A still from the video released by Mehmet Fatih Kacır shows the F-16 carrying the SOM-J cruise missile that was tested. (Ministry of Industry and Technology of Türkiye)
Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır released the first footage of a stand-off missile (SOM-J) being test-fired on 21 March.
The short video showed an F-16 from the Turkish Air Force's Eskişehir-based 401 Test Squadron taking off with the SOM-J cruise missile under its starboard wing, then releasing it. The missile was then shown hitting close to a target cross on shipping containers stacked on a floating barge. There was no explosion, presumably because the test missile did not have a live warhead.
A caption on the video said this was the first SOM-J firing test against a “surface target”, leaving open the possibility that it has already been tested against a land target.
The Tübitak Defense Industries Research and Development Institute, the missile's developer, suggested earlier tests had been carried out when it reposted Kacır's video. “SOM-J proved its superior performance once again by receiving full marks in the areas of communication and control via datalink, maximum range, hit accuracy, and engagement capabilities,” it said.
Photographs released in 2021 showed an F-16 carrying a SOM-J, but no test firings were confirmed. This missile was labelled ‘KTM-2', which Turkish sources reported to stand for Kabul Test Mühimmatı (acceptance test munition). In contrast, the one seen in Kacır's video was labelled as ‘ATM' and had numerous calibration markings to track its movement.
Looking to read the full article?
Gain unlimited access to Janes news and more...
