Turkey’s ALKA Weapon System Entering Mass Production
The use of kamikaze drones by states and terrorist organizations has expanded considerably throughout the world recently. As a result, defense companies are developing anti-drone weapons to counter unmanned aerial vehicles, and Roketsan’s ALKA is a Directed Energy Weapon System (YESS) designed to meet these needs.
The ALKA Directed Energy Weapon System (YESS), which was originally displayed at the 14th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF), has been undergoing testing and development since 2019.
“The mass production of the ALKA Directed Energy Weapon System (YESS) has begun,” stated ROKETSAN General Manager Murat İkinci, who was a guest on NTV’s live broadcast yesterday.
The Roketsan ALKA Directed Energy Weapon System (YESS) is designed to neutralize and stop threats such as; explosive traps in residential areas, roadside homemade explosive devices (IEDs), mini/micro UAVs and drones and mini/micro UAV’s and drone swarms, all at a safe distance.
The system can reportedly eliminate targets up to 500 meters away and jam signals up to 4 kilometers away. The system provides a three-level defense capability thanks to its electromagnetic jamming system, laser destruction system, and electromagnetic destruction system.
Unless the energy source is cut, the new generation weapon YESS, has ‘limitless ammunition’ and may fire indefinitely. The cost of a shot with directed energy weapons is a fraction of the cost, when compared to kinetic and chemical weapons, because their firing, repair, and maintenance costs are so low.
Below is a break down of the system’s features according to Roketsan:
- Automatic Direction to the Target Detected by the Radar
- Automatic Target Detection and Tracking on Image with Artificial Intelligence
- Standalone Use Without Radar
- Effective Laser Destruction Range 500m
- Effective Destruction Range with ETS * 1.000m
- Ability to Prevent Drone Swarm Attacks Regardless of the Number of Targets
- High Speed Target Tracking and Destruction (150km/hour)
- High Precision Target Tracking (8mm Sensitivity at 1,000m Distance)
- Multiple Target Tracking
- Day and Night Duty
- Can be used as a Surveillance System
- Ability to Fire Rapidly
Areas of application:
- Residential Area Operations (Against IEDs and Bomb Traps)
- Protection of Military Units
- Protection of Public Buildings
- Protection of Airports
- Protection of Public Living Spaces
- Protection of Technological Production Facilities
- Protection of Energy Production Facilities
Mobile Use:
- Ability to Work Integrated on 4 × 4 Vehicle
- In-Vehicle Command
- Internal Power Supply
- Transfer to the Desired Area
- Use with Two Personnel
Fixed Installation:
- Tower or Cabin Layout According to the Area
- Ability to be controlled from the Command Center
- Use of the facility’s existing fixed power line
- Use by a single staff member