news page.

 

[Heartbang]

By now we should be in a position to be testing these!

We did. All the way back in 2023:

I always thought they put the project "back into the oven" since the prototype in the video fails to properly deploy its wings.

 

[Yasar_TR]

We did. All the way back in 2023:

I always thought they put the project "back into the oven" since the prototype in the video fails to properly deploy its wings.

Great! But this is only the quarter of the story.
We need to be testing the 32-50 km range missiles, and then for both of them we need to carry out air to ground tests from Atak-129, Seahawk, TB3, Akinci etc.

These missiles will be partly replacing the Penguin AShM in our inventory too. So these tests should be done sooner rather than later. (I guess Kuzgun range and CAKIR to a certain extent would do a better job as an AShM. But the ER versions of Lumtas will still give a good varied, economical scope of attack profile)

We seem to be doing these tests fairly quickly, then unfortunately, only years later do we see them actually entering the inventory. Either financial constraints or bureaucracy seem to be the hindrance. (Still waiting for SOM-C and SOM-J for moving sea targets)

F-16 Fires SOM-J while Aksungur, and Akıncı Wait Their Turn | TURDEF

The SOM-J 5th Generation ASuW Missile had its first live-fire test at the Sinop Firing Range with an F-16C aircraft from the 401st Test Fleet Command.

turdef.com

 

[Strong AI]

SOM-J: 5th Generation ASuW Cruise Missile

The development of the 5th Generation SOM-J Cruise Missile, initially designed for use against fixed and moving surface targets (ASuW) but also capable of being used against heavily protected land targets, began on February 18, 2014. This development was carried out under the "F-35 MTU/JSF Compatible Precision Guided Smart Missile Design, Development, and Prototype Production Project Agreement" signed between the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) and the main contractor, ROKETSAN.
The design, development, prototype production, testing, and platform integration activities of the SOM-J Cruise Missile are carried out by TÜBİTAK SAGE, which is responsible for the design. Meanwhile, ROKETSAN is responsible for the promotion/marketing and serial production activities.

The first live-fire test of the SOM-J Block-I Cruise Missile was successfully conducted in October 2021 with an F-16C aircraft from the 401st Test Squadron off the coast of Bartın. The second test was carried out in May 2022. According to TÜBİTAK’s 2022 Annual Activity Report, the firing tests and verification efforts of the SOM-J Block-I Cruise Missile from F-16 aircraft were successfully completed. The report stated: "In the conducted firing test, the SOM-J Missile followed the defined flight path and hit the target with a direct hit, successfully completing its mission by penetrating the target with its penetrator warhead." It was also mentioned that development work had begun for the Block-II variant of the SOM-J Missile, which has network-enabled operational capability. Work continues to enable its use not only on F-16 platforms but also on the National Combat Aircraft (MMU) and Armed/Attack Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs/SİHAs).

In the first phase of this network-based weapon system, the SOM-J Cruise Missile uses the SAFRAN Power Units (formerly Microturbo) developed TR40 Turbojet Engine, which allows the SOM-J to be launched from higher altitudes. For the missiles to be produced during the serial production phase, it is expected that a domestically developed TJ engine by Kale Jet Engines will be used.

Currently, the SOM-J, powered by the enhanced TR40 Turbojet Engine, is a subsonic-speed missile with a length of approximately 3.9 meters and a weight of 540 kg, capable of reaching a range of over 275 km (150 nautical miles). The SOM-J Cruise Missile is equipped with a 140 kg armor-piercing warhead with a particle effect. It also features an IIR (Infrared Imaging) seeker head, which is equipped with an MCT-based cooled MWIR detector. Additionally, it is stated that significant weight reduction has been achieved in the SOM-J missile body through the use of composite materials as part of the recently completed product development work.

The SOM-J Cruise Missile, which is reported to have a low Radar Cross Section (RCS), uses the same guidance system as the SOM-B1 (INS/GPS, Ground Reference Navigation System [TRNS], Image Reference Navigation [IBN] System, and Automatic Target Detection [OHA/ATA]). However, it features a more advanced and precise OHA/ATA capability and a bidirectional Link-16 Tactical Data Link System, which enables capabilities such as target updates during flight, engagement of opportunistic targets, and mission cancellation.

In addition to tactical data link systems, the SOM-J Missile has been designed to be compatible with the Smart Weapon Network (ASA) developed by TÜBİTAK SAGE. This integration allows for the sharing of missile data after launch, enables missile tracking and control by controller platforms, provides operator-assisted targeting and control using seeker imagery, and facilitates joint operational capabilities through the establishment of an inter-weapon system network.

The development of the "man-in-the-loop" Block-II version of the SOM-J Cruise Missile is ongoing, and it is planned to be integrated into Attack Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) such as the TUSAŞ AKSUNGUR and BAYKAR Technology AKINCI. Integration work on the AKINCI UCAV was announced to have started in the first half of 2021. However, since the Link-16 Tactical Data Link System, which has COMSEC status, could not be procured from the U.S. through the FMS channel and integrated into the AKINCI or AKSUNGUR UCAVs, it is anticipated that the T-Link Missile Terminal, which is still under development, will be added to the SOM-J as an alternative.

The L-Band T-Link System is a secure, encrypted, and electronic warfare (EW) resistant, network-based system that facilitates data (such as sensor data and position sharing) and voice communication (note that due to its narrow bandwidth, it cannot transmit images). Through terminals and software, it enables uninterrupted, real-time, and secure tactical data communication among all platforms integrated into the network. The T-Link system, similar to Link-16, provides communication capabilities up to 300 nautical miles (nm) in line-of-sight conditions. The T-Link Terminal, which is designed to be plug-and-play and similar to the MIDS Terminal used with Link-16, allows the integration of T-Link capabilities into aircraft with minimal modifications, replacing Link-16 functionality.

SOM-J: 5’inci Nesil ASuW Seyir Füzesi

Öncelikli olarak sabit ve hareket halindeki su üstü hedeflere karşı (ASuW) kullanılmak üzere tasarlanan ancak yoğun bir şekilde korunan kara hedeflerine karşı da kullanılabilen 5’inci Nesil SOM-J Seyir Füzesinin geliştirme çalışmalarına 18 Şubat 2014’te Savunma Sanayi Başkanlığı (SSB) ile Ana Yüklen

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