By Goksel Yildirim

ANKARA

Turkey's leading defense company ASELSAN completed its test for the prototype of an anti-torpedo torpedo, a countermeasure system, successfully.

The most effective defense against torpedo threats for submarines and ships is provided by a combination of soft-kill and hard-kill methods.

ASELSAN -- Turkey's premier defense systems producer -- has been working on the development of these technologies.

The company produced in a short time a prototype of Tork -- a hard-kill torpedo countermeasure system -- with the support of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.

The Tork succeeded in marine tests conducted with the first-ever domestically-produced sonar seeker.

The system detected the surface targets with the help of the sonar seeker and geared toward its target in the tests conducted in Turkey for the first time.

“Tork approaches to torpedo threat with active homing guidance and explodes at the effective range to destroy or harm to stop its operation,” according to ASELSAN.

It “can cooperate with ZARGANA and HIZIR torpedo countermeasure systems in order to maximize defense capability against torpedo threats”.

The Tork -- which is equipped with genuine hardware and software -- will enable the ships with strategic importance to set a safer sail at the sea.

It is expected to be one of the most important underwater weapons of the future.