IDEF 2025 – The Turkish Ministry of National Defence showcases its new developments
Several new developments were visible on the Turkish Ministry of National Defence stand at IDEF 2025, ranging from unmanned surface vessels to artillery ammunition to small arms
Starting from naval products, the first one was the new heavyweight torpedo under development. It is being designed and manufactured by the AR-GE Merkezi’mizde, the Turkish MoD R&D Centre, and it respects NATO standards for such type of weapon. The 533 mm diameter weapon is fitted with a passive/active sonar guidance system and its range and speed will be similar to those of the DM2A4 already in service. Its electric motor is powered by a silver oxide battery system developed by the same R&D Centre. With a 130 Wh/kg energy density, the cell nominal voltage is of 1.60-1.80 V. Batteries can operate in the -20°C/+50°C temperature range, and can cope with 200 charge-discharge cycles.
Remaining in the naval environment, at IDEF 2025 we could see the IDA, the acronym for Insansiz Deniz Araçlari, Unmanned Marine Vehicle. EDR On-Line understood that the IDA is mostly an unmanned surface vessel (USV), however it can also dive to a 15 metres depth in a secondary unmanned underwater vessel (UUV) role. No information were provided on propulsion, the 2,500 kg vessel being able to reach a maximum speed of 100 km/h, endurance at cruise speed being 280 hours while maximum range is 1,000 NM. Although no detail was provided, a SATCOM data link should be installed. The IDA carries a 1,000 kg thermobaric warhead, developed with the aim of neutralising surface and subsurface targets, the boat being fitted with an optronic gimballed sensor and with an underwater active/passive sonar.
Switching to land systems, and more precisely to long range fires, the Turkish MoD exhibited a 155 mm artillery munition powered by a ramjet motor, which is in the final development stage, and is undergoing qualification tests, according to information gathered on the stand. The solid-fuel motor allows the 155 mm projectile to fly at a speed of Mach 7-8 at a range of 130 km when fired by a 52 calibre barrel. Remaining in the artillery field, the AR-GE Merkezi’mizde developed and is producing 122 mm rockets for multiple launch rocket systems which can reach a target at up to 60 km carrying a thermobaric warhead of undisclosed mass.
The second item is the Levent, which closely remembers the CornerShot system of Israeli origin. The rifle-like system has an articulated end that allows orienting the semiautomatic pistol installed in the front section, a Sarsilmaz SAR 9 or a Heckler & Koch USP 9, both in 9×19 mm calibre, right or left. The front section contains a camera and an illuminator that allows aiming the pistol “behind the corner”, the image being fed to a small display fitted on the left side of the system. The Levent is 822 mm long, 73 mm wide and 188 mm high. The system is in the final stage of development, the one exhibited at IDEF being the final version. It will be provided to special units among land and police forces.
As for air launched weaponry, the Turkish MoD R&D Centre developed two fragmentation dumb bombs, the 2,000-pounds MK-84 HASAR and the 1,000 pounds MK83 HASAR. Half of the mass of each bomb is made of TBX explosive, the bigger weapon generating a 10.16 fragments/m2 shrapnel density, the smaller one a reduced 2.99 fragments/m2. The NEB 2 HAYALET 2,000-pounds forged steel bomb featuring a penetrating warhead, loaded with 500 pounds of PBX thermobaric explosive was also showcased.
Photos by P. Valpolini
