Türkiye’s ROKETSAN aims to end foreign dependence with homegrown solutions

Turkish defense firm ROKETSAN aims to develop homegrown guided munitions to empower domestic platforms, while the indigenous Atmaca anti-ship missile’s integration into frigates and other domestic corvettes has eliminated foreign reliance in this area.

ROKETSAN CEO Murat Ikinci addressed recent developments while speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing naval defense expo TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland.

Türkiye’s four-day naval defense event kicked off on Thursday to showcase the country’s diverse naval capabilities, underwater technology and defense industry while hosting competitions for budding engineers.

Anadolu is the global communications partner of the event, where a wide range of products and technologies are on display, ranging from various classes of Turkish Navy platforms to unmanned systems and from aircraft to air defense and missile systems.

Ikinci said ROKETSAN’s Akya heavy-class torpedo provided the Turkish submarine fleet with striking power without relying on foreign providers.

He noted that the firm also integrated the Akata system into submarines to enable them to launch Atmaca cruise missiles.

Ikinci said the integration of the Siper and Hisar missiles into the national vertical launch system MIDLAS has already been completed.

“Meanwhile, testing and trials of the close-in air missile system Levent are underway, for which we expect a massive export success, especially in the Gulf region amid the Iran-Israel war,” he said.

“All these efforts for our navy not only reduce and eliminate Türkiye’s foreign dependence but also create an alternative resource in the field for allied countries,” he added.

Ikinci said integrating guided missiles into armored unmanned surface vehicles is key to enhancing their capabilities, and ROKETSAN’s Cirit, Sungur, Cakir and L-UMTAS missiles act as a force multiplier for the Turkish Navy.