Malaysia Becomes First Importer of Turkish KARAOK Anti-Tank Missiles

Malaysia has acquired over 100 KARAOK missiles from the Turkish company Roketsan, marking it as the weapon's inaugural export customer.

In June, the Malaysian defense ministry revealed that five bidders had been shortlisted for the tender of 18 Medium-Range Anti-Tank Guided Weapons (ATGW-MR) initially published on April 18. Although the tender's original closing date was set for May 18, it was extended to June 1 for bidding.

Malaysia recently announced that Roketsan KARAOK emerged as the winner of the tender. The purchase will include 18 Roketsan KARAOK ATGW-MR systems, each equipped with six missiles per launcher. Additionally, the package will encompass an indoor simulator, three outdoor simulators, their components, and three transparent missiles for testing equipment.

Upon its deployment within the Malaysian Army, KARAOK will replace the Metis-M ATGW-MR missile currently integrated into G-Wagen 4X4 vehicles and will be integrated into Cendana vehicles.

Notably, the KARAOK Anti-Tank Missile features a 125mm diameter, weighs less than 16 kg (Missile + Tube), has a range of 2.5 kilometers, incorporates an Armor Piercing Tandem warhead, and offers both Direct Hit and Overhead Hit strike modes in a Throw-Forget usage mode. Although the initial KARAOK Project aimed for a 1.5-kilometer range, Roketsan managed to achieve a remarkable 2.5-kilometer range. This accomplishment was made possible due to the missile's optimization, considering it will be launched from the shoulder by TEK-ER.