Hisar-O Defense System Firing Shows Longer Range and Dual Seeker Agility in Türkiye’s Steel Dome.

Turkey released footage of a successful Hisar O firing on Oct. 18, with local reports pointing to the Aksaray range. The move accelerates a layered, domestic air defense architecture led by Aselsan and Roketsan, with implications for regional deterrence and NATO interoperability.

Turkey is knitting its ground-based air defenses into a single picture. After President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan chaired a meeting that advanced the Steel Dome program, a national, multi-layer network, the Ministry of National Defense released new footage of a Hisar-O engagement that officials and local media linked to Oct. 18 activities at the Aksaray range. Aselsan heads the electronics and command layers while Roketsan supplies the missiles, a division of labor that Ankara and company executives have highlighted across recent briefings and ceremonies.
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Screenshot of the missile test video released by the Turkish Ministry of National Defense (Picture source: Turkish MoD)

Designed to integrate sensors, C2 nodes, and firing units, Steel Dome seeks to shorten the decision loop through data fusion and engagement support algorithms. Aselsan is responsible for key components and the initial layer against short-range threats within a 10-kilometer radius, while the Hisar missile family provides coverage for upper tiers. The aim is a national umbrella able to aggregate radars, electro-optical sensors, and launchers, then assign the most suitable effector to the designated target.

Launched in 2007, the Hisar family combines Roketsan’s missile development with Aselsan’s sensors and electronic architecture. It includes Hisar A for short range, Hisar O for medium range, and the long-range axis embodied by Siper, the evolution of the Hisar U concept. This buildup reflects a drive for strategic autonomy, reinforced by frictions with some NATO allies and the episode of acquiring the Russian S-400, which contributed to Türkiye’s removal from the F-35 program.

Hisar-O is a SAM mounted on a Mercedes-Benz Zetros chassis, with vertical launch providing 360-degree coverage. The imaging infrared seeker variant engages targets beyond 25 km, with a minimum range of 3 km and an interception ceiling of about 15 km. The radio frequency seeker variant extends the envelope beyond 40 km. A dual pulse solid rocket motor sustains terminal energy for manoeuvring against agile targets. At the system level, the battery cites a fighter detection and tracking capability between 40 and 60 km, with the ability to track more than 60 targets at once.

The Hisar O 100 architecture at the battery level is built around a fire control center, an organic radar, an electro-optical suite, three launcher vehicles, and a transport reload vehicle, providing 18 ready-to-fire missiles. At the group or battalion level, nine launchers raise the stock to at least 54 missiles, increasing depth and enabling successive engagements. A datalink provides in-flight updates, IFF supports identification, and standardized tactical links facilitate integration with the national air picture.

The added value lies in the combination of mobility, vertical launch, and multi-engagement management. The 6×6 launchers disperse, fire, reconfigure quickly, and reload under the cover of redundant sensors. For area defense, Hisar O protects airfields, critical infrastructure, and manoeuvre units; in a layered construct, it bridges very short-range systems and long-range assets while addressing varied profiles such as fighters, low altitude cruise missiles, air-to-ground munitions, and drones, including saturation scenarios. Using both IIR and RF seekers diversifies guidance methods and complicates opposing countermeasures.

The Aksaray firing is not an isolated gesture. It demonstrates crew proficiency without direct assistance from engineering teams and confirms the ability to maintain a posture with multiple missiles on alert. Within Steel Dome, this feedback informs the fire control AI, which aggregates radar, electro-optical, and tactical network feeds to reduce the time between detection, identification, and firing. Embedded simulation tools in parallel allow training without interrupting operational cycles.

The concurrent acceleration of Steel Dome and the Hisar family confirms a path toward air defense autonomy that reshapes regional balances. It strengthens deterrence for Türkiye around the Black Sea, the Aegean, and the Levant, where drone and cruise missile threats have become common. It also weighs on industrial discussions with partners in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific seeking modular solutions deliverable with training and support. Finally, it fits into a more complex relationship with the United States and NATO, where technical integration with Western standards coexists with procurement and technology transfer policies oriented toward sovereignty.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Erwan Halna du Fretay is a graduate of a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience in the study of conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.