Arab Defense Website – November 18, 2025: In a long interview with the “Al-Muttahri” program on Al Jazeera, the General Director of the Turkish Roketsan Company, Murat Akinci, revealed the features of a qualitative shift in the capabilities of the Turkish missile industries, indicating that his country now has a global leadership position in this field.
Akinci explained that Türkiye was the first country in the world to launch a 230 mm ballistic missile from a drone, an innovation that evolved from a mere pioneering experiment into an actual product exported to other countries.
He pointed out that this unique ability to use drones as platforms for launching ballistic missiles represents an advantage that is almost unique to Turkey, as no other country possesses the same system with this maturity and operational readiness. According to Akinci, the Turkish air and naval forces are effectively using these systems to disable enemy air defense systems and radars, thus enhancing Türkiye’s ability to carry out precise operations that exceed the capabilities of traditional systems.
Akinci pointed out that a hypersonic ballistic missile with a range of up to 150 kilometers, launched from a drone, achieves a strong deterrent effect on the battlefield, because it provides the element of surprise, flexibility of movement, and the ability to strike vital targets from outside the range of defenses. This development, he emphasizes, represents an additional step in the Turkish transformation towards an advanced defense industry that competes at the international level.
It cannot be destroyed by air defense systems
The TRG‑230‑IHA missile was developed by the Turkish company Roketsan as a supersonic air-to-surface ballistic missile, and underwent its first practical tests when it was launched by an Akinci drone in December 2022. This missile gives unmanned aircraft the ability to strike targets more than 150 kilometers away, marking an advanced step in integrating ballistic capabilities with unmanned aerial platforms.
In that test, a high-altitude Akinci fighter took off from Çorlu Airport and traveled about 700 kilometers before arriving at the test field in Sinop. Upon reaching an altitude of 25,000 feet, the drone launched the missile, which hit a target at a distance of 100 kilometers with high accuracy, confirming the efficiency of air launch and guidance capabilities.
The actual range of the missile varies according to the height and speed of the launch platform, but on average it is 150 kilometers. It includes a particle-impact warhead, with the possibility of equipping it with armor-piercing or thermal warheads, allowing it to deal with a wide range of targets. The missile begins its path in free fall after being dismantled from the plane, before it activates its solid-fuel rocket engine to complete its autonomous journey towards the target.
The TRG‑230‑IHA is based on a jam-resistant GNSS-assisted inertial guidance system, operating on a “fire and forget” principle, which allows it to be used in complex combat environments without endangering air platforms. Turkish sources estimate that intercepting it with conventional air defense systems represents an extremely difficult task due to its speed and flight curve.
As for the launch platform, the Akinci combat drone, it was developed by Baykar based on its previous experience, so that it is capable of carrying out tasks similar to those carried out by military aircraft. Akinci has a wingspan of 20 meters and a streamlined structure that gives it the ability to fly for 24 hours continuously at an altitude of up to 40,000 feet, with a payload of 1,500 kilograms of munitions and sensors.
Akinci operates with advanced payloads that include electronic support systems, satellite communication links, air-to-air radars, and obstacle detection and artificial opening radars. It can also carry out air-to-ground and air-to-air missions, and take off and landing from traditional runways. Its maximum speed is 195 knots, its maximum take-off mass reaches 5,500 kg, and it is equipped with an AESA radar, EO/IR/LD and SIGINT systems, in addition to the ability to carry precision munitions and long-range anti-aircraft missiles. It operates with two turbocharged engines with a power of 750 horsepower, or two other engines with a power of 450 horsepower, depending on the version.
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