Roketsan's Levent close-in air-defence system seen during a missile firing test from the Turkish Navy corvette TCG Beykoz , announced on 24 March. (Roketsan)
The Turkish Navy corvette TCG Beykoz returned to the Black Sea in March 2025 for a naval air-defence test firing one month after another such test. The previous test involved the Gƶksur air-defence missile developed by Aselsan. This time, the corvette was equipped with Roketsan's Levent missile and its launcher.
The live firing was announced in a video shared by Roketsan on the social media platform X on 24 March.
The Levent close-in air-defence system (CIADS) launches the Levent missile, with an effective engagement range of up to 11 km. The missile measures 3.2 m in length, with a diameter of 128 mm, and a total weight of 75 kg. It uses a passive radio frequency (RF) guidance system withan infrared imaging (IIR) seeker designed to improve accuracy. The warhead consists of a 10 kg fragmentation payload equipped with a proximity sensor.
According to Roketsan, the missile system can counter airborne threats, including aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and low radar cross-section guided missiles operating at both low and high altitudes with subsonic or supersonic speeds.
For autonomous operations, the Levent launcher has an integrated radar and electro-optical (EO) sensors that function independently of the launcher to provide greater autonomy. The test launcher had a capacity for 11 missiles.
Further analysis and assessment onlineNAVDEX 2025: Aselsan conducts first test firing of Gƶksur missile systemDIMDEX 2022: Roketsan showcases new Levent close-in air defence systemLeventGƶksur 100-NLooking to read the full article?
Gain unlimited access to Janes news and more...
