Turkey has reportedly begun to mass-produce its latest miniature munition designed to be fitted into unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This laser-guided Bozok missile has undergone various fire tests which it has successfully completed. Although the miniature munition could function in a variety of UAVs, the Bozok was specifically created to be fitted in the Bayraktar TB2 drone.
While the TB2 drone was created by the Turkish manufacturer Baykar Makina, the Bozok missile was developed by TÜBİTAK Defense Industries Research and Development Institute. Turkey has exported nearly 100 TB2 drones to 13 countries, bringing precision air-strike capabilities to its purchasers. The new miniature Bozok missile will elevate the TB2’s already cutting-edge capabilities and serve as a useful asset for the Turkish government.
Originally developed in 2007, Turkey’s TB2 drone has achieved widespread notoriety for its effectiveness in counterinsurgency missions. The drones were used in last year’s conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan and most recently in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Fitted with the new Bozok miniature munition, the TB2 drone would become a true front liner in the UAV line up.
The Bozok munition provides attack capabilities to unmanned aerial vehicles without compromising its effective defensive functions. Extremely small and lightweight, the miniature munition also provides operational conformability in its weight-sensitive hosts. The MAM-L munition, typically used by Turkish-made combat drones, is smaller and heavier than the new Bozok variant. The Bozok weighs in at 16 kilograms and is about 120 millimeters in length. Comparably, the MAM-L lightweight Smart Micro Munition weighs 22 kilograms and is around 1 meter in length.
According to Defense News, the missile “features precision guidance with its semi-active laser seeker, proximity sensors and optimized target effectiveness, according to TÜBİTAK.”
In addition to the Bozok missile, Turkey’s TÜBİTAK Defense Industries Research and Development Institute has recently developed two indigenous classes of air-to-air missiles. The Beyond Visual Range Gokdogan and the Visual Range Bozdogan are both nearing mass production after successfully completing test launches, according to Turkish reports.
Turkey’s advancements in the drone and munition sectors have steadily improved in recent years. Last month, Turkey’s homegrown Bakyar Makina “Avinvi” unmanned aerial vehicle successfully completed an unprecedented flight over the country’s northwest and Azerbaijan. The high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle has the capability to support fighter jets in Turkish operations. The sophisticated drone can also be equipped with various weapon payloads, including missiles and laser-guided smart ammunition.
While the roll-out of the Bozok miniature munition is in the works, Turkish-made drones and munitions will continue to play an active role in ongoing conflict across the world.
Maya Carlin is a Middle East Defense Editor with 19FortyFive. She is also an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel.
