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7 avril 2014 1 07 /04 /avril /2014 07:30
Air Weapons: Turkish Hellfire

 

April 6, 2014:  Strategy Page

 

Turkey recently conducted a successful test of its Hellfire clone, the Mizrak-U. With a range of 8 kilometers the Turkish missile can use either an infrared imaging guidance system or laser homing. Turkey becomes one of a growing list of nations that have produced their own version of the Hellfire. Britain produces a Hellfire variant, called Brimstone which is unique mainly in that it can be fire from jets. This version has become very popular as well. Several other countries, like China, have produced missiles similar in weight, size and capabilities to the Hellfire. Now Turkey is doing so as well.

 

The American AGM-114 Hellfire missile entered service since 1984 and proved enormously useful in the war on terror. An improved Hellfire II appeared in 1994 and over 30,000 have been produced so far. The Hellfire II weighs 48.2 kg (106 pounds), carries a 9 kg (20 pound) warhead and has a range of 8,000 meters. These have been the most frequently used American missiles for over a decade, with over 16,000 fired in training or (mostly) combat since 2001. A growing number of these Hellfires are for foreign customers. Hellfire missiles cost about $100,000 each depending on warhead and guidance system options.

 

Hellfire was originally designed for use by helicopter gunships against masses of Cold War era Russian tanks. That never happened, except in Kuwait during the 1991 war against Russian tanks owned by Iraq. Hellfire was quite successful in Kuwait. With the end of the Cold War the Hellfire seemed destined for the history books, as just another missile that worked but never distinguished itself. This all changed in 2002 when the CIA first used a Hellfire fired from a Predator UAV to kill a hard-to-find terrorist. The U.S. Air Force wasn’t really interested in this sort of thing and the CIA used its own money and authority to buy Predator UAVs and arm them with Hellfires. It quickly became apparent that the air force was wrong about UAVs and, well, the Hellfire was an army weapon used on helicopters and the air force never considered such a combination of UAV and missile useful for anything. The army soon found that Hellfire was an excellent weapon for supporting troops in urban areas or when going after terrorists anywhere.

 

Turkey plans to use Mizrak-U on its new T129 helicopter gunship. This aircraft is based on the Italian A129 which is roughly comparable to the upgraded versions of the U.S. AH-1 (especially the AH-1W SuperCobra). The 4.6 ton A-129 was the first helicopter gunship designed and built in Western Europe and was introduced in the 1980s. While it has been upgraded frequently, the only customer so far has been Italy, which bought 60 of them. The manufacturer, Agusta/Westland, has been desperate to get an export customer and made a deal for Turkey to produce over a hundred T129s under license.

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12 mars 2014 3 12 /03 /mars /2014 19:30
Turkish MIZRAK-U Anti-Tank Missile Launched

 

 

12/03/2014 by Paul Fiddian - Armed Forces International's Lead Reporter

 

State-owned Turkish weapons manufacturer Roketsan has tested a new air-launched anti-tank missile design, with successful results.

 

The MIZRAK-U test launch involved a Cobra AH-1S attack helicopter and took place over a 3.5 kilometre range. The missile successfully engaged with its designated target, paving the way for further trials and eventual entry-into-service, all being well.

 

Once in service, the MIZRAK-U missile will equip the Turkish Land Forces' TAI/AgustaWestland T129 attack helicopters, examples of which are currently being delivered.

 

The TAI/AgustaWestland T129 is based on the Agusta A129 Mangusta helicopter, which first flew in the mid-1980s. Harnessing the preceding design's airframe, it features advanced avionics and weapons systems developed in Turkey, plus more powerful engines and rotor blades. Six examples have been built, with 54 more set to ultimately join the Turkish Land Forces.

 

MIZRAK-U Missile

 

The MIZRAK-U missile is designed to strike targets with up to eight kilometres separation. It will be put into full-scale production from 2015 onwards and boasts an infrared seeker, a high-explosive warhead and other features.

 

Also now in development is a medium-range variant, named MIZRAK-O. This has a range of four kilometres but, otherwise, shares many characteristics.

 

The Turkish Land Forces has existed in its modern form since July 1949. In recent years, it has employed around 400,000 personnel and participated in numerous conflicts and, for more than two decades, has been continually introducing new military technologies into service.

 

Turkish Anti-Tank Missile

 

Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters serve with the Turkish Ground Forces in greater numbers than any other rotary platform but it also operates 37 AH-1 SuperCobra and 30 AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters, of the type used in the Turkish anti-tank missile test.

 

Roketsan was established in 1988 and produces rockets, missiles, mortars and other weapons. It is also involved in a programme through which Turkey's satellite launch capability will expand. The nation's Space Launch System project will involve the construction of a spaceport, satellite launch vehicles and other satellite operations infrastructure.

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10 mars 2014 1 10 /03 /mars /2014 19:30
Turkey Tests Long-Range Anti-Tank Missile

Turkey intends to use its recently tested MIZRAK-U missile on T-129 attack helicopters being co-produced with AgustaWestland. (AgustaWestland)

 

Mar. 10, 2014 - By BURAK EGE BEKDIL – Defense news

 

ANKARA — Turkey’s state-owned missile specialist Roketsan has successfully tested a long-range anti-tank missile it has been developing, the country’s procurement agency has announced.

 

The first guided firing test for MIZRAK-U was conducted from a Cobra AH-1S helicopter and hit a target at a distance of 3.5 kilometers.

 

The office said that MIZRAK-U would be used in the T-129 attack helicopters being co-produced by a partnership of Tusas Turkish Aerospace Industries and Italian-British AgustaWestland.

 

MIZRAK-U has a maximum range of eight kilometers, and its serial production will start in 2015. The missile has a homing imaging infrared seeker with radio frequency data link and with tandem-high explosive warhead and a laser-seeker option.

 

The missile’s medium-range version, MIZRAK-O, has a four-kilometer range and similar characteristics to MIZRAK-U

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