On October 19, the Turkish Air Force announced that its F-16 fighter jets had conducted live-fire tests with the new Gökdoğan and Bozdoğan air-to-air missiles, both domestically developed by TÜBİTAK-SAGE and intended to become part of the service’s arsenal across multiple platforms. According to official channels, these were real-fire tests against unmanned aerial targets located beyond visual range, which were successfully destroyed to verify the proper performance of both missiles.
Commenting on the event, Turkey’s Minister of Industry and Technology, Mehmet Fatih Kacir, stated on social media: “Bozdoğan and Gökdoğan are two signatures engraved in the sky by our advanced engineering, unwavering determination, and ideal of total independence (…) The indigenous and national air-to-air missiles developed by TÜBİTAK-SAGE have successfully completed challenging live-fire tests.”
Delving into further details, TÜBİTAK-SAGE had previously tested both missile types, although this recent event marked the first time they were launched together from an F-16 during the same exercise. As background, the Bozdoğan was first tested in live-fire trials in April 2021—also from an F-16 launching platform—using a Şimşek drone as the target. The Gökdoğan, in turn, was tested for the first time in 2018, with additional trials recorded in February of this year.
Moreover, during the recently reported trials, both missiles were mounted on launchers placed at the wingtip stations as well as underwing pylons; both carried an orange coating for easier visual tracking. In the released footage, the missile-carrying F-16 can be seen escorted by another F-16 flying close behind, while a KC-135 Stratotanker provided aerial refueling support. The images capturing the missile launches were taken from these accompanying aircraft, with infrared cameras recording the moment of impact on the target drones.
Regarding their known characteristics, the Bozdoğan is designed as a highly maneuverable short-range (approximately 25 km) air-to-air missile. It features a solid-propellant rocket motor with high thrust and low smoke emission, an infrared imaging seeker for target tracking, and thrust vector control. The Gökdoğan, by contrast, is a medium-range missile with a range of about 65 km, powered by a solid-fuel motor, and equipped with an active radar seeker and a “lock-on after launch” capability that allows it to track a target using continuous data updates from the launching aircraft.
Finally, it should be noted that the Turkish Air Force’s F-16s have not only been engaged in testing the Gökdoğan and Bozdoğan missiles but also in trials of the new SOM-J anti-ship missiles developed by Aselsan. As reported earlier, the SOM-J is specifically designed for strikes against heavily defended land and naval targets, featuring a modular design that provides greater operational flexibility.
Image credits: @mfatihkacir on X
You may also like: The Turkish Air Force has confirmed the purchase of 12 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft retired from service by the United Kingdom
