Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defense said ROKETSAN has carried out air-to-ground and air-to-air firings with the L-UMTAS GM and imaging infrared (IIR) TEMREN munitions as part of development work on alternative configurations of the extended-range anti-tank missile program.
The ministry described the trials as part of the alternative configuration development effort under the Laser-Guided Long-Range Anti-Tank Missile Extended Range project, which ROKETSAN leads.
“As part of the alternative configuration development efforts for the Laser-Guided Long-Range Anti-Tank Extended Range Project (L-UMTAS GM) led by ROKETSAN, air-to-ground and air-to-air firings were conducted using the L-UMTAS GM and IIR TEMREN munitions,” the ministry said in a statement.
The statement did not say when or where the firings took place, or from which platforms the munitions were released.
Extended range and behind-cover launch
L-UMTAS GM is the extended-range variant of ROKETSAN’s long-range anti-tank missile family. Open sources put the Block-1 configuration at 16 kilometers when fired from ground platforms and more than 20 kilometers from airborne launchers.
The Block-2 configuration is expected to reach beyond 32 kilometers from ground vehicles and more than 50 kilometers from helicopters. That reach would allow crews to engage targets before coming within range of hostile weapons.
The missile’s glide performance supports firing from behind cover, without a direct line of sight to the target, which lets the operator strike from a concealed position.
The weapon offers man-in-the-loop control through an imaging infrared seeker and a two-way radio frequency data link. The operator can identify the target from a live video feed while the missile is in flight and shift the aim point.
ROKETSAN said previously that the system had completed a long-range test firing. “Our Extended Long-Range Anti-Tank Missile System (L-UMTAS GM) successfully conducted a long-range test firing and proved itself in the field by hitting the target with pinpoint accuracy,” the company said.
TEMREN on naval helicopters
The IIR TEMREN used in the firings was developed to replace Norwegian-built Penguin missiles on the Turkish Naval Forces’ S-70B Seahawk helicopters. The munition has a range of 8 kilometers, weighs 37.5 kilograms and measures 160 millimeters in diameter, with imaging infrared and semi-active laser guidance.
Integration has been completed on 20 of the 24 helicopters covered by the modernization program, according to open sources, which also report that the effort has been extended to AH-1W attack helicopters.
In the extended-range configuration, the imaging infrared seeker is expected to give way to a hybrid unit combining charge-coupled device (CCD) visible-light and infrared sensors. The design is intended to keep the munition tracking targets through dust, dense smoke and electronic jamming.
Platform-independent architecture
Compliance with the MIL-STD-1760 interface standard allows the same missile family to be carried by helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and ground vehicles without additional software. ROKETSAN places the approach within its “National Integrated Combat System” concept, which links radar, fire control and combat management systems.
The ministry did not give a timeline for completing the alternative configuration work or for fielding the extended-range variant.
