Türkiye launches cruise missile from drone

Türkiye has conducted a successful test of the Çakır cruise missile, demonstrating its capability to engage targets with precision from the Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The Roketsan’s Çakır cruise missile, unveiled in 2022 for the first time, represents Turkey’s latest advancement in missile technology, designed for both land and naval target engagement. Equipped with terrain-following technology, it can fly at low altitudes, allowing for effective navigation over varied landscapes. Moreover, its real-time mission flexibility enables route updates, target changes, or mission cancellations during flight.

Weighing 275 kilograms, the Çakır missile houses a 70-kilogram warhead, available in fragmentation, thermobaric, or armor-piercing variants. With a range exceeding 150 kilometers and a cruise speed ranging from 0.75 to 0.85 Mach, it can engage targets with precision and effectiveness.

- ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW -

The Bayraktar Akıncı drone, renowned for its payload capacity, can carry two Çakır missiles on its external hardpoints.

Readers who wish to follow our weekly coverage can subscribe to the Weekly Defense Roundup.

If you wish to report a grammatical or factual error in this article, please let us know by using the online form.

Executive Editor

Support The Defence Blog

Independent reporting takes resources. Join us on Patreon.

Become a patron

More Like This

Poland and Turkey’s drone swarm system passes key precision test

A Polish-Turkish unmanned aircraft system demonstrated approximately one-meter accuracy striking a ground target during live field trials, MBF Group S.A. announced June 30, 2026,...

Turkish army receives another batch of homegrown ballistic missiles

Türkiye has quietly expanded its arsenal of domestically produced ballistic missiles, with the country's Ministry of National Defense confirming that ROKETSAN has delivered additional...

UK startup tests new long-range strike missile

A small British aerospace company has successfully flight-tested a long-range strike weapon under a UK Ministry of Defence program, validating a development model that...

Turkish firm STM builds second logistics ship for Portuguese Navy

Turkey has begun construction of a second naval replenishment and logistics support ship for the Portuguese Navy, marking a significant expansion of Ankara's defense...

Ukrainian cruise missiles hit Russian weapons factory in Cheboksary

Ukraine struck a Russian defense electronics factory for the second time in five weeks on Tuesday, hitting the same Cheboksary facility with domestically developed...