ISTANBUL
At a major defense fair in Istanbul, Turkey's top body for promoting science is showcasing new missiles tailor-made for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
"We're showcasing new ammunition designed specifically for UAVs," Gurcan Okumus, who heads the Defense Industries Research and Development Institute for the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), told Anadolu Agency.
The four-day International Defense Industries Fair (IDEF) began Tuesday in the Turkish metropolis.
Saying that the research institute previously updated the Bozok missile family for UAVs, he said now it is doing the same for Kuzgun missiles.
"There will be variants of the (100-kg/220-pound) Kuzgun, namely free-falling, jet engine, and solid-fueled," he stressed.
He said the institute is working to adapt all ammunition for use by UAVs.
Telling how Turkish UAVs recently proved their mettle, he said they would be even stronger thanks to the new ammunition.
Defense industry analysts in Turkey and abroad have hailed the performance and growing market share of Turkish-made drones.
New guidance kits
Over the last decade, several Turkish defense and aviation firms, such as Aselsan, Baykar, Roketsan, and TAI, gained worldwide popularity and entered the ranks of the world's top companies.
Touching on the guidance kits Gozde and Gokce, Okumus said these kits are used with the Max 82 and Max 83 bomb series.
The defense research institute developed these kits with new laser heads and wings for adapting UAVs to engaging moving targets, he stressed.
He added that the kits, which will be ready this year and next year, can also be used by planes and helicopters.
He also said that the institute is developing new product families for UAVs.
