Turkey is moving closer to a submarine-launched version of its indigenous GEZGİN cruise missile.
A recent Turkish Naval Forces activity report confirms that encapsulated GEZGİN mass-equivalent firing tests were successfully conducted at Aksaz using TÜBİTAK SAGE's Submarine Test Infrastructure (DATA).
The tests mark an important step in validating the missile's underwater launch concept before integration with operational submarine platforms.
Testing Without Putting a Submarine at Risk
One of the key elements of the programme is Turkey's Submarine Test Infrastructure (DATA), developed by TÜBİTAK SAGE.
DATA replicates the launch conditions of a submarine without requiring an operational submarine to conduct every test. The system uses a standard 21-inch submarine launch tube and can conduct underwater firing tests at depths of up to 60 metres.
This provides a safer, faster and lower-cost environment for testing submarine-launched weapons before they are integrated onto operational submarines.
The successful underwater test of an encapsulated GEZGİN prototype is an important step towards giving the Turkish Navy a domestic submarine-launched land-attack cruise missile capability.
The development is particularly significant because GEZGİN is not being designed around a single platform. Integration work is also continuing for the missile's use with the MİDLAS vertical launch system, including the configuration intended for surface combatants and the strategic MİDLAS system planned for MİLDEN.
Sources: TÜBİTAK SAGE, ROKETSAN, Turkish Naval Forces Activity Report
Related: Turkey Reveals New Details of the MİLDEN National Submarine
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