Bozdoğan is a within-visual-range air-to-air missile system developed by Türkiye. It was developed within the scope of the Göktuğ Project, carried out by TÜBİTAK SAGE (Defense Industries Research and Development Institute). Gökdoğan, another part of the project, was designed as a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. Bozdoğan was specifically designed for use in close-range air combat (dogfight) scenarios.

^{Gökdoğan and Bozdoğan Missiles (Defence Türk)}

Development Process

Development of the Bozdoğan missile began in 2013. Within the scope of the project, it was aimed to develop it entirely with national capabilities, using domestic engineering expertise. The first live-firing tests were successfully conducted in 2021, followed by comprehensive trials involving launches from various platforms (especially F-16 fighter jets).

Usage

Bozdoğan was developed to enhance the close-range air combat capabilities of the Turkish Air Force and, in its initial phase, underwent an integration process for use on F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets. During this process, many technical stages such as the missile's mechanical compatibility with the aircraft, communication with the mission computer, integration with targeting systems, and flight safety were carefully tested. In flight tests conducted after ground tests, Bozdoğan successfully locked onto targets with its high maneuverability and “fire-and-forget” capability, hitting targets accurately in live-fire tests. Thanks to this feature, pilots can engage other threats after locking onto a target, gaining an advantage in multi-engagement scenarios.

In the future, Bozdoğan is aimed to be integrated into Türkiye's national fifth-generation fighter jet, KAAN. It is intended that Bozdoğan will work in full harmony with KAAN's advanced avionics infrastructure and internal weapons bays. Thus, KAAN will be able to use Bozdoğan without being detected by radar, maintaining air superiority by reducing its visibility. This integration will enable Türkiye to use entirely domestic missile systems in its fifth-generation fighter jets, significantly reducing dependency on foreign sources in the defense industry.

Furthermore, in the long term, various adaptation studies are planned to enable Bozdoğan's use on different air platforms such as domestically produced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and light attack aircraft. This will provide flexibility to Türkiye's air power and enable the use of domestic ammunition suitable for different mission types.

^{Gökdoğan and Bozdoğan Missile Test Firings (TÜBİTAK)}

Significance

Bozdoğan is one of the important projects developed to reduce Türkiye's foreign dependency in this field and enhance its national defense industry capabilities. Developed as an alternative to Western counterparts like the AIM-9 Sidewinder, Bozdoğan aims to increase Türkiye's fifth-generation air combat capabilities.