Turkey has reportedly sent its latest self-propelled air-defense gun system, called the KORKUT, to Libya.
Recent satellite imagery released by Twitter account who uses the nickname safsata14 showed that Korkut air defense systems were deployed to the Al-Watiya airbase in western Libya.
The airbase is now operated by both the Turkish Armed Forces and Forces of the Government of National Accord.
Libya has been torn by a civil war since the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country’s new government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts for a long-term political settlement failed due to a military offensive by warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces. It is worth mentioning that, Turkey provides politicks and military support country’s government.
The KORKUT is newly designed and developed for effective ground based air defense against modern air threats. The system consists of a platoon of three 35 mm Gun Systems and one Command Post that can operate full autonomously.
The Command and Control Vehicle detects and tracks targets with its 3D search radar and while developing a local air picture, evaluates threats and assigns targets to the Weapon System Vehicles. Meanwhile, the Weapon System Vehicles trace the target with fire control radar and generates firepower with two 35 mm guns using fragmentation ammunition.
Both the Weapon System Vehicles and the Command and Control Vehicles were built on the ACV-30 chassis, the tracked carrying platform specially developed by FNSS to carry the command and control, large scale mobile radar, gunfire support, self-propelled artillery and missile systems. The ACV-30 is also used in the Low Altitude Air Defence Missile System (HİSAR-A) project.
The Turkish Armed Forces have ordered 40 weapons systems, deliveries are scheduled to complete in 2022.
