Turkey tests mid-range air defense system
Turkish defense minister reviews launch of domestic Hisar-O air defense missiles with maximum range of 25 km
08.12.2016



Turkey’s defense minister last week reviewed a test launch of the county’s Hisar-O medium-altitude air defense missile, it was revealed Thursday.

According to a Defense Ministry statement, in Aksaray, central Turkey on Dec. 3, Fikri Isik witnessed a test launch of the Hisar-O, a missile produced in Turkey under a project to meet the Turkish Land Forces Command’s air defense needs.

“We have many systems developed with the Roketsan and Havelsan corporations. Now there is an intense effort to go to more advanced systems. Today we did the test launch of the Hisar system,” Isik told engineers of the project afterwards.

“We were really happy and proud of it,” he added.

Hisar missiles are defense weapons developed by Roketsan and Aselsan – leading Turkish defense firms – to protect military bases, ports, facilities, and troops against air-based threats.

“Their targets are military aircraft, attack helicopters, navigation missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, with a maximum range of 25 kilometers,” says Roketsan’s website.

“Turkey has to achieve and develop critical technologies in both air and missile defense systems. Turkey has actually made considerable progress despite its late start. I believe that after that we will get faster,” Isik stated.

He added that Turkey’s long-range air and missile defense systems could act as a deterrent force in the region.

“No country could look hostilely at us if we have our own strong defense systems,” he added.

Hisar's radar, command control, and fire control systems were developed by Aselsan and its missile systems – which will respond to the low- and medium-altitude air defense requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces – were developed by Roketsan.

The Hisar-O’s first unarmed test was in 2014 in Aksaray.



T Hisar-A – a low-attitude version of the defense system – was initiated in 2011 and is expected to be delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces by 2020.

Turkey's air defense security is a subject of current interest as its military units entered Syria in late August without forceful ground-to-air defense systems.

Operation Euphrates Shield began on Aug. 24 to rid Syria's northern border area of terrorists.

Turkey is actively using pedestal-mounted stinger systems, known as Atilgan and Zipkin, with a maximum range of 8 km, and using Stinger missiles for very short-range air defense, targeting low-attitude air vehicles.

On Nov. 24, three Turkish soldiers were martyred and 10 wounded in an air attack near Al-Bab, Syria allegedly carried out by Syrian regime forces.

*Ilker Girit in Istanbul contributed to this story.


http://aa.com.tr/en/science-technolo...-system/701830

ROKETSAN SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRED HİSAR-O MEDIUM-RANGE SAM
Daily News Dec 12, 2016 Bilal Kha



Turkey’s leading munitions maker Roketsan successfully test-fired its HİSAR-O medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.

The Turkish state-owned news agency Anadolu Agency reported that the test was done in Aksaray in central Turkey on Saturday, 03 December.

Roketsan’s test was witnessed by Turkey’s Minister of National Defence, Fikri Işık, who praised Aselsan, Roketsan, and Havelsan for their collaborative efforts and success in the HİSAR SAM program.

As per Roketsan, the HİSAR-O is capable of reaching 25 km and was designed to defend critical assets from aerial threats such as combat aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles, among others.

The HİSAR-O is powered by a dual-pulse solid-propellant rocket. The HİSAR-O’s guidance suite is comprised of an inertial navigation system (INS) supported by mid-course guidance corrections from a surface radar via data-link. Once close enough to the target, the HİSAR switches to its imaging infrared (IIR) seeker.

The Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) commissioned the development of the HİSAR under the T-LALAMIDS and T-MALAMIDS (for short and medium-range SAM, respectively) in 2011. The development cost of the short-range HİSAR-A (15 km) and HİSAR-O (25 km) is reportedly $332 million U.S. and $255 million U.S., respectively (TR Defence).

Aselsan was tasked to develop and produce the radar, command and control, and fire control systems, while Roketsan was responsible for the development of the missile and its propulsion.

The HİSAR-A short-range SAM was tested in 2013 and is slotted to enter service in 2017 (IHS Jane’s). The HİSAR-O is expected to enter service with the Turkish armed forces in 2020 (Daily Sabah).

Notes & Comments:

The HİSAR-series is a component of Turkey’s wider effort to domestically source defence systems. Ankara’s rationale for the course was to mitigate potential (and previously felt) challenges to both modernizing its armed forces and ensuring a stable supply-chain in times of crisis or international tension.

This sentiment was summarized by Turkish’s Defence Minister, Fikri Işık (Daily Sabah):

“Some countries that we consider as friends have the habit of limiting, enforcing an embargo even when we face the slightest problem. That is why we have the aim to have all the critical technologies, developing them and becoming one of the few countries that does so.”

Considering the substantial upfront investment made in bringing the HİSAR-A and HİSAR-O to fruition, it would be natural to consider the HİSAR a long-term effort, one that could accrue improvements. SSM has issued a tender calling for the development of short, medium, and long-range SAM systems for use on the TF-2000 frigate program. The HİSAR could figure prominently in this program, which would make sense given that it would scale substantial investment made in the program to-date.

In November, the head of SSM Dr. İsmail Demir confirmed Ankara’s intention to domestically develop a long-range SAM system. However, it will also be seeking a system off-the-shelf, and SSM could potentially link that program to its domestic program via transfer-of-technology.

http://quwa.org/2016/12/12/roketsan-...ium-range-sam/