Turkish defense firm Aselsan successfully tested a mobile laser weapons system that counters drone attacks.
Aselsan said Monday its GÖKBERK system tracked and destroyed first-person view drones in several combat situations. The company added that the successful test proves the system can defend against various threats.
“Previously proven effective against rotary- and fixed-wing kamikaze drones, GÖKBERK now showcased its advanced capabilities by detecting, autonomously tracking, and eliminating FPV drones across multiple test scenarios, demonstrating exceptional speed and precision in engagement,” the company said in a statement.
GÖKBERK uses an “Indigenous laser source” with high beam quality to “hard kill” enemy drones and deploys electronic jamming systems to enable “soft kills,” Aselan said. Additionally, GÖKBERK’s electro-optical systems and AI-powered algorithms improve the unit’s targeting capabilities.
“With artificial intelligence-supported algorithms, the system’s tracking and identification capabilities are maximized, which enables GÖKBERK to destroy the threats in the target set in a very short time,” the company said. “Thanks to the cooler designed for 24/7 operation, GÖKBERK can fire uninterruptedly for a long time. The system, which creates maximum impact with minimum power, stands out as a cost-effective solution.”
Aselsan also noted that all major components of GÖKBERK are produced domestically, offering a boon to Turkey’s defense industry.
GÖKBERK is already a key component of Turkey’s Steel Dome air defense system. Like Israel’s Iron Dome system, the program integrates various defensive technologies to defend against missile and drone attacks. GÖKBERK will be deployed at airports, military bases, power plants and oil refineries, Aselsan said.
Steel Dome, if successful, will prove important for Turkey and its allies as drone attacks become more common on battlefields around the world. The program could also prove useful for Turkey’s allies in the region, in particular the new Syrian regime as it handles precarious relations with Iran, Israel and Iraq.
