MKE Tolga Short-Range Air Defence System achieves 100% success in its fırst live-fire test

One of Türkiye’s leading defence industry companies, Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi (MKE) has successfully carried out the first live-fire test of the MKE TOLGA Short-Range Air Defence System, developed with fully indigenous capabilities to counter the growing threats of mini/micro UAVs, tactical drones, smart munitions, and cruise missiles on today’s battlefield.

The activity, conducted at the Ministry of National Defence Karapınar Firing, Test, and Evaluation Center, was followed on-site by nearly 100 participants, including representatives from the Turkish Armed Forces and various security units.

MKE DELIVERS THE SOLUTION THE WORLD HAS BEEN SEEKING: MKE TOLGA

Developed for the protection of land forces, critical facilities, mobile convoys, bases/compounds, and naval platforms, the MKE TOLGA system achieved 100% success by neutralizing hostile drones attacking under eight different scenarios during the test.

In the soft-kill scenario, an enemy drone located approximately 3 kilometers away was detected by the mobile radar station and neutralized through signal disruption via the jammer system.

In the hard-kill scenarios, rotary and QCB 12.7 mm weapon systems, along with the 20 mm gun mounted on the platform, successfully intercepted fixed-wing UAVs and FPV drones with precision using MKE-developed anti-drone ammunition.

With its optimized detonation timing and distance, the anti-drone ammunition forms a metal-particle cloud around the target, effectively neutralizing it.

The 35 mm anti-drone ammunition provides effective engagement up to 3,000 meters, while the 20 mm fragmenting round is effective at 1,000 meters, and the 12.7 mm variant neutralizes targets at 300 meters.

MKE TOLGA READY FOR MASS PRODUCTION

Following the test, MKE General Manager İlhami Keleş stated that the successful completion of all test scenarios and the ability to neutralize targets with minimal ammunition represented a significant achievement that strengthened the team’s confidence.

Keleş emphasized that the infrastructure required for the system’s serial production has now been completed. He noted that MKE is not only addressing Türkiye’s operational needs in this domain, but also positioning itself to secure a competitive share in the international defence market.

Highlighting Türkiye’s announced “Steel Dome” concept, he added that the air and drone defence layer up to 3,000 meters has effectively been established with the MKE TOLGA system. Keleş also underlined that MKE willcontinue to demonstrate its capabilities to friendly and allied nations through similar showcases.

FULL PROTECTION FOR TURKISH ARMED FORCES WITH MKE TOLGA

The indigenously produced MKE TOLGA, together with its locally developed ammunition family, will provide Türkiye and allied security forces with significant advantages in terms of operational independence. Developed by MKE engineers considering today’s operational requirements, the system stands out with its cost‑effective structure. Thanks to its modular design, MKE TOLGA can be integrated into fixed installations, mobile platforms, armored or unarmored vehicles, as well as naval platforms.

Equipped with radar, electro-optics, and electronic warfare systems, MKE TOLGA can detect hostile drones up to 10 kilometers away and neutralize them using soft-kill capabilities by jamming their control and communication links without physically destroying the platform.

The MKE TOLGA Command and Control Unit serves as the brain of the system, centralizing target detection, tracking, identification, engagement decision-making, and firing management. It can be operated remotely and supports manual, semi-autonomous, and fully autonomous mission modes.

MKE TOLGA PROVIDES A COMPLETE SYSTEM SOLUTION

In response to the rapidly increasing global drone threat, the MKE TOLGA offers a comprehensive defence solution. Entirely developed by MKE with indigenous technologies, the system consists of:

• Radar
• Command & Control Center
• Jammer (Soft-Kill: Neutralizes remotely operated drones through signal and frequency disruption)
• 35 mm, 20 mm, and dual 12.7 mm weapon systems (Hard-Kill: Eliminates drones especially fiber-optic-controlled systems that cannot be jammed)
• Specially developed anti-drone ammunition, designed to disperse into high-density fragments at the desired time and distance, creating a lethal cloud around the target.

Photos courtesy MKE