The Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri), in coordination with defense primes ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, and TÜBİTAK SAGE, has successfully executed a live-fire interception test of the SİPER Block I (SİPER Ürün-1) long-range surface-to-air missile system at the Sinop Test Range.
Observed on-site by Turkish Chief of the General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Air Force Commander Gen. Rafet Dalkıran, ASELSAN General Manager Ahmet Akyol, and ROKETSAN General Manager Murat İkinci, the live-fire evolution validated terminal tracking, data-link handover, and target engagement capabilities at ranges exceeding 100 kilometers. Positioned as the upper-tier high-altitude interceptor umbrella of Türkiye’s integrated “Çelik Kubbe” (Steel Dome) air defense architecture, the SİPER system is engineered to neutralize air-breathing threats, cruise missiles, uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), and stand-off air-to-surface munitions defending critical military infrastructure and urban centers.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: SİPER BLOCK I LONG-RANGE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM
Developers, Industrial Roles & Contracting Framework
⚡ Lead System Integrator & Radar/C3I: ASELSAN A.Ş. (Ankara, Türkiye)
⚡ Missile & Ordnance Developer: ROKETSAN A.Ş. (Ankara, Türkiye)
⚡ Warhead & Guidance Research: TÜBİTAK SAGE
⚡ Sponsoring Contracting Authority: Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) / Turkish Air Force Command 
System Architecture & Battery Configuration
💥 Fleet Battery Deployment: 1× Fleet Command Center (Filo Komuta Merkezı – FKM), 1× Search Radar (UMRAD 3D AESA), 1× Fire Control Center (AKM), 1× Fire Control Radar (AKR), and up to 6× Missile Launching Vehicles (LÇV)
💥 Launching Unit Configuration: 8×8 tactical wheeled vehicle platform carrying 4× sealed vertical canister launch tubes
💥 Radar & C4ISR Integration: Integrated with ASELSAN ALP 300-G / UMRAD early warning radars providing 360-degree multi-target detection and micro-Doppler classification
SİPER Block I Interceptor Missile Parameters
🚀 Missile Type: High-altitude, long-range, solid-fueled surface-to-air missile (SAM) featuring a detachable rocket booster
🚀 Physical Dimensions: Length: 5.4 m | Diameter: 370 mm | Launch Canister: 6,450 × 850 × 800 mm
🚀 Engagement Envelope: Maximum operational range: >100 km (100+ km) | Operational ceiling: >20,000 m (20+ km)
🚀 Guidance & Terminal Homing: Mid-course inertial navigation system (INS) updated via two-way uplink/downlink, transitioning to an RF Active Radar Seeker (ARH) in the terminal phase
🚀 Warhead Architecture: High-explosive pre-fragmentation warhead equipped with an RF proximity fuze designed for maximum lethality against high-speed aerial threats
Next-Generation Growth Roadmap (SİPER Family)
🚀 SİPER Block II (Ürün-2): Single-stage solid rocket motor with extended booster, expanding engagement envelope to 150 km range and 30 km ceiling
🚀 SİPER Block III (Ürün-3): Advanced dual-pulse motor architecture featuring anti-ballistic missile (ABM) capabilities targeting regional tactical ballistic threats (180+ km range)
TIMES OF DEFENCE ASSESSMENT
The successful live-fire test of SİPER Block I in Sinop represents a strategic milestone in Türkiye’s path toward defense autonomy in long-range surface-to-air missile technology. Historically dependent on legacy foreign systems or temporary allied NATO Patriot deployments, the fielding and continuous testing of SİPER establishes a fully sovereign, high-altitude air defense umbrella capable of protecting national airspace against complex peer threats.
From an engineering and operational perspective, SİPER Block I provides the critical long-range intercept layer within Türkiye’s multi-tiered “Çelik Kubbe” (Steel Dome) ecosystem, seamlessly networking with point-defense (KORKUT), VSHORAD (SUNGUR), SHORAD (HİSAR-A+), and medium-range (HİSAR-O+) batteries. Combining ASELSAN’s high-power AESA tracking radars with ROKETSAN’s booster-assisted active radar homing interceptors allows SİPER to perform multi-target engagements against low-RCS cruise missiles and high-altitude strike fighters at ranges past 100 km. As development advances on SİPER Block II and Block III variants, Türkiye is establishing both domestic strategic deterrence and a competitive high-altitude air defense export product for global markets.
