ANKARA — Turkish defense company Roketsan has successfully tested its Tayfun Block-3 ballistic missile against a moving unmanned surface vessel (USV) in the Black Sea, marking a significant milestone in Türkiye's missile development program.
According to Türkiye's Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) and Roketsan, the live-fire test demonstrated the missile's ability to detect, track and destroy a freely maneuvering maritime target using an integrated seeker head. Defense officials said the achievement represents the first successful engagement of a moving sea target by a Turkish ballistic missile.
The test involved a seven-meter unmanned surface vessel designed to simulate a small, fast-moving fishing boat. Equipped with a live warhead, the Tayfun Block-3 locked onto the target during the terminal phase of flight and struck it directly after reaching hypersonic speed, destroying the vessel.
The SSB said the trial marked the first time a Turkish ballistic missile had engaged and destroyed a freely maneuvering target at sea. It also confirmed the first successful integration of a seeker head into a Turkish ballistic missile, allowing it to track and engage moving maritime targets rather than relying only on pre-programmed land coordinates.
Defense officials noted that only a limited number of countries have demonstrated similar ballistic missile seeker technology capable of engaging moving ships at sea.
SSB President Haluk Görgün said the Block-3 version of the domestically developed Tayfun missile had expanded Türkiye's long-range precision strike capability.
"The Block-3 version of the domestically developed Tayfun missile once again proved its success in the field by hitting a moving target with pinpoint accuracy. The Tayfun missile will make important contributions to our security architecture as one of the strategic capabilities strengthening our country's deterrence," Görgün said.
Roketsan Chief Executive Murat İkinci said the successful test highlighted the company's progress in missile guidance technology.
"Our Tayfun Block-3 missile, which hit a moving target at long range with a direct hit, once again showed the level our engineering capabilities have reached with seeker head integration. I thank all my colleagues who contributed to this critical success, which is a first in our country and has only a handful of examples in the world," İkinci said.
In a statement posted on X, Roketsan said the Tayfun Block-3 combines hypersonic terminal speed with high strike precision and that the company will continue improving the capabilities of its missile systems to strengthen Türkiye's strategic deterrence.
The Tayfun missile system is designed for long-range precision strikes against strategic targets. According to Roketsan, the system features a short launch preparation time, allowing rapid deployment and relocation of launch units to improve survivability on the battlefield.
The company also said the missile has strong resistance to electronic warfare, including GPS jamming, and is capable of operating day and night in all weather conditions due to its low environmental sensitivity.
Because the Tayfun Block-3 maintains hypersonic speed during the final phase of its flight while using an advanced seeker to track moving targets, it presents a more challenging target for conventional naval air defense systems.
The successful Black Sea trial represents another step in Türkiye's effort to expand its indigenous missile capabilities and enhance the operational performance of the Tayfun missile family. Officials said the test validates both the missile's seeker integration and its ability to engage moving maritime targets under realistic operational conditions.
Source: turkiyetoday
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