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NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Turkey Unveils Gazap, 970 Kg "Most Powerful" Non-Nuclear Bomb
Ankara: Turkey has developed two of its most advanced aircraft bombs, showcasing significant improvements in its military strike capabilities. The Gazap (Wrath) and Hayalet (Ghost) bombs have been developed by the NATO nation's National Defence Ministry's Research and Development (R&D) Centre and were unveiled at the 17th International Defence Industry Fair. The Gazap, which weighs 970 kilograms (2,000 pounds), is one country's most powerful conventional non-nuclear aircraft bomb. It is engineered to disperse fragment explosions with enhanced efficiency. While Hayalet -- also referred to as NEB-1 and NEB-2 -- are a next-generation penetration bomb designed to pierce hardened structures like concrete and steel walls. The R&D centre's Director, Nilufer Kuzulu, told Turkey Today that both bombs have passed the qualification and certification processes. About Gazap The Gazap is a 2,000-pound MK-84 aircraft bomb. But unlike its conventional counterparts, it features a fragment-based structure with 10,000 particles, which can disperse within a one-kilometre radius upon detonation, according to Kuzulu. "Gazap disperses 10.16 fragments per square meter. This makes it three times more powerful than standard MK-series bombs," she said. Moreover, the bomb has a modified filler and internal ribbed structure, which significantly enhances its blast impact. Its design reportedly mimics the effect of a defensive grenade and breaks apart into controlled fragments instead of random steel pieces. The Gazap bomb can be deployed from Turkey's F-16 and F-4 fighter jets. The country also hopes to use drones in future to drop them. About Hayalet Per the Turkey Today report, Hayalet can penetrate up to 90 meters on hardened surfaces and has advanced bunker-busting capability. "Standard bombs penetrate 1.8 to 2.4 meters into reinforced concrete. Our bomb penetrates 7 meters of C50 concrete-commonly used in bridges, viaducts, and nuclear facilities," Kuzulu said. As per the senior official, in recent tests, Hayalet was dropped from an aircraft onto an island, where it penetrated 90 meters through rock and earth. "The island is 160 meters wide. After detonation, we detected effects across the full width and even on the rear side," she said. The bomb was also reportedly tested on reinforced C50 concrete blocks and 25 mm ribbed steel, with internal cage systems simulating real-world fortifications. According to Kuzulu, the bomb managed to pass through multiple steel cages and a 10-meter sand pool before breaking through a 1.5-ton concrete wall and travelling 600 meters further. Hayalet is also compatible with Turkish F-16 aircraft and existing munition kits. India Impact As Turkey develops its military capabilities, Pakistan's growing defence ties with the NATO nation are under the spotlight. Though both Ankara and Islamabad have denied any reports of arms transfer, the Indian Army said Islamabad has used Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones to attack India during Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos. Ankara had also expressed solidarity with Islamabad during its military conflict with India in May. With its growing defence industry, Turkey has become Pakistan's reliable defence partner, already supplying drones and naval assets to Islamabad.
India.com
23-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Meet Tayfun Block-4: Game-changer hypersonic missile unveiled by Turkey; its capable of..., could raise tension for India due to...
