The Turkish defense company Roketsan has delivered the first batch of the Sungur Weapon System, a Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) effective against unmanned aerial vehicles, fighter jets and helicopters, to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). The man-portable air defense missile system developed by Roketsan is at the service of Turkish troops with its version that is shot from the shoulder of a single soldier after the already delivered version deployed from platforms. The Sungur Weapon System offers a longer range than its counterparts and stands out with its Imaging Infrared Seeker Head, which is resistant to countermeasures and offers the opportunity to lock on to the enemy elements from a longer distance than the eye can see.
The Sungur Air Defense Missile System is an air defense missile system to be used in the short-range air defense of mobile/fixed units and facilities on the battlefield and in the rear area. The system is designed to be compatible with different platform integrations. The 8-kilometer (5-mile) range of the air defense missile used in the system stands out as the most important feature that distinguishes Sungur from its counterparts. While the missile system increases the accuracy of targets hit with its Imaging Infrared Seeker (IIR) technology, it also has an important advantage in the destruction of air targets with its warhead, which has higher explosive power than the similar system available in the inventory.
Its propulsion system, which enables it to be more effective at a longer range than its counterparts, and the use of sights, which allow the user to detect and view the target from a long distance before firing, are other technologies that increase the effectiveness and accuracy of the missile. Having the Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) System, Sungur also offers various advantages to the user with its ability to lock onto the target before firing and fire-forget. Roketsan is currently continuing with the system’s integration with sea and air platforms, while it was already integrated into the tactical wheeled armored vehicle Vuran as a land platform in a short period of three months.
Roketsan (Roket Sanayii ve Ticaret A.S.) is a major Turkish weapons manufacturer and defense contractor based in Ankara. Incorporated in 1988 by Turkey’s Defense Industry Executive Committee (SS?K) to establish the nation’s industrial base on missile technology, the company has quickly risen to become one of Turkey’s top 500 industrial corporations. Roketsan is best known for its vast range of guided and unguided rockets as well as guided missiles such as Bora, Atmaca, Cirit, UMTAS and OMTAS. The company also produces subsystems for Stinger, Rapier and ESSM missiles and provides technology and engineering solutions for other integrated civilian and military platforms. Recent developments highlight small-diameter precision-strike bombs for UAVs.
