Turkish company TÜBİTAK SAGE started mass manufacturing of Bozok laser-guided bombs. The munitions were developed for use in drones, including the Baykar Bayraktar TB2, which was widely used in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The small bomb, guided by a laser beam, was successfully tested, being integrated into the TB2 drone. Now, the new precision ammunition finally reaches the production phase that was initially planned to start in 2021.
“Mass production of SAGE’s first UAV [unmanned aircraft] munition, the Bozok, has begun,” said Gürcan Okumuş, manager of TUBITAK, adding that the bombs will be delivered in batches.
Okumuş also claimed that the company developed a penetrating warhead for the Bozok, in addition to extending the bomb's range. “Later we will have some related firing tests”, observed.
The Bozok is smaller and has a lighter and more compact structure compared to the MAM-L bombs, which has been actively used by Turkish drones. The MAM-L is part of the locally developed intelligent micromunitions (MAM) family, which also includes the MAM-C and MAM-T bombs.
According to Okumuş, the range has been extended from nine to 15 km, but TÜBİTAK wants to increase it even more: “There were test shots where we covered more than 15 kilometers with the Bozok, we are looking at where we can take this further. We are aiming for even greater reach.”
According to its manufacturer, the pump Bozok provides effective defense without compromising allied elements in asymmetric warfare by giving attack capability to unmanned aerial vehicles.
Due to the light and compact design, it brings operational conformability in drones for which weight is critical. Bozok, with its innovative design, stands out among rivals with the help of robust operating features.
At the same time, the Turkey is also approaching the final stage of development of its Bozdoğan and Gökdoğan air-to-air missiles, also developed by TÜBITAK SAGE. The armaments are alternatives to the US AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM. Okumuş claims that these missiles could be produced soon.
