12-03-2025
New drone-destroying laser weapon with 1-mile-range tested for Turkey's ‘Steel Dome'
Turkish leading defense company Aselsan has successfully tested its GÖKBERK mobile anti-drone air defense weapon - which uses laser and electronic warfare (EW) to counter UAVs.
The male Turkish name, can be roughly translated to "heavenly strength" or "sky defender." The system is designed to counter first-person-view (FPV) drones.
The test verified GOKBERK's ability to track and destroy FPV threats automatically under various scenarios.
The company added that this system will now play a 'critical role in [Turkey's] national air defense system, Steel Dome."
The company 'continues to take important steps in the field of directed energy weapons, one of the new generation technologies. Previously proven effective against rotary- and fixed-wing kamikaze drones," the company continued.
"GÖKBERK now showcased its advanced capabilities by detecting, autonomously tracking, and eliminating FPV drones across multiple test scenarios, demonstrating exceptional speed and precision in engagement,' they added.
According to Aselsan, the system utilizes a combination of electronic warfare (EW) systems and high-energy lasers to either "soft kill" or "hard kill" targets. By all accounts, the system can tackle drones of various sizes from mini unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to larger rotary- or fixed-wing kamikaze drones.
According to Aselsan, GOKBERK unites the company's İHTAR platform and the laser weapon on a platform with 6x6 mobile deployment capability instead of a distributed architecture.
"GÖKBERK uses an indigenous laser source with high beam quality for hard kill destruction of targets, while also providing soft kill destruction with an electronic jammer developed by ASELSAN. The system can perform precise tracking with various electro-optical systems on the guidance unit," the company explains.
The system also uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide unparalleled tracking and target identification.
Aselsan explains that this helps the system knock out potential threats at unprecedented speed.
According to some reports, the system can destroy quadcopter-like targets at around 0.93 miles (1,500 meters) and fixed-wing drones at around 0.75 miles (1,200 meters). It is also reported that the system can melt a 6 mm steel sheet at 0.37 miles (600 meters).
The system can operate autonomously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and fire uninterruptedly for a long time. It creates maximum impact with minimum power and stands out as a cost-effective solution.
The Steel Dome system, referred to by Aselsan, is part of Turkey's layered air defense system, which Turkish firms developed to protect air space against all threats. Similar in concept to Israel's Iron Dome system, the nation sees it as a vital defensive requirement as tensions rise in the region.
'The Steel Dome is very promising system. All nations want to have this kind of system,' Ahmet Akyol, president and CEO of Aselsan, told Breaking Defense last month.
Aselsan 'can provide this solution for Turkey and allied countries right now," Akyol added. 'So in Turkey, this is in progress. Every year we are delivering new systems of the Steel Dome concept, which will benefit our region," he explained.
The firm shared a video showing GÖKBERK's laser system, camera, and thermal camera mounted on a vehicle, eliminating multiple types of drones. "All major subcomponents of GÖKBERK have been designed and produced domestically, reinforcing [Turkey's] defense industry autonomy,' the company added.
The firm added that the new system will be deployed to protect military bases, airports, power plants, and oil refineries. "With the data obtained from the firing tests and trials of GÖKBERK conducted under different weather conditions, improvement and development work on the system continues," the company added.