(File) In a major concern for India, Turkey, which openly supported and armed Pakistan during the recent India-Pakistan conflict after Operation Sindoor, has made another giant leap in the advance weapons' space as it unveiled its first hypersonic missile, the Tayfun Block-4, the latest variant of its indigenously-developed Tayfun ballistic missile family. How powerful is the Tayfun Block-4 missile? Designed and developed by Turkish defense giant Roketsan, the Tayfun Block-4 is a hypersonic variant of Turkey's indigenously built longest-range Tayfun ballistic missile series. The Tayfun Block-4 measures 6.5 meters, weighs 2,300 kilograms and has a range of 800 kilometres, as per a report by Turkey Today. 'The Tayfun Block-4 is capable of long-range strikes, setting another record for the Turkish defence industry. Weighing over 7 tonnes, this new variant of the Tayfun, with its multi-purpose warhead, will be capable of destroying a range of strategic targets such as enemy air defence systems, command and control centres, military hangars and important military facilities from hundreds of kilometers away,' Roketsan said in a statement. What makes hypersonic missiles so lethal? As the name suggests, hypersonic missiles are capable of travelling at hypersonic speeds of Mach 5 and above (five times the speed of sound or around 6,100 kilometers per hour), making it extremely difficult for even the most advanced air defense systems to intercept them in time. The destruction caused by Iran's hypersonic missiles across major Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv and Haifa during the recent Israel-Iran war is a testimony to the penetrative capabilities of the hypersonic missiles which render even advanced air defenses like Arrow 3 and the Iron Dome useless in a battle scenario. Why Turkey's new missile is a concern for India? Turkey, along with China and Azerbaijan, was among the few countries that openly supported Pakistan during the recent India-Pakistan conflict. Turkey, which has strengthened its military ties with Pakistan in recent times, also armed the Pakistani forces with advanced military drones like the Bayraktar TB2, which were actively used against Indian installations during Operation Sindoor. Defense analysts believe Turkey's development of a hypersonic missile system could be a significant security threat to India as Ankara could provide the technology and the missiles to Pakistan. Notably, Pakistan had earlier approached its 'iron brother' China for hypersonic technology, but the request was denied.
NDTV
23-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
All About Tayfun Block-4, Turkey's 1st Hypersonic Ballistic Missile
Ankara: Amid Turkey's growing political, ideological and defence ties with Pakistan, Ankara has unveiled its first hypersonic ballistic missile. The Tayfun Block-4 missile was launched on Tuesday at the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025 in Istanbul. The new missile is developed by Turkish defence giant Roketsan and is the hypersonic version of the Tayfun missile, Turkey's indigenously produced longest-range ballistic missile. The Tayfun Block 4 measures 6.5 meters in length, weighs 2,300 kilograms, and boasts a range of 800 kilometres, according to a report by Turkey Today. "The Tayfun Block-4 achieves long ranges, setting another record for the Turkish defence industry. Weighing over 7 tons, this new version of the Tayfun, with its multi-purpose warhead, will be capable of destroying numerous strategic targets, such as air defence systems, command and control centres, military hangars, and critical military facilities, from kilometres away," Roketsan said in a statement. On the first day of #IDEF2025, we unveiled six new systems that will further strengthen the power of our defense industry. Each system, developed through national engineering and indigenous capabilities, reflects the level we have reached in generating advanced technologies and… — ROKETSAN (@roketsan) July 22, 2025 What's A Hypersonic Missile? The term "hypersonic" is often used to refer to hypersonic glide vehicles and hypersonic cruise missiles. They are highly advanced weapons and can manoeuvre mid-flight at hypersonic speed inside Earth's atmosphere, which makes it very hard to track and intercept. Hypersonic missiles travel at Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound (about 3,800 miles per hour, 6,100 kilometres per hour). But experts believe that almost all ballistic missiles reach hypersonic speed during their flights, especially as they dive towards their targets. Turkey-Pakistan Ties As military tensions rose between India and Pakistan following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, Islamabad's growing defence ties with Turkey came under the spotlight. Though both Ankara and Islamabad denied any arms transfer, the Indian Army later said Pakistan used Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones to attack India. "Turkey... played an important role in providing the type of support it did; they gave Bayraktar. We saw numerous other drones also coming in during the war," Deputy Chief of Army Staff (capability development and sustenance), Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh said earlier this month. Ankara has also expressed solidarity with Islamabad during the military conflict with India in May. With its growing defence industry, Turkey has become Pakistan's reliable defence partner, already supplying drones and naval assets to Islamabad. The shifting regional dynamics were also visible when Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Islamabad earlier this month to intensify cooperation in sectors including defence, economy, culture, and education.
