Roketsan integrates ATMACA anti-ship missile into F-16 combat aircraft PHOTO

The configuration of Türkiye's first national anti-ship missile, ATMACA, compatible with the F-16 combat aircraft is being developed.

The ATMACA will increase the anti-ship capabilities of the F-16 fighter jet, SavunmaSanayiST.com said on X, according to Caliber.Az.

F-16’lara uyumlu ATMACA Gemisavar Füzesi geliyor

— Havadan Atılan ATMACA için çalışmalar başladı

— Türk F-16'ları, SLAM-ER olmadan da gemi vurabilecek

Ayrıntılar: https://t.co/h7cpODEeeh pic.twitter.com/No3DBJTihB

— SavunmaSanayiST.com (@SavunmaSanayiST) October 16, 2023

It was decided to develop new munitions technologies so that the ATMACA weapon system, which forms the backbone of Turkish military capabilities and is used as a surface-to-surface weapon, can also be utilised as an air-to-surface weapon. In this direction, work is underway to integrate the ATMACA Block-I anti-ship missile into F-16 PO-III/PO-IV aircraft.

Mission planning, fire control and data transmission technologies will be adapted within the air-to-surface attack concept. As a result of the research, Turkish F-16s will have the capability to engage surface targets with ATMACA missiles in addition to IIR SLAM-ER-guided missiles.

Thanks to Roketsan's work, a domestic analogue of the AGM-84L-1 Harpoon, which is an airborne version of the US-made Harpoon anti-ship missile, will be developed.

ATMACA G/M guided missile project was initiated in 2009 to meet the anti-ship missile needs of the Turkish Navy through domestic and national resources. In this context, the ATMACA anti-ship missile with a range of more than 250 kilometres with an active radar homing head, developed under prime contractor Roketsan, was first fired from the corvette MILGEM TCG KINALIADA (F-514) in November 2019. In this firing test, ATMACA successfully hit a stationary target on the sea surface. 

During another test conducted on June 18, 2021, the ATMACA missile was again fired from the corvette KINALIADA and for the first time hit a real ship's target. The target ship sank after being hit by the ATMACA missile. ATMACA has officially entered service with the Turkish Navy in the recent past.

Roketsan's ATMACA anti-ship missile can only be detected by the target platform at a range of 18-20 kilometres due to its small radar cross-sectional area and Super Sea Skimming, which means it can fly close to the water surface. Given ATMACA's speed of Mach 0.85, this gives the target ship's crew a very limited reaction time and does not impede the ability to manoeuvre.