When is Turkey's armed UAVs gonna be ready?
Arming is just a matter of decision sacrificing endurance and operation altitude..
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DSEI 2013: Roketsan UAV munition nears completion
Roketsan's Smart Micro Munition (SMM) (MAM - Mini Akilli Mühimmat) is currently undergoing qualification and is expected to complete development shortly, IHS Jane's has learned.
Speaking to IHS Jane's at DSEI 2013 in London, senior engineer Cem Tasdeler said the company is working on the munition's aerodynamics and that they are also considering another smart gliding munition based on the Çirit missile.
SMM is part of Roketsan's new range of air- and ground-launched missile systems that Tasdeler said looks to provide a scalable and smart capability; it is principally targeted at unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications but also has the utility for close-support and light-attack aircraft, such as the Embrarer Super Tucano.
The gliding munition leverages technology developed for Roketsan's UMTAS anti-tank missile. Essentially, it is the same unit with the motor section removed. The control surfaces for the SMM are also a different design from those on the UMTAS in order to support its unpowered delivery method; the weapon will have a range of 8 km when launched from its ceiling of 15,000 ft, Tasdeler said.
SMM uses the same seeker system as that used for the laser-guided variant of the UMTAS missile (L-UMTAS) and the Çirit, for which the technology was originally developed. "We thought, 'why not take the laser seeker from the Çirit to the larger missile while we're waiting to complete the IR seeker [for the UMTAS]?'", Tasdeler explained. The standard UMTAS will have an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker, which is scheduled to complete development at the end of this year and be ready for production in the first quarter of 2014. The laser-guided variant will act as a lower-cost option for the UMTAS missile.
Tasdeler said a version of SMM with the IIR seeker will not be developed as the weapon is intended to be a lower-cost offering. The munition can feature a fragmentation warhead with a blast radius of 25 m and which is optimised for use against soft targets and in an anti-personnel role. A tandem warhead for engaging heavily armoured targets is also available.
IHS Jane's has also learned that UAV manufacturers have shown an interest in equipping their platforms with Roketsan missile systems. Tasdeler said the company had been approached by Sagem and Selex regarding the Patroller and Falco UAVs, respectively, with the Cirit missile a possible solution for their requirements;
Cirit has already been test-fired from UAVs. Cirit is designed to be a multipurpose munition for use against personnel and lightly armoured targets - it has the ability to penetrate 20 mm armour. Cirit has already been supplied to the armed forces of Turkey and the United Arab Emirates and
used operationally.
The UMTAS missile is also being considering for larger UAVS, Tasdeler said.
