Turkish army buys CAKIR ground-launched cruise missiles

Türkiye has signed a supply contract with missile maker Roketsan for land-based CAKIR cruise missile systems for the Turkish Land Forces, Haluk Görgün, head of the country’s Presidency of Defense Industries, announced on Oct. 15.

Görgün said in a post on X that the contract is meant to strengthen the army’s long-range strike capability, and that more than 200 subcontractors took part in the project, including nearly 20 large and medium-sized companies.

“We have signed the ÇAKIR Project Supply Contract for land-based systems to enhance the strategic strike capabilities of our Land Forces,” Görgün said, in a statement translated from Turkish.

Roketsan’s ÇAKIR is a compact, jet-powered subsonic cruise missile that can be fired from aircraft, armed drones, ships and uncrewed surface vessels, as well as tactical wheeled vehicles. According to the company’s specifications, the missile weighs up to 275 kg (606 pounds) on its own and up to 330 kg (728 pounds) with the solid-fuel booster used for ground and ship launches. It carries a 70 kg (154-pound) warhead and has a range of more than 150 km (93 miles).

The missile is powered by the KTJ-1750 turbojet engine developed by Turkish firm Kale R&D. Its guidance combines inertial navigation with jam-resistant satellite navigation and a radar altimeter, so it can keep flying on course under heavy electronic jamming. Roketsan says ÇAKIR can fly very low over water or follow terrain to stay below enemy radar, and that its airframe uses radar-absorbing materials. The family includes land-attack, anti-ship and electronic warfare versions with different seekers.

Roketsan carried out the first publicly announced ground launches of ÇAKIR in August, when two missiles fired from a mobile launcher hit separate land and sea targets, Naval News reported. Indonesia’s ambassador to Türkiye said the same month that his country had bought ÇAKIR missiles, and the missile has been linked to Qatari fast attack craft projects.

Görgün placed the deal alongside Türkiye’s other surface-to-surface missiles, saying deliveries of the BORA and TAYFUN ballistic missiles to the army are continuing while ÇAKIR and the land-based KARA ATMACA cruise missile add to the country’s deterrent. Roketsan made its first delivery of KARA ATMACA, a ground-launched version of the Atmaca anti-ship missile, to the Turkish Land Forces in April 2026.

He said Türkiye is expanding serial production of missile and air defense systems to meet demand from its own army and from friendly and allied countries, as part of a wider push to make the Turkish defense industry fully independent.

The contract brings a ground-launched cruise missile with a 150-km reach into Turkish army service alongside the longer-range KARA ATMACA and Roketsan’s ballistic missiles, with more than 200 Turkish subcontractors involved in its production.