At IDEF 2021, Turkish firm, Meteksan has unveiled its NAZAR (‘Evil Eye’) LETS that provides laser soft-kill capability against Electro-optic (EO) and Infrared (IR) guided missiles. The requirement for the system arose from the Turkish Naval Forces. In order to provide this capability, the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSM) and Meteksan signed a deal in 2015 to develop a broadband state-of-the-art laser soft-kill capability against EO/IR guided missiles to protect critical bases and facilities. EO/IR guided missiles are increasingly becoming threats to military bases, ammunition depots and civilian strategic facilities due to advancing technologies.
The NAZAR Lazer Elektronik Taarruz Sistemi (LETS) has been developed with the ability to detect EO and IR guided missiles and to apply laser dazzling and soft-kill techniques directed against missiles to neutralize them from long distances. Currently this is being tested on land, and Meteksan expects to hand it over to the navy this year. In the second phase of the project, the system will be trialled on board a warship, with physical installation and integration into the existing combat management system and EW suite due by 2023. NAZAR has been developed to not only be effective against known EO/IR guided missiles, but also to have reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities.
The NAZAR Anti – Electro-optic/Infra-red Guided Missile System displayed during IDEF 2021 Exhibition will also be able to work in integration with other sensors and systems to increase overall efficiency. In the first stage, NAZAR can be used on a land-based mobile platform. Following the Land System development necessary modifications will be made to increase the Anti-ship Missile Defense (ASMD) capabilities of warships and it will be deployed to military ships. Separately, Meteksan is working on developing a lighter and smaller version of Nazar. This will be suitable for installation on smaller platforms such as fast attack craft.
Meteksan Savunma is a Turkish defense technology company, based in Ankara specializing in radar systems, perimeter surveillance systems, laser and electro-optic systems, communication systems, underwater acoustic systems and simulators. It is part of Bilkent Holding, a large conglomerate funded by Bilkent University, which is Turkey’s 15th largest industrial group, and privately held. Meteksan is one of the suppliers of the Turkish Armed Forces, and has been involved in projects such as missile defense systems, attack helicopters, UAVs, corvettes and underwater weapons systems.
