ASELSAN Exhibits The KORKUT Air Defense Gun System Integrated on an 8X8 Armored Vehicle For The First Time At Eurosatory 2024
ASELSAN, Turkey’s leading defense company, exhibited a version of the KORKUT Air Defense Gun System integrated into the chassis of Otokar’s 8×8 ARMA tactical wheeled armored vehicle for the first time at the Eurosatory defense fair, held every two years at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Fair Center in Paris, the capital of France.
The KORKUT low-altitude Air Defense Gun System was designed to provide effective air defense for mechanized and mobile units. The system, which provides effective defense against a wide range of threats from helicopters to aircraft, cruise missiles to air-to-surface missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, has been in service with the Turkish Armed Forces integrated into the FNSS-produced ZMA-30 tracked armored personnel carrier platform to date.
The system’s new configuration has almost identical features, with the exception that it performs more effectively in different geographies and difficult terrains due to the vehicle with which it is integrated. KORKUT has a stabilized gun turret that can fire effectively even when moving. The system’s tracking platform, which includes an advanced fire control radar and electro-optical sensors, detects and tracks targets. The 35mm KDC-02 double-barreled weapon system has a high firepower output of 1100 rounds per minute and can fire a variety of projectiles, including ATOM airburst ammunition. Korkut also stands out with its Automatic Linkless Ammunition Feed Mechanism (ALAFM), which allows two different types of ammunition to be loaded simultaneously and the preferred ammunition to be selected and fired at the desired moment.
In an interview with SavunmaSanayiST during the fair, ASELSAN General Manager Ahmet Akyol stated that the Korkut system is in high demand and that a contract has already been signed with an unnamed international customer. Akyol also stated that they are working on 30mm and 25mm versions of Korkut, which they will reveal in the near future.
Given the rise of asymmetric threats, which have recently increased uncertainty in many conflict zones around the world, and their impact on shaping the battlefield, cost-effective Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) such as Korkut are expected to gain traction in the coming days. Furthermore, given Turkey’s recent breakthroughs in the defense industry and the good returns it has received from its exports, Turkey is very likely to capture a share of this market with Korkut and similar products.