Roketsan Conducts First Ground Launch of ÇAKIR Cruise Missile

Roketsan has conducted the first publicly disclosed launch tests of the ÇAKIR cruise missile from a mobile ground-based launcher against land and sea targets.

Roketsan published footage of the launches on its X account.

Roketsan said two missiles were launched in two separate tests, and both hit their respective targets. The company did not disclose the launch ranges, target types or detailed configuration of the launcher.

In 2024, the company conducted launch tests of the ÇAKIR missile from a Bayraktar Akıncı UAV. At the time, the missile struck a surface target at a range of 100 kilometers.

ÇAKIR Cruise Missile

Roketsan unveiled the ÇAKIR family of subsonic cruise missiles in March 2022 as a modular system designed for use from air, naval and ground platforms.

The ÇAKIR cruise missile was developed with a modular architecture that allows it to be adapted for different missions.

In its press release, Roketsan said the missile would be produced in anti-ship, anti-radiation and strike cruise missile variants.

The missile weighs approximately 275 kilograms, rising to 330 kilograms when equipped with a solid-fuel booster for launches from ground platforms. The warhead weighs 70 kilograms.

The stated range of the ÇAKIR exceeds 150 kilometers. Its baseline guidance system combines inertial navigation, jam-resistant satellite navigation and an altimeter. Different versions can be equipped with various types of seeker.

The missile is also equipped with a two-way data link that allows target information to be updated in flight, a decision to be made on conducting a second attack, and the mission to be canceled.

The missile is designed to use terrain masking to approach targets covertly or fly at low altitude over the sea. Roketsan has also stated that multiple missiles can be used in coordinated attacks.

According to Naval News, in July 2023, the CEO of Roketsan said an export agreement for the ÇAKIR had been signed before the missile entered service with the Turkish military but did not identify the customer. Two publicly known customers for the system are Qatar and Indonesia.

Earlier, in late March, Turkey’s SOM-J air-launched cruise missile, developed specifically for the F-35, successfully completed flight testing and entered serial production.