ROKETSAN’s ALKA Laser Weapon Destroys Drone Targets at World Military Drone Championship

ALKA, the directed-energy weapon system (DEW) developed by Turkish missile maker ROKETSAN, successfully destroyed drone targets with its laser during the World Military Drone Championship, Turkey’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) confirmed in its weekly industry roundup published on 26 October 2026.

According to SSB’s statement, ALKA neutralised the drone targets set for the championship. The agency did not release detailed technical data on the system’s performance during the event, and the bulletin did not specify the championship’s exact date or venue.

ALKA is a directed-energy weapon system engineered by ROKETSAN designed to neutralise mini and micro unmanned aerial vehicles and drones, with particular emphasis on countering kamikaze FPV drones. The system has been in serial production since 2023 and is currently the only directed-energy weapon in the Turkish Armed Forces’ inventory, tasked with protecting critical facilities.

Technical specifications attributed to the system include the ability to track up to 100 targets simultaneously via an integrated drone-detection radar. ALKA provides close-in air defence at a range of roughly 750 to 1,500 metres and can operate around the clock in both day and night conditions. Public reporting indicates the system’s laser output has been increased from an initial 2.5 kilowatts to more than 10 kilowatts in an upgraded version, a step up that substantially extends both range and effectiveness.

ALKA is positioned as a component of Turkey’s multi-layered air-defence architecture known as the Steel Dome (Çelik Kubbe) Project. Within that framework, the system complements missile- and gun-based air defences by adding a low-cost, continuously operating layer. Because laser weapons carry no per-shot ammunition cost, they offer a notable long-term cost advantage against swarming drone threats in particular.

ROKETSAN continues to pursue export opportunities for ALKA. The global proliferation of cheap attack drones has pushed many countries to add directed-energy weapons to their air-defence inventories, lifting international demand for systems like ALKA. Public performances at international platforms such as the World Military Drone Championship serve as a reference point that can directly support those export efforts.

Turkey’s layered air-defence structure spans long-range missile systems such as SİPER down to short-range laser weapons like ALKA. Under the Steel Dome Project, these layers are designed to complement one another, and ALKA’s showing at the championship is being read as a field data point confirming that the low-altitude, counter-drone layer envisaged for the project functions in operational conditions as well.

Directed-energy weapons are increasingly favoured for protecting critical infrastructure and military installations because they carry a far lower cost per engagement than guided munitions and, in practice, an effectively unlimited magazine. ALKA’s round-the-clock operation and ability to track multiple targets at once are frequently cited as the features that make it particularly suited to countering swarm attacks, a threat profile that conventional gun- and missile-based defences struggle to address efficiently.

Sources

• Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), “What Happened in Turkish Defence Industry This Week?”, ssb.gov.tr, 26 October 2026 — used for official confirmation of ALKA’s performance at the World Military Drone Championship.