Aselsan Delivers Tolun Bombs for Turkish F-16s

Turkish firm Aselsan delivered the first Tolun bombs, an analogue of the U.S.-made MK-81 glide bombs to the Turkish Air Force.

Aselsan General Manager Ahmet Akyol confirmed the delivery, highlighting that the Tolun ammunition has been under development for some time. The bombs have been successfully tested on F-16 fighter jets and AKINCI unmanned combat aerial vehicles (TİHAs), showcasing their adaptability across multiple platforms.

The Tolun ammunition offers the F-16 the capacity to carry up to eight munitions per sortie. This allows a single aircraft to engage either eight separate targets or deliver concentrated firepower on a single target using eight bombs. For the AKINCI TİHA, up to four Tolun bombs can be mounted under the fuselage, further extending the operational reach of Turkish forces.

Equipped with GPS/INS navigation systems, the Tolun is also available in the Tolun-IIR configuration, featuring an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker head. This capability provides pilots with a man-in-the-loop feature, allowing them to adjust the bomb's trajectory in real-time during flight.

With an approximate range of 100 kilometers under optimal conditions, the 250-pound Tolun bomb has demonstrated its ability to penetrate up to one meter of reinforced concrete during tests. These characteristics position it as a critical addition to Turkey's air-to-ground precision strike arsenal.