Turkiye’s Bayraktar AKINCI Successfully Test-Fires ROKETSAN’s UAV-300 Long-Range Strike Weapon

Tekirdag, Turkiye — Turkiye’s Baykar-developed Bayraktar AKINCI unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) has successfully conducted a live firing test of ROKETSAN’s UAV-300 Long-Range Strike Weapon.

The test was conducted over the Black Sea, with the missile striking a sea target located more than 250 kilometres away. The AKINCI took off from the Corlu Flight Training and Test Centre in Tekirdag and flew to the designated test area near Sinop before launching the missile. After the successful engagement, the aircraft returned to Corlu along its planned route.

The 300 ER is the longest-range member of ROKETSAN’s air-launched ballistic missile family, which began with the UAV-122 and UAV-230. ROKETSAN first publicly presented the missile as the 300-ER at IDEF 2025 in Istanbul. The finalized missile features design changes from the earlier display configuration, including tail control surfaces instead of nose fins and a more slender, curved nose section.

The missile is approximately 5 metres long, has a 370 mm diameter and weighs around 900 kilograms. It can carry a warhead weighing more than 150 kilograms, with different warhead configurations available for different target types.

The 300 ER has a stated range of more than 500 kilometres, depending on the altitude and speed of the launch platform. Higher release altitudes can increase the achievable distance. The missile uses a solid-propellant rocket motor for its flight.

For guidance, the missile combines GNSS and inertial navigation during the mid-course phase with a television camera seeker during the terminal phase. It is intended for precision attacks against targets such as radars, armoured vehicles, air-defence systems and command centres.

The weapon is designed for both fighter aircraft and unmanned combat aircraft, including the Bayraktar AKINCI and jet-powered Kızılelma. An F-16 is expected to carry two missiles, while the AKINCI can carry one on a suitable hardpoint. The system has also been discussed for potential integration with the KAAN fighter.

Earlier members of the family have already been tested with the AKINCI. The UAV-230, derived from the TRG-230, has demonstrated ranges above 150 kilometres, while the UAV-122 has also completed successful firing tests.

ROKETSAN had indicated earlier in 2026 that initial 300 ER test firings and delivery to the Turkish Armed Forces were planned within the year. The successful September 2026 trial confirms the missile’s integration with AKINCI and its ability to engage a surface target at a distance of more than 250 kilometres during the reported test.

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