ASELSAN, the leading organization of the Turkish defense industry, has revealed its significant technological advances in the field of smart munitions and guidance kits and its successes in the international market with its 2024 activity report. According to the information in the report, the first exports of the laser guidance kit LGK 83 and precision guidance kit HGK 82 developed by ASELSAN have been carried out. These kits significantly increase the hit accuracy by converting general purpose bombs in the 1000 lb and 500 lb classes into smart munitions, respectively. This export success also proves ASELSAN's competence in this field in the international arena.
Another important export success of ASELSAN came for TOLUN ammunition. The report shared the information that export contracts for TOLUN, which stands out with its low lateral damage and high hit accuracy, and the smart multi-carrying missile SADAK 4T were signed to Asian and African countries. These contracts show that ASELSAN has become a preferred player in the international market not only in guidance kits but also in complete smart ammunition systems.
Another smart ammunition developed in collaboration with TÜBİTAK SAGE and ASELSAN, the laser-seeker-headed precision guidance kit GÖZDE, has also achieved significant success by making its first export. The export of GÖZDE, which makes general purpose bombs in the 500 lb class smart, is considered a concrete indicator of the R&D and cooperation capabilities of the Turkish defense industry.
Developments at TOLUN Increase Operational Capability
ASELSAN continues to deliver the TOLUN ammunition, which it developed to meet a wide range of operational needs, including strategic enemy targets in civilian residential areas. A test conducted in 2024 strikingly demonstrated the operational effectiveness of TOLUN. Four TOLUN ammunitions carried by the smart multi-carrier SADAK 4T managed to hit four separate targets simultaneously with full accuracy in a quadruple-firing test conducted from a fighter aircraft for the first time in Türkiye. This success significantly increases the Turkish Air Force’s ability to destroy multiple targets with high precision in a single sortie.
The development work of TOLUN ammunition is not limited to increasing the existing capabilities. TOLUN IIR ammunition, which has been integrated with KİLİT 23T Infrared Seeker Head and gained “man in the loop” capability, has also left behind an important milestone. This new generation ammunition has managed to hit a fixed target with full accuracy from an unmanned aerial vehicle for the first time in Türkiye, taking the effectiveness of UAVs with smart ammunition to a new dimension.
ASELSAN’s expertise in converting general purpose bombs into smart ammunition is not limited to TOLUN. The Laser Guidance Kit (LGK 250), which was successfully integrated into the QFAB-82 LG general purpose bombs, was also successfully hit by being dropped from a fighter jet within the scope of the firing tests conducted abroad. This test confirms the potential and reliability of LGK 82 on international platforms.
ASELSAN's technological advances in smart munitions and guidance kits and its export successes strengthen the position of the Turkish defense industry in the international arena, while also making significant contributions to the operational effectiveness of the Turkish Armed Forces. Both the high performance demonstrated in domestic tests and the increasing interest in the international market reinforce ASELSAN's leadership in this field.
