Çakır Cruise Missile

Çakır Cruise Missile is a next-generation cruise missile developed by Roketsan with a modular architecture, capable of being launched from land, sea, and air platforms. The system is designed for use on fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial and maritime vehicles (UAVs/UMVs), tactical wheeled land vehicles, and surface platforms. It is capable of engaging surface targets, coastal targets, strategic land targets, and caves. The official launch of the Çakır missile family took place on 31 March 2022.^【1】

^{Technical Characteristics of the Çakır Cruise Missile - Anadolu Agency}

The missile’s body diameter is no more than 275 millimeters. In a launch configuration without a boost motor, its weight is 275 kilograms and its length is 3.3 meters. When integrated with a solid-fuel booster motor, the total weight increases to 330 kilograms and the length reaches 4.1 meters.^【2】 The weight of the land and sea-launched variants is reported as 350 kilograms with a length of 3.8 meters.^【3】

The primary propulsion system is the KTJ-1750 turbojet missile engine, developed indigenously by Kale Arge. With this system, the missile achieves a high-subsonic cruise speed between Mach 0.75 and 0.85.^【4】 The operational range exceeds 150 kilometers for air-launched variants and exceeds 100 kilometers for surface-launched variants.^【5】 The missile carries a 70-kilogram high-explosive, semi-armor-piercing, and fragmenting thermobaric warhead effective against both armored and unarmored targets.^【6】 It is manufactured with a radar-absorbent body structure to complicate detection by enemy air defense systems and features super sea-skimming flight capability over water and terrain-masking capability over land.

The Çakır missile family offers three seeker head options: Imaging Infrared (IIR), Active Radar (RF), and a Hybrid (Dual-Mode) seeker combining both technologies. The hybrid seeker concept, integrating IIR and RF seekers into a single system, has been implemented for the first time on a Turkish missile platform.^【7】

Mid-course guidance and navigation systems include an Inertial Navigation System (INS), jamming-resistant Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), radar altimeter, barometric altimeter, and terrain-referenced navigation. Additionally, the missile incorporates a two-way data-link system compatible with network-centric operations. The data-link capability enables in-flight route and target updates, mission cancellation, and handover of missile control to friendly units.

The Çakır missile is capable of operating in swarm configurations, enabling multiple munitions to be employed simultaneously and in coordination. Based on its modular architecture, the system has been developed into four main configurations: anti-ship (IIR, RF, Hybrid), cruise missile (IIR, RF, Hybrid), swarm-sensor-equipped, and electronic warfare variants.^【8】 Variants designated ÇAKIR LIR and ÇAKIR SW, equipped with electronic warfare payloads, are planned to perform Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) and target deception missions in environments with intense electronic jamming.

The following platforms are envisioned for integration and carriage of the missile:

• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: AKINCI (4 units), AKSUNGUR (4 units), and MİUS (4 units).
• Combat and Patrol Aircraft: F-16 (4 units), HÜRJET (4 units), National Combat Aircraft (4 units), Naval Patrol Aircraft (2 units).
• Helicopters: Attack and general-purpose helicopters (2 units).
• Maritime and Land Vehicles: Armed Unmanned Maritime Vehicles (4 units), Assault Boats (8 units), and Coastal Defense Systems (4 units).^【9】

^{Füzenin İlk Atış Testi} (Anadolu Ajansı)

The missile’s first launch test was conducted on 11 May 2023 from the Bayraktar AKINCI Attack Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The missile, featuring indigenous components and engine, successfully destroyed its target during the test and became the first cruise missile ever launched from a UAV worldwide.^【10】

On 14 June 2025, another test was conducted from the AKINCI UAV platform, featuring low-altitude cruise flight and autonomous target recognition. During this test, the missile successfully demonstrated its ability to fly at low altitude and autonomously identify and engage its target.^【11】