Turkish Defense Industry Begins Mass Production of BOZOK Laser-Guided Munitions For Drones
Turkey has begun mass production of a new munition designed specifically for its drones. In an exclusive interview with an AA correspondent, Gürcan Okumuş, Director of the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TÜBİTAK) Defense Industry Research and Development Institute (SAGE), discussed the recent advancements surrounding the BOZOK, SOM-J, KUZGUN, and GÖKTUĞ Projects. In this regard, Gürcan Okumuş reported that the laser-guided miniature munition Bozok, the institute’s first drone munition, has entered mass production.
TÜBİTAK SAGE began developing Bozok in 2015 as a “intermediate solution” in addition to ROKETSAN’s Smart Micro Munition family (MAM-C, MAM-L, and MAM-T). In 2018, the first firing test of Bozok was conducted using a Bayraktar TB2 drone, confirming the munition’s high-precision strike capability. Work on the development of Bozok’s various capabilities has continued since then. The new test firings in the Saros Gulf were used to evaluate the point reached in the project. Bozok was launched with laser guidance this time, and it was successful in destroying its target. Bozok, whose qualifying procedure began in 2020, was supposed to go into mass production in 2021, however due to the Covid-19 pandemic, that date was pushed back to 2022.
BOZOK, according to TÜBİTAK SAGE, allows effective defense in asymmetric warfare without risking friendly forces by providing attack capabilities to UAVs. Bozok provides operational conformability in UAVs where weight is crucial due to its lightweight and compact design. BOZOK uses an inertial measurement unit for tactical midcourse inertial navigation. The semi active laser seeker provides precision guidance during terminal course. BOZOK delivers a large-scale anti-personnel impact based on proximity sensors and optimum target effectiveness at the end of the terminal phase.
Bozok sits between MAM-C and MAM-L in terms of technological features due to its light and compact design. The ordnance, which weighs 16 kg and measures 120 mm in diameter and 80 cm in length, has a range of 15 kilometers. Bozok, which will be equipped with a tungsten multi-particle special warhead, can be utilized in any mission that does not necessitate penetrating armor. However, with the upgrades to Bozok an armor-piercing warhead can be added.
For the time being, it appears that the first export customer of the new laser-guided miniature ammunition, which will enter the Turkish Armed Forces’ inventory in batches in the coming days as mass production begins, is ready. As Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has also announced on Twitter that Turkey’s Bozok ammunition has started mass production. According to the Ministry, the Bozok laser-guided miniature munition is highly compatible with Bayraktar TB2, and Ukraine is currently the ideal testing ground for the munition. If Turkey agrees with this message, a meeting between the delegations is likely to take place soon, and BOZOK will be delivered to Ukraine.