The Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) announced that the SİPER Product-1 system, a key component of the Steel Dome defense, has officially entered the inventory.
In a post on the X platform, SSB President Haluk Görgün stated, “The SİPER Product-1 System, the deterrent power of the Steel Dome, is now in our inventory. As a high-altitude, long-range air defense system, SİPER Product-1 will serve as the shield of our Heavenly Homeland, under the command of our esteemed army. The SİPER system can engage fighter jets, cruise missiles, and air-to-surface munitions. Work on the SİPER Product-2 system, which will feature even more advanced capabilities, is ongoing.”
Developed under the SİPER project in partnership with ASELSAN, Roketsan, and TÜBİTAK SAGE, SİPER Product-1 was designed as an effective air defense solution against high-altitude threats, long-range air-breathing targets, cruise missiles, and air-to-surface munitions. ASELSAN and Roketsan are responsible for the development and inventory integration of Product-1.
On December 15, 2023, the “Serial Production Contracts of SİPER Product-1 and HİSAR Projects” were signed, marking a significant milestone for the Air and Land Forces Command.
The first test firing of SİPER Block 0 took place in November 2021. On December 31, 2022, the SİPER Product-1 system successfully hit a target over 100 kilometers away using a guided test missile. The first live firing test for SİPER Product-2, a crucial element of the long-range regional air and missile defense system, occurred on August 26, 2023.
The development of SİPER Product-2 continues, aiming to gather data under flight conditions during tests, which will support future project phases. The SİPER Product-2 missile is anticipated to have a range of approximately 150 kilometers.
In a March 2022 newspaper interview, Haluk Görgün emphasized, “We produce our own air defense systems; we don’t need the S-300 or S-400.”
Murat İkinci, General Manager of ROKETSAN, also highlighted SİPER’s capabilities, noting, “SİPER will be a high-altitude, long-range air defense system. The project is in its final stages and will soon be added to the Turkish Armed Forces’ inventory.”
During a test firing in Sinop, the SİPER system utilized ASELSAN’s UMAR radar, which has a detection range of over 450 kilometers, as the search radar. For the engagement radar, the AESA-based AKR radar, also developed through national collaboration, was employed.
