Roketsan, a leading Turkish defense company specializing in missile production, has started the development and testing of a hypersonic variant of its Tayfun Short-Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM). This news was revealed through a post on the X (formerly Twitter) account of “TurkishFacts4u” on September 24, 2024, marking a monumental achievement in Turkey’s growing missile capabilities.
According to the information published, the new hypersonic missile variant can achieve speeds of Mach 5.5, which positions Turkey among an elite group of nations with hypersonic missile technology. Hypersonic missiles, defined by their ability to travel at speeds greater than Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound), are considered game-changers in modern warfare due to their unprecedented speed and maneuverability, making them highly difficult to detect and intercept.
Developing the hypersonic variant of the Tayfun missile underscores Turkey’s growing ambitions to enhance its strategic and defense capabilities. Traditionally, missile technology has been a key component of Turkey’s defense policy, and the addition of hypersonic capabilities represents a substantial boost to its deterrence and offensive potential.
The Tayfun missile, in its SRBM configuration, is known for its precision strike capabilities over short ranges, typically between 300 and 1,000 km. With the new hypersonic variant, the missile is expected to increase in speed and improve in terms of range and lethality. Roketsan has yet to release detailed specifications regarding the missile’s operational range, payload capacity, or any advanced features such as maneuvering capabilities or counter-defense evasion techniques.