Türkiye to deliver SOM ŞAHİN cruise missiles to Azerbaijan, overcoming French embargo

The Turkish SOM cruise missiles, designated as SOM ŞAHİN for their delivery to Azerbaijan, are ready for dispatch. 

It has been stated that the deliveries, which had previously been hindered by an embargo imposed by France on engine supplies, are now expected to proceed promptly, Caliber.Az reports via the X page of the Turkish defence portal SavunmaSanayiST.com.

This development is made possible by the utilisation of domestically produced turbojet engines.

The introduction of the SOM ŞAHİN missiles marks a significant enhancement in Azerbaijan's military capabilities, further strengthening the country's defence systems.

Notably, Stand-Off Missile [SOM] is an air-to-surface cruise missile fired from beyond the range of air defence systems and is suited for use against heavily defended land or naval targets deep in the battlefield.

It relies on GPS as its main guidance method, supplemented by an advanced inertial navigation system and a radar-based Terrain Referenced Navigation system. This enables the missile to fly close to the terrain, helping it to evade local defence systems.

By Aghakazim Guliyev