Turkey has begun testing its domestic ramjet-powered anti-radiation missile. The Akbaba (vulture) will replace the Turkish Air Force’s AGM-88 HARMs.
Among the most elusive projects of the Turkish defence industry, the Akbaba has been shrouded in mystery for years. Though little is known about it, more information has surfaced since the news of the firing tests. . According to İbrahim Sünnetci it will feature both a wideband passive radio frequency (RF) seeker and an active mechanically scanned RF seeker. Firing test footage exists, yet it is unavailable to the public.
Earlier this year the Kargi anti-radiation loitering munition was fully unveiled. Though both the Kargi and Akbaba serve a similar purpose, they are vastly different. The Kargi is a slow, truck-launched loitering munition with an extremely long range. Whereas the Akbaba is a supersonic anti-radiation air-to-ground missile. Both are designed to seek and destroy enemy radar but do so in distinct ways. Together with modified Simsek target drones, Cakir LIR (electronic warfare variant) and the JEMSAH supersonic decoy drone, the Akbaba and the Kargi will provide immense SEAD capabilities to the Turkish Armed Forces.
