Roketsan’s IHA-230 Joins Turkish Army Inventory, Marking New Era for UCAV Firepower
The Turkish Ministry of National Defence made it official on June 4, 2026: the IHA-230 air-launched ballistic missile has entered the inventory of the Turkish Land Forces. The announcement came from ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk, who described the system as domestically developed and optimized for integration with Turkey’s largest unmanned combat platforms.
From Ground-Based TRG to Air-Launched Ballistic Round
The IHA-230 traces its lineage to Roketsan’s TRG-230 family of guided rockets, reworked for air launch from a moving platform at altitude. At 3.4 meters in length and 230 millimeters in diameter, the weapon weighs approximately 225–230 kilograms — within the payload budget of the Bayraktar Akıncı UCAV (1,350 kg internal and external load). The AKSUNGUR is also certified as a launch platform. The weapon follows a ballistic trajectory achieving supersonic terminal velocity, with a declared range exceeding 150 kilometers.
Turkish UCAV Weapons Ecosystem
| Weapon | Type | Range | Primary Platform | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAM-C | Miniature smart munition | ~8 km | Bayraktar TB2, TB3 | In service / exported |
| MAM-L | Smart micro munition | ~14 km | TB2, Akıncı | In service / exported |
| ÇAKIR | Turbojet cruise missile | ~150 km | Akıncı, AKSUNGUR | In service |
| SOM-J | Air-launched cruise missile | ~250 km | Akıncı | Development |
| IHA-230 | Air-launched ballistic missile | >150 km | Akıncı, AKSUNGUR | In service (June 2026) |
Export and Strategic Significance
Defense intelligence outlet Janes confirmed the IHA-230 has already been exported, with the recipient country undisclosed. For NATO’s southeastern flank, fielding a supersonic air-launched ballistic munition on a platform that can loiter for 24-plus hours represents a genuine expansion of the alliance’s organic deep-strike options.
