THE ŞİMŞEK-K UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE, PRODUCED INDIGENOUSLY BY TURKISH AEROSPACE, HAS GAINED ANOTHER CRITICAL CAPABILITY

While Turkish Aerospace continues to add new capabilities to the unmanned systems it has developed with domestic and national resources, it also strengthens the role of the ŞİMŞEK-K in the national defense ecosystem.

With the ŞİMŞEK-K unmanned aerial vehicle it has developed, Turkish Aerospace has successfully achieved another critical capability. Capable of performing target drone and kamikaze missions, ŞİMŞEK-K successfully conducted its first flight test by taking off from the ground with a rocket-assisted take-off (RATO) system.

Thanks to this achievement, the operational flexibility of the ŞİMŞEK-K platform has been significantly enhanced. In addition to being launched from ANKA and AKSUNGUR Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, its ability to take off from the ground will allow effective use in different geographies and environments without requiring runway infrastructure, thereby contributing to the mission diversity of the security forces.

Sharing the related video on his Nsosyal social media account, President of Defence Industry Prof. Haluk Görgün said:
“Our defense industry has added yet another critical capability. This step is a concrete demonstration of technologies developed entirely with national resources, enhancing our operational flexibility and strengthening our deterrence. With our determination to develop innovative solutions for the future defense needs, we continue on our path. We extend our gratitude to the Turkish Aerospace family, our engineers, and the entire defense industry ecosystem for their contributions to this success.”

Commenting on ŞİMŞEK-K’s ability to take off from the ground with RATO, Turkish Aerospace General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu underlined that this achievement is not only a technical gain but also a strategic step demonstrating the current level of Türkiye’s national engineering. Demiroğlu stated:
“With this capability, we provide operational flexibility across different geographies, further strengthening the power of our security forces. As Turkish Aerospace, we will resolutely continue to bring innovative solutions to our country’s defense ecosystem and to ‘transform through progress.’”

As Türkiye’s leading organization in aviation and space, Turkish Aerospace offers a wide range of products and services in fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, satellite and space technologies, structural manufacturing, and modernization. Turkish Aerospace enhances Türkiye’s global effectiveness in the defense industry by providing unique products and solutions to many countries around the world.