National Technologies, Innovative Solutions in the Defense Industry

The Night Is Ours

The year is 1992 and right after the First Gulf War. As you know, this war is known as "We own the night." (The night is ours.) was the first act of the discourse. Information technologies and night vision opportunities in this context had not yet become widespread at this level. Therefore, this period was an exceptional period in which intermediate solutions and different applications could also open up space. In this process, I would like to share one of the different applications that came to my mind.

For the A-10, the close air support aircraft of the USA, night vision capability gained importance. Instead of developing a separate system for this purpose, they resorted to a rather different method. They made a slight change to the IR-guided Maverick Air-to-Ground missiles. By giving energy from outside instead of its own battery, they transformed the eye of this missile into the eye of the pilot for night vision purposes. Outsourcing what it needed to see and cool its sights, the missile gave the aircraft a meaningful capability while still maintaining its capabilities to destroy the enemy. In that sweet time of my high school years, I made a note of this information in my mind.

Exceeding Current Potential with New Technologies

Of course, night vision technologies have developed a lot over time. Other technologies too. We can say that missiles have had the biggest share of this development. Very effective means began to emerge, such as Israel's IIR-based Pyhton 5 missile. Iris-T, ASRAAM, AIM-9X etc. Alternatives, of course. In addition, the seeker heads of these missiles also offered users a very high-angle scanning opportunity. Brand new pods have come into play for night vision and even aiming. The aircraft were also fitted with IRST (Infrared wavelength search and tracking) systems. But I thought the "true potential" of the intermediate solution, as you can see in the A-10 - Maverick example I just quoted, was never realized. I would like to explain with an example.

Think of an advanced missile that is IIR guided, in full control of software and hardware. When you load four of these on a plane, you will have four separate compartments. Imagine being able to combine data from four different eyes, like technologies that combine images from different telescopes of the same world into a single high-resolution image. And don't be limited to just that. Give the software in question features such as dividing eyes into different sectors and scanning in a wider area at the same time. Even include the pods on a manned aircraft (like Aselpod), and other optical loads on an unmanned aircraft (ASELFLIR, CATS, etc.) into the equation. The synergy that this multi-eye system will provide, from the narrowest angles to the widest, will give your platform additional unique capabilities far beyond what you can imagine.

New Gains for the Turkish Defense Industry

Especially with this assumption, if you make minor retouches and customizations on your missiles and other electro-optics, your gains will undoubtedly increase. Even relatively slow platforms such as Hürkuş can be given valuable combat capability on the base to be formed. Also normally 20 km. Your IIR seeker heads, which can capture and lock the enemy from a range such as, can increase this range and distance effectiveness to 40 km. will raise it. With the addition of advanced data link and range extender small booster units, it is predictable to have a solution set between WVR and BVR. The biggest advantage of this solution set is that it will provide users with the opportunity to identify friend and foe more sharply, as it will provide visual confirmation. Thus, in complex and crowded battlefields, the ability to engage enemy elements just beyond the range of the WVR will be gained.

Let's assume that you are walking this alternative path and that you have succeeded in this work with domestic and national technologies. So, what kind of advantages can this give us for the future? Before giving an example on this matter, I would like to emphasize the following scientific fact. The knowledge and experience you have accumulated means that you have a very meaningful and important basis for big data. Having big data means you can refine, accelerate and apply it to discrete architectures at much smaller scales. In other words, these four missiles, which you combine with the information-processing power and sensors of the aircraft, can turn into four network-centered brains that can communicate among themselves in the future and do the same work by removing the aircraft. What benefit can you expect from this?

Nike Missile Batteries:

Let's go back to the years when air defense missiles first appeared. The technology was not that advanced, and it was clear that it was not sensitive. Therefore, being able to direct a missile to a dynamic target in the air required a very difficult engineering solution. The most logical solution was the following. The ground radar system would first detect and then track the enemy aircraft. The missile was to be fired roughly towards the enemy. The missile would be directed from the ground using the radio frequency band. (Sort of the kind of remote control system we now use in civilian drones.) In this way, an effect on the target could be achieved, even if it was not in the form of a pinpoint hit.

In order to make this effect meaningful, the missiles had to be quite large. Because they had to carry warheads at a level that could cover a large area. They even had to be equipped with nuclear warheads, if necessary, to destroy the target aircraft fleets. This is how the Nike Hercules missiles, which our country has used for a long time, were born. With the support of NATO and the United States, huge facilities and sheltered launch pads were built for the missiles in question in our big cities such as Istanbul and Izmir. Now, Turkey needs to use modern missiles such as S-400, EuroSam, Patriot instead of these missiles, which are products of obsolete technologies. However, there are also rumors that they are still kept active out of necessity.

Designing a New Integrated Missile System

Let's build "something else" on this ground. Whether it is a system that will derive from our existing family of guided tactical ballistic missiles, or that will be designed and manufactured with a focus on simplicity. It will cover a swarm of 4 IIR guided missiles 200 km, to be fired from the Nike launcher. Let's imagine a carrier missile with a maximum speed of 4-5 mach. But let our “new missile” have a more modern and difficult to confuse radio guidance structure. Let's assume that the quad-pack it carries has the capabilities that we have just outlined.

Normally, the part of a missile that takes up space and weight is the propulsion rocket part. Because it provides a certain speed and kinetic energy to the missile. Now that we're using a cargo missile here and achieving high supersonic speeds, we can go for an overhaul. For example, we can replace the propellant part of the four missiles with a slower combustion version in order to balance the drag force for the longest time, to keep the response guidance system as part of the maneuverability for the longest time, and to extend both the airtime and the range. Thus, normally no more than 20 km when thrown from the plane. air-to-air missiles that can go the distance, 50 km. and can have ranges above. Combine this with the 200 kilometers of the main cargo (carrier) missile and you get quite a fair amount of value in terms of range. You can also ensure that facilities that were established at great expense years ago continue to work. Such a system, which you will operate in a network-centered structure with other modern air defense elements and troops, can give you abilities that go beyond the enemy's equations.

Original and Sovereign Systems Can Open New Doors

Having a domestic and national defense industry is really important. When domestic and national solutions are used correctly, different doors can be opened and innovative approaches can come to life. Because our age has a wide range of threats and is more open to unexpected surprises than ever before. There is a fateful difference between being the one who eats the surprise and the one who makes it. For this reason, I think that the perspectives and military philosophies that will guide the defense systems have gained much more importance than before.

I hope our country will complete its deficiencies in this regard and continue on its way in the most robust and sustainable way. If we have made a contribution in this direction, we are happy. Until our next article, stay healthy, happy and safe.