SİPER

SİPER (''Trench'') is a high to medium air defense surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. Designed to defend against any type of airborne threat, it can fight aircraft, cruise missiles, air-to-ground missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It was jointly developed in Turkey by the companies Roketsan, Aselsan and the research institute TÜBİTAK SAGE.

The SİPER system project was launched by the Presidency of Defence Industries in 2018. The missile is developed by Roketsan, and most sensors and electronics by Aselsan. The ''SIPER'' missile was originally announced as ''Hisar-U''. However, it was later announced that the Siper missile would be a new missile family and 3 different blocks would be developed. Siper Block 1 were developed based on the Hisar-O missile with booster.

Siper Block 1

''Siper Block 1'' was originally planned as ''Hisar-U''. However, after it was concluded that ''Hisar-U'' could not meet Türkiye's long-range and high-altitude air defense missile needs with its current structure, it was decided to transform ''Hisar-U'' into a new missile family. This missile family was named ''Siper'' and the name of Hisar-U was changed to ''Siper Block 1''. ''Siper Block 1'' was designed by adding a booster to the Hisar-O missile and some parts were modified. During the first firing test, which took place at the test range in Sinop, northern Turkey in December 2022, the SİPER Block 1 missile successfully demonstrated the ability to detect, track and hit a high-speed target aircraft at a range exceeding . It was announced that SİPER will be put into service within 2024.

At the Defense Industry meeting held on 20 December 2022, it was decided that Türkiye would start mass production of air defense products. SİPER successfully passed its final test on 13 May 2023, hitting a long-distance target. On 15 December 2023, a contract worth more than $1.5 billion was signed between Aselsan, Roketsan and Tübitak SAGE companies and the Turkish Land Forces and the Turkish Air Force for the mass production of ''Siper'', Hisar and other air defense missiles. According to the contract, the mass production products of the ''Siper'' Block-1 and other air defense missile systems will be delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces between 2025 and 2029. Speaking at the contract ceremony, Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said that ''Siper'' and other defense products were produced domestically. Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol said that the production of ''Siper'' air defense systems continued in 2024. He also stated that the chips of the missiles, radars and other electronic parts were designed by them and thousands of these chips were produced. In October 2024 Siper Block-1 entered the inventory. It was announced that Siper Block-1 had undergone more than 100 launching tests.

Siper Block 2

''Siper Block 2'' missile was developed as a completely new missile, unlike block 1. It has a single-stage rocket engine. It was also announced that a booster was planned to be used to extend the range of Block-2. The first firing test of Siper B2, which has a range of 150 km, was successfully completed in August 2023. On 15 September 2024, a new test was conducted in Sinop. The development of the system continues at the air defense test center named ''Robosim'' established by Aselsan. A mock-up of the missile was first seen in public at the ''Euronaval'' fair in November 2024.

Siper Block 3

It was announced that ''Siper Block 3'' is under development. The system was developed against ballistic missiles. Siper Block 3, which will have a range of 180 km+.

Specifications

* Air defence planning and coordination
* Management and distribution of information within the scope of command and control
* Combined aerial image production
* Multiple engagement and sequential firing
* Manual/semi-automatic/automatic engagement
* Friend-Foe Recognition (IFF)
* Threat assessment and weapons allocation
* Automated diagnostics management
* Multi-target multi-radar fusion, Bidirectional communication with missiles
* Wired/wireless communication
* Upright/oblique shot
* Ability to work in harsh conditions
* Interface with HvBS, Radnet connection
* Link to higher command via tactical data links (Link-16, JREAP-C)
* Embedded simulation
* Ability to operate with 8 FFS, each of which can fire 6 missiles

See also

* Hisar
* Patriot
* SAMP/T
* HQ-9
* HQ-22
* Khordad 15 (air defense system)
* Barak 8
* Bavar-373
* L-SAM

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:SIPER
Surface-to-air missiles of Turkey
21st-century surface-to-air missiles
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 2022
Military equipment introduced in the 2020s
Roketsan products
Aselsan products