Turkey's SIPER long-range air defense missile system has initiated acceptance tests, marking an important step toward its entry into the national inventory.
Developed with indigenous resources, SIPER competes with the American Patriot and the Russian S-400 air defense systems.
The first firing of SIPER Product 2 Missile, boasting a range of 150+ kilometers, took place in August 2023, following the earlier launch of the Product 1 missile with a 100+ kilometer range. The Turkish Defense Industries Secretariat (SSB) had confirmed the tests.
SIPER, designed in response to the U.S. denial of the Patriot system sale to Turkey, is set to join the Turkish Armed Forces inventory this year with the deployment of the SIPER Product 1 Missile. Serving as an interim solution, Turkey had acquired the Russian S-400 system before developing its SIPER system.
Comparable to the American Patriot, SIPER has the capability to track and engage various air threats, including missiles, fighter jets, and helicopters.
The SIPER project, established under the Long-Range Regional Air and Missile Defense System Project Phase-C, was contracted in January 2018 between the Presidency of Turkish Defense Industries (SSB) and the ASELSAN-ROKETSAN-TUBITAK SAGE Partnership.
As the SIPER project progresses, recent insights into the system's structure were shared by ASELSAN, revealing components such as the Fire Control Center, Fire Control Radar, Search Radar, Missile Launch System, and more. The SIPER system aims to provide long-range air defense for strategic facilities against enemy attacks, featuring a distributed architecture, multiple engagement capabilities, and the ability to operate in diverse conditions.
Key features of the SIPER system include air defense planning, information management, combined aerial picture generation, automatic diagnosis management, bidirectional communication with missiles, and the ability to operate with eight Missile Launch Systems, each capable of firing six missiles. The system is also designed for integration with top command networks and tactical data links.