Turkiye uses YALMAN gun turret of local production to fight against terrorists PHOTO/VIDEO

YALMAN gun turret, which was seen operational for the first time in the video published by the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF), received full marks from the experts. The platform, which enables the firing of many missiles from a single location, can also undertake critical tasks in a possible operation against Syria.

Beginning from the Operation Claw Lock (Pençe Kilit) initiated by the Turkish Armed Forces, the activities against the terror zones in the north of Iraq are at full swing. Footages from the operation are shared periodically by the Ministry of National Defense.

Terrorist targets have been recently shot from the YALMAN gun turret in a response to the attacks on Karakamış district and Köprübatı Border Post on the border with Syria. It was the first time that YALMAN went down to a battlefield.

So, what does the YALMAN gun tower do? What opportunities and capabilities did it give to the security forces? More importantly, is it possible to use YALMAN across borders in case of a new operation in Syria?

Capabilities of YALMAN

In an interview with TRT Haber, Defence Industry Researcher Ahmet Alemdar said that “the YALMAN gun turret is a modular system with a very flexible design in terms of payload. It can play important roles not only on the ground but also for naval platforms”.

YALMAN can be configured with a design that can fire various precision-guided missiles based on needs. Studies are being carried out for the integration of YALMAN, which increases the precision strike capability of manned land platforms, into naval platforms as well.

YALMAN, which is currently used in the ULAQ armed unmanned sea vehicle, was also integrated into Burak class corvettes for test purposes. YALMAN has recently been integrated on the SALVO armed unmanned sea vehicle system developed by Turkish DEARSAN defence manufacturer.

Alemdar said that "we can see that YALMAN, which has also been successful in shootings on SALVO, is exported with this system and similar platforms".

Technical features

“The ammunitions of the YALMAN gun turret - L-UMTAS and UMTAS with 70 mm CIRIT missiles - are developed by the local experts of ROKETSAN. These missiles are effective against different targets and stand out with their different technical features,” Alemdar said.

“L-UMTAS and UMTAS guided missiles with infrared warhead create deterrence against various naval platforms, especially with fixed or mobile enemy tanks and heavy armoured vehicles. The laser-guided CIRIT missile is effective against fixed or moving targets, which also have light armour protection.

It is also planned to integrate the low-altitude air defence missile SUNGUR into the YALMAN gun turret. If it happens, it will be possible to engage both very low-altitude air targets and different targets, including armoured ones, on a single platform.”

YALMAN will also be equipped with a 7.62-mm-machine gun in the near future.

Alemdar underlined that YALMAN will allow the Turkish Armed Forces to respond to many asymmetric threats with a single platform.

Will YALMAN be used in a possible operation in Syria?

The expert said that “the pole-mounted electro-optical camera system on the KAPLAN-10 armoured vehicle, in which YALMAN is currently integrated, provides important situational awareness to some in the field”.

“Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities can be carried out using this armoured vehicle. YALMAN with its electro-optical system mounted on a body pole offers important gains to the Turkish Armed Forces in terms of operational and tactical intelligence, in the battlefield, as well as in operations carried out against the terrorist groups in northern Syria,” he added.

YALMAN can detect its target and neutralize, and is a very suitable system to combat the threat posed by the PKK/YPG terrorist organization in northern Syria, Alemdar said.

The PKK and YPG terrorist groups have acquired different types of armoured, lightly armoured, and non-armoured vehicles through various means. They own fixed bunkers of different armor levels. It is important to use gun turrets, which have a universal role, in eliminating all these and similar threats that may appear at any moment in the battlefield.

“The presence of high-precision strike-capable turret, such as YALMAN, in the battlefield, which monitor various terrorist targets while they manoeuvre, is a great blessing” Alemdar concluded.