Türkiye launches cruise missile from drone

Türkiye has conducted a successful test of the Çakır cruise missile, demonstrating its capability to engage targets with precision from the Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The Roketsan’s Çakır cruise missile, unveiled in 2022 for the first time, represents Turkey’s latest advancement in missile technology, designed for both land and naval target engagement. Equipped with terrain-following technology, it can fly at low altitudes, allowing for effective navigation over varied landscapes. Moreover, its real-time mission flexibility enables route updates, target changes, or mission cancellations during flight.

Weighing 275 kilograms, the Çakır missile houses a 70-kilogram warhead, available in fragmentation, thermobaric, or armor-piercing variants. With a range exceeding 150 kilometers and a cruise speed ranging from 0.75 to 0.85 Mach, it can engage targets with precision and effectiveness.

The Bayraktar Akıncı drone, renowned for its payload capacity, can carry two Çakır missiles on its external hardpoints.