Indigenous Ballistic Missile Tayfun Fired For The Second Time
The 2nd test launch of Turkey's indigenous ballistic missile Tayfun was successfully carried out from Rize-Artvin Airport.
Rize-Artvin Airport experienced another one of its historic days. The second test firing of the Tayfun ‘Short Range Ballistic Missile’ (SRBM) system developed by Roketsan was carried out from this region.
Extensive security measures were taken in and around the airport before the test firing. The test firing of the Typhoon Short Range Ballistic Missile system was carried out at 06.44 hours. The launch was completed without any problems.
The test launch of Tayfun was also carried out from Rize-Artvin Airport on October 18, 2022.
İsmail Demir, President of Defence Industries, shared the test firing on his social media account and said, “We successfully carried out the new test firing of our TAYFUN missile. I congratulate everyone who contributed, especially ROKETSAN.”
Range 561 Kilometers
On the other hand, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced in November last year that the range of the Typhoon was 561 kilometers and that the range would be increased further.
Why Are Ballistic Missiles Important?
Ballistic missiles, which are of great importance for the battlefield, are usually launched from sea/submarine to land or from land to land. Once fired, they follow a parabola trajectory, often crossing the boundary of the atmosphere and reaching space. They then re-enter orbit and head towards their targets at the high speed they achieve due to gravity.
Ballistic missiles are very difficult to destroy because of the speed they gain after entering the atmosphere. For this reason, they have to be destroyed in space, before they are aimed at the target. There are anti-ballistic missiles for this purpose, but they have a very high unit cost. They also require a very sophisticated sensor network to destroy them in space. Very few countries, especially the US and Russia, have anti-ballistic missile technology.
Why Was The Test Conducted In Rize Instead Of Sinop?
Until now, we know that Turkey has mainly used Sinop for long-range missile tests. However, this time the test was conducted in Rize. This situation is considered to be related to the range of TAYFUN. Because firing such a long-range missile from Sinop would mean entering the airspace of Ukraine or Russia. For a missile fired from Rize, this risk is eliminated.
What Does It Mean For Turkey To Have Such A Missile?
There is currently no missile equivalent to the TAYFUN in the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces. Nor has there ever been one before. An SRBM-class missile is of strategic importance, especially for Turkey’s deterrence in the Western and Eastern regions.
