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Simsek target drone bares its teeth

11th November 2021 - 09:00 GMT | by Tayfun Özberk

RSS

Simsek pictured before its test firing in October 2021. (Photo: SSB)

Turkish Aerospace has converted a target drone into a kamikaze aircraft — but there is no sign yet of a timeline for entry into service.

A new type of munition could arm Turkish-made UAVs, after Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) executed a live-fire test of a converted Simsek target drone aimed at a static sea target.

Ismail Demir, the president of Turkish defence procurement agency SSB, announced the successful tests on 24 October and shared a video on social media.

‘Simsek, the target drone, has evolved into a GPS-guided missile capable of flying autonomously and hitting targets at great distances,’ Demir claimed without divulging details of the operational range.

However, TAI general manager Temel Kotil first revealed the conversion of Simsek into a kamikaze drone in an

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