Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV taxiing on the runway, displaying its extended wingspan and vertical … [+]
Turkey recently test-fired a domestically-produced air-launched ballistic missile from one of its homegrown Bayraktar Akinci drones, demonstrating a similar capability to the one Israel recently displayed during its October 26 attack on Iran. The test showed that Turkey has a standoff strike capability in addition to its air-launched SOM cruise missile. It also serves as an advertisement for potential foreign buyers of this new weapon.
Baykar Tech, the manufacturer of the well-known Bayraktar series of Turkish drones, posted footage of one of its Akincis test-firing a UAV-230 supersonic missile on November 13 on its official X account. According to the post, the missiles directly hit their target from a distance of 155 kilometers (approximately 96 miles).
Roketsan, the Turkish missile manufacturer behind the UAV-230, describes its offensive weapon as an “air-to-surface ballistic supersonic missile.” The company also claims the UAV-230 is effective “against stationary land and sea targets, air defense radar and communications systems” and “critical facilities such as command centers, personnel, and targets of opportunity.”
The 3.5-meter-long UAV-230 is also compatible with different types of warheads. Roketsan hopes to export this missile widely in the near future.
Israel is already a leading manufacturer of air-launched ballistic missiles, producing several models unveiled in recent years, such as the Rampage, Rocks, and Air LORA. As earlier speculated here, these weapons will potentially make Israel a leading ALBM exporter. Israel’s October 26 strikes against Iran—which used homegrown Israeli ALBMs to take out Iranian air defenses, including its Russian-built S-300s, and accurately hit other sensitive sites deep inside the country—is already expected to attract interest in these missiles.
Britain already showed interest in acquiring Israeli Rampage ALBMs in 2023 to replace Storm Shadow cruise missiles it supplied Ukraine. The ALBMs are significantly cheaper than air-launched cruise missiles like the Storm Shadow. When pitching it to potential foreign buyers, Turkey will undoubtedly highlight the UAV-230’s superior speed and lower price compared to air-launched cruise missiles currently on the market.
The UAV-230 Air-to-Surface Ballistic Supersonic Missile, on display at the Eurosatory Defense and … [+]
As with the Air LORA that Israel recently unveiled, the UAV-230 is based on a surface-to-surface missile, Roketsan’s TRG-230. Unlike the SOM cruise missile, compatible with both drones and fighter jets, Roketsan designed the UAV-230 for compatibility with Turkey’s larger drones, such as the Akinci and Aksungur, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries, and the upcoming jet-powered Bayraktar Kizilelma.
ALBMs have a clear advantage over their ground-launched counterparts. They expend significantly less fuel since they are already at high altitudes when launched, and they can be launched closer to their targets, giving enemy defenses less time to react.
While Israel already has various ALBM models available for export, Turkey could market the UAV-230 as an additional capability for the high-altitude long-endurance turboprop Akinci or Aksungur that launches it. It’s unclear if Israel will market its ALBMs alongside Israeli-built drones. Israel may aim to sell primarily to countries that want to pair these missiles with their existing fourth-generation fighter jets rather than larger drones.
Turkey’s medium-altitude long-endurance Bayraktar TB2 has already become the single most exported drone model ever. While the Akinci will unlikely match the TB2’s unprecedented sales, its greater sophistication and unique capabilities will nonetheless still attract significant exports. Morocco has reportedly become the latest buyer of that more advanced model.
Turkey can demonstrate that it still produces unique drones with equally unique armaments and capabilities if it decides to market the UAV-230 alongside the Akinci. Doing so would highlight the drone’s great potential for deep strike missions against strategically important enemy targets. That could give it an edge over Israel in the global arms market, where it is already ahead on drone exports, and give its UAV-230 a unique selling point over Israel’s impressive series of ALBMs, especially for countries that don’t have high-performance fighter aircraft.
Either way, Israel has already demonstrated the utility of ALBMs as affordable weapons that many countries will most definitely want to have. By rolling out and testing the UAV-230 in a timely manner, Turkey will undoubtedly find a place for itself in this emergent market.
