ROKETSAN’s CAKIR Mini Cruise Missile test fired for the first time

ROKETSAN’s lightweight cruise missile CAKIR has been test fired from Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV for the first time. During the missile’s introduction to the public, it was stated that first firing tests were planned for AKINCI.

🔵🇹🇷CAKIR mini cruise missile test fired from AKINCI UCAV pic.twitter.com/NNxufgeBtc

— Defence Turk English (@Defence_Turk_EN) May 12, 2023

Compared to the design brochures and mockups, CAKIR’s design has been changed to some degree, most noticeably in terms of fin layout. The test firing was conducted with Kale’s indigenous KTJ-1750 turbojet engine.

CAKIR will play an important role in diversifying and expanding the unique stand-off capabilities of AKINCI. With the ability to accurately engage moving/static sea targets in addition to land targets at ranges of 150+ km, CAKIR might strengthen the importance of AKINCI and other suitable UCAVs especially in ASuW missions.

CAKIR Mini Cruise Missile

CAKIR is a new generation lightweight cruise missile being developed by ROKETSAN for Turkish Navy, Land Forces, Air Force and Turkish Intelligence Agency. First platform Integration is scheduled for 2023.

CAKIR can be launched from fixed and rotary-wing aircraft (Fighter jets, light combat aircraft, cargo planes, maritime patrol aircraft…), Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (AKINCI, AKSUNGUR, KIZILELMA…), Armed USVs, tactical wheeled vehicles and naval platforms, and offers operational versatility against land and surface targets. With a range of 150+ kilometers, CAKIR’s targets include surface targets, land and surface targets close to shore, strategic land targets, field targets and, caves.

The most prominent features of CAKIR are; its minimalist, networked and modular design approach, which allows the platform to carry multiple payloads up to four missiles, and its ability to perform missions with inter-communicating missiles. CAKIR’s modularity in terms of seekers (IIR, RF, IIR+RF Dual Mode Seeker, Swarm Sensor) and warhead types (High Explosive Fragmentation, Shaped Charge, Thermobaric) leads to better optimization for different mission profiles.

CAKIR owes the ability to engage targets with high precision under all weather conditions to its advanced mid-phase and terminal phase guidance systems. Network-based datalink facilitates Man-in-the-Loop capability for target update, attack/re-attack for the in-flight target of opportunity and mission abort.

CAKIR offers high survivability thanks to radar absorbing material utilized on the frame. CAKIR’s sea-skimming and terrain masking capabilities in combination with radar-absorbing structure minimizes the suspectiblity to enemy defense systems. Thanks to Anti-Jam GNSS and altimeter-supported inertial navigation system, CAKIR is also protected against electronic warfare threats.