Ankara, August 23, 2025 – The Europe Today: Türkiye has successfully tested its indigenous high-speed target drone system, Simsek, marking a new milestone in the country’s defense capabilities, the nation’s top defense official announced on Friday.
Haluk Görgün, head of the Defense Industries Secretariat, said in a statement on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal that the drone achieved a ground take-off for the first time with its rocket-assisted take-off (RATO) system. With this advancement, Simsek has gained the ability to be deployed both as a target aircraft and in kamikaze missions.
“Our defense industry has added yet another critical capability to its arsenal,” Görgün said, emphasizing that the achievement demonstrates the power of technologies developed entirely with national resources. The system, he noted, will enhance Türkiye’s operational flexibility and strengthen its deterrence.
He reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to pursuing innovative solutions for future defense needs and extended his appreciation to Turkish Aerospace Inc. (TAI), the developer of Simsek, for its contribution to the project.
