Turkey Joins Elite Military Powers With Planned ICBM Test

(MENAFN- Live Mint) (Bloomberg) -- Turkey is taking a significant step toward joining the global military elite by testing a missile that would put much of Europe and the Middle East within reach and eventually lead to the launch of real-time intelligence satellites, according to people familiar with the plans.

The country showcased an intercontinental ballistic missile at an expo this week, joining the US, Russia and only a handful of other powers that have the weapons. Turkey's ICBM has a range of 6,000 kilometers (3,750 miles) and the plan is to test fire it in Somalia later this year at the earliest, the people said, declining to be identified when talking about sensitive defense matters.

The surprise addition of the Yildirimhan missile, named after an Ottoman sultan, marks progress toward joining the space arms race. Turkey will use similar technology to put satellites in orbit designed to enhance the NATO member's independent operational capabilities, the people said.

“We believe we would use it only as a deterrent, but if we ever need to use it, no one should have any doubt that we would do so without hesitation,” Defense Minister Yasar Guler said as he visited SAHA defense expo in Istanbul, where a version of the Yildirimhan was displayed on Tuesday.“We assess that we would use it in the most effective way possible.”

The US-Israeli war on neighboring Iran has supercharged Turkey's effort to increase its deterrence. ICBMs are typically associated with nuclear weapons, which Turkey doesn't have. But Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in February that the country could be dragged into a regional competition for nuclear arms because of concerns about Iran's atomic ambitions.

Turkey's defense ministry declined to comment on plans to test the missile, which can carry a 3,000-kilogram (6,600-pound) warhead and is liquid fueled. The country would use a new spaceport in Somalia firing toward the Indian Ocean starting in the fall, the people said.

The government in Somalia, where the Turkish military operates its largest overseas base, said that the spaceport project with Turkey is primarily designed for civilian use for science and technology programs.

“Somalia sees the partnership as an opportunity to attract investment, create jobs, build technical expertise, and expand cooperation in satellite and space-related technologies that can support communications, climate monitoring, education, and economic development,” State Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Mohamed Omar said in a reponse to questions about Turkey's plans.

Turkey has been busy augmenting its arsenal. It started scaling up production of Tayfun-1 ballistic missiles, which have a range of at least 560 kilometers. It plans to test-fire an advanced model, Tayfun-4, which is expected to fly more than 2,000 kilometers, from Somalia, the people familiar with the situation said. It's also developed a Cenk missile that has a 3,000-kilometer range.

Meanwhile, Turkey is developing an missile defense shield, dubbed the“Steel Dome.” The project has gained urgency after NATO forces intercepted four missiles fired from Iran toward Turkey since the start of the Iran war.

“Regional missile threats and a desire for defense-industrial autonomy have motivated Ankara to build a broad portfolio of ballistic and cruise missiles,” defense analysts Sitki Egeli and Arda Mevlutoglu said in a research paper published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies last week.“Turkey's political leadership sees clear value in holding a credible and increasingly long-range inventory of ballistic and cruise systems for deterrence and, should that fail, for war.”

Turkey has NATO's largest army after the US and is preparing to host the alliance's next summit in Ankara in July, aiming to highlight its role in Europe's security with the prospect of a US troop withdrawal from the continent.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long championed Turkey's efforts to develop an independent defense industry capable of making warplanes, tanks, high-flying drones, frigates and now missiles for export as well as for domestic purposes.

Drone maker Baykar signed a framework agreement this week with an Indonesian company for cooperation over Turkey's first jet-powered fighter drone.

--With assistance from Simon Marks.

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