KARAPOK Anti-Tank Missile Directly Hits Aerial Target
The KARAOK anti-tank missile, manufactured by ROKETSAN, neutralized a kamikaze UAV-like aerial target via head-on collision in a test firing.
Developed within the Turkish defense industry, the portable anti-tank missile KARAOK directly hit an aerial target resembling a Shahed-136 kamikaze UAV via the hit-to-kill method in its latest test.
New Test Success of the KARAOK Missile
Indigenous and national systems developed by the Turkish defense industry continue to stand out with their capabilities. ROKETSAN's KARAOK missile achieved a remarkable success in its latest test.
The result demonstrated by KARAOK, initially developed for a different mission, opened a new door regarding the system's operational scope and witnessed significant performance.
Hit Aerial Target Using Hit-to-Kill Method
Developed by ROKETSAN and actively used by the Turkish Armed Forces, KARAOK successfully hit an aerial target with features similar to the Shahed-136 kamikaze UAV.
What made the test noteworthy was that the destruction was achieved by directly crashing into the target via a head-on collision method, demonstrating the system's flexibility.
Contains Advanced Technological Features
This performance of the system, which features an imaging infrared seeker head and fire-and-forget capability, paved the way for the missile—originally designed for armored land targets—to be utilized in different missions.
Retired Colonel Coşkun Başbuğ stated that KARAOK is a 125 mm caliber, 16-kilogram munition that can be carried by a single soldier.
Ability to Adapt to Target Sets
It was announced that the missile's ability to detect and track moving or stationary targets on land was also successfully tested against aerial targets.
This situation clearly demonstrated that the munition can be successfully adapted to a different set of targets.
Tactical Flexibility Provided to Small Units
Retired Air Lieutenant General Erdoğan Karakuş emphasized that KARAOK being usable against aerial targets is an important development and that its usage area must be correctly defined.
Karakuş noted that the missile, which has a range of 2.5 km, cannot be expected to replace classical systems for high-altitude targets, but provides an advantage against close-range threats.