IDEF 2025: Roketsan positions new Çakir cruise missile at the core of Türkiye’s multi-platform strike capabilities.

During IDEF 2025, Roketsan officially presented the Çakir cruise missile as a network-enabled weapon system designed for integration on land, sea, and air platforms. The missile entered mass production on July 9, 2024, following development that began with a public introduction at Roketsan’s Ankara Lalahan facilities on March 31, 2022.
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The Çakir family consists of four variants: the Çakir CR is intended for land-attack missions, the Çakir AS is an anti-ship version, the Çakir LIR serves an electronic warfare function, and the Çakir SW supports swarm attack operations. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

That event included a contract signing between Roketsan and Kale Arge for the supply of the KTJ-1750 turbojet engine powering the missile. The first launch was initially scheduled from a Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned aerial vehicle before the end of 2022, with full integration across platforms targeted for completion in 2023. The missile’s launch was attended by the President of Defence Industries İsmail Demir, Roketsan Chairman Faruk Yiğit, General Manager Murat İkinci, and Kale Group Vice President Osman Okyay. The missile is now offered in several configurations, all optimized to provide multi-platform deployment and in-flight adaptability.

The Çakir features a modular architecture and compact structure, with a fuselage diameter of 275 mm. The air-launched variant is 3.3 meters in length and weighs 275 kg, while the surface-launched version reaches 3.8 meters in length and 350 kg in weight due to the inclusion of a solid-fuel booster. The missile incorporates a 70 kg warhead with several options including high-explosive, blast-fragmentation, semi-armor-piercing with particle effect, and thermobaric payloads. The propulsion system is provided by the KTJ-1750 turbojet developed by Kale Arge, supported by a solid booster for surface launches. The cruise speed ranges between Mach 0.75 and Mach 0.85, allowing for sustained high subsonic flight. The air-launched version exceeds 150 km in range, and the surface-launched version exceeds 100 km. The missile is designed to engage both land and maritime targets in varied conditions and from multiple platforms.

The guidance system of the Çakir integrates several navigation technologies for mid-course and terminal phases. These include an inertial navigation system, terrain-referenced navigation, radar altimeter, barometric altimeter, and anti-jam GNSS. Terminal guidance is provided by imaging infrared, radio frequency, or hybrid seekers. The missile supports in-flight communication via a two-way network-based data link. This allows for mission flexibility such as route adjustment, target reassignment, and mission abortion during flight, depending on operator input. The missile can follow pre-programmed 3D waypoints and make terrain-following maneuvers. These features allow the missile to remain functional in electronically contested environments and maintain targeting accuracy under various weather conditions. In addition, the missile can approach targets at low altitudes over land or sea to reduce radar detection.

The Çakir is compatible with several launch platforms, including fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), unmanned surface vessels (USVs), tactical wheeled ground vehicles, and surface naval platforms. It can be carried in multiple configurations depending on the platform, such as four missiles per UCAV, jet, or USV, two per helicopter or cargo aircraft, and up to eight on naval fast attack craft. The missile’s operational targets include surface ships, shore-based land targets, infrastructure, strategic facilities, and underground or fortified positions such as caves. The missile’s radar-absorbing body and terrain-masking capability are combined with navigation systems that permit operation close to the surface, enhancing its ability to evade air defense systems. It is designed to remain effective despite intense electronic jamming or GPS interference.

The Çakir family consists of four variants with specific operational roles. The Çakir CR is intended for land-attack missions, the Çakir AS is an anti-ship version, the Çakir LIR serves an electronic warfare function, and the Çakir SW supports swarm attack operations. Each variant uses the same structural architecture and guidance system, allowing for common logistics and maintenance. In swarm mode, multiple Çakir missiles can coordinate their approach and distribute target assignments. This functionality aims to reduce the effectiveness of opposing air defenses and allows for simultaneous engagement of several targets. The missile’s design permits clustered carriage, enabling multi-axis attacks from a single launch platform. The same datalink used for flight adjustments is also utilized for inter-missile communication during coordinated swarm missions.

The missile’s development includes the KTJ-1750 engine, which is part of Kale Arge’s broader KTJ-series turbojet family. This series began with the KTJ-3200, which powers the ATMACA and SOM missiles and was Türkiye’s first domestic turbojet engine for missile propulsion. With the KTJ-1750, Kale Arge aimed to reduce foreign dependency in propulsion systems for smaller cruise missiles. The engine features low fuel consumption, compact dimensions, and high performance at altitude. Its development was announced during the 2022 Çakir launch event. The KTJ-1750 is equipped with systems designed to maintain thrust under diverse operational conditions and to support extended loitering or high-maneuverability profiles as required by the missile’s flight path and engagement strategy.

Within the broader category of cruise missiles, the Çakir occupies the medium-range, subsonic segment and is intended to complement Türkiye’s existing long-range systems such as the SOM and ATMACA. Compared to larger cruise missiles like the U.S. Tomahawk or the Russian Kalibr, the Çakir provides reduced size, weight, and cost, with modularity and swarm capability as distinguishing features. Unlike strategic cruise missiles with intercontinental reach or nuclear payloads, the Çakir is optimized for conventional missions, tactical flexibility, and rapid deployment across various operational theaters. It reflects international trends in cruise missile development focusing on low radar cross-section, multi-platform launch integration, precision strike capability, and resistance to electronic warfare. The system’s network-based control and compatibility with Turkish unmanned systems indicate its integration into broader command architectures and emerging battlefield doctrines.