Turkey Unveils A New Laser Weapon System Named JARMOL
The JARMOL Laser System developed for the Gendarmerie General Command was showcased by TÜBİTAK Informatics and Information Security Advanced Technologies Research Center (BİLGEM) for the first time. The TÜBİTAK Gebze Complex’s BİLGEM High Power Laser Research Center Integration Laboratory and Test Tunnel served as the site of the system’s presentation and demonstration. Attending the event were representatives from TUBITAK and the Turkish Gendarmerie General Command.
TÜBİTAK BİLGEM President Ali Görçin made the following statements about the new laser weapon system in his speech at the event, according to the official news agency of the Republic of Turkey, Anadolu Agency (AA). “We didn’t just integrate a 5-kilowatt laser system into moving vehicle. In addition, we collaborated closely with ASELSAN to demonstrate an integration with the İHTAR system,” Görçin continued “we collaborated with many companies throughout the project, developing mechanical systems, optical systems, and other systems, essentially providing the best example of collaborative work in the defense industry eco-system. Our goal here is to develop deterrence technologies for close-air element autonomous or remote-controlled systems, which have recently emerged and increased in usage. Turkey has made significant progress as a result of its early involvement in laser technologies. Today, we are faced with the core of that.”
According to a 2021 activity report published by Turkey’s scientific and technological research institution (TÜBİTAK), JARMOL is an improved version of ARMOL, Turkey’s first military-compliant laser system, which has been in the TAF inventory since June 2020. JARMOL is a semi-autonomous UAV defense weapon capable of automatically aiming at target positions received from radar and tracking and eliminating UAV targets up to a range of 2 km by firing its 5-kW laser produced by TÜBTAK BİLGEM on user command. The system, which is fully integrated into the BMC Kirpi armored vehicle, including its own energy system, makes it possible for the vehicle to go to any region needed and carry out operations without any outside support. Apart from UAV interception, the system is capable of eliminating various threats up to a range of 5 km.
Aside from ARMOL and JARMOL, Turkey has three other laser weapons projects. One of them is ASELSAN’s LSS, which is designed to respond to mini and micro UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) / USV (unmanned surface vehicle) threats with a range of up to 500 meters. Another example is ROKETSAN’s ALKA Directed Energy Weapon System, which was designed to neutralize improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and mini/micro unmanned aerial vehicles. Finally, Meteksan Defense’s NAZAR Laser Electronic Warfare System was developed as a countermeasure to neutralize missiles equipped with electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) seekers through the use of directed laser dazzle and functional destruction techniques. The Nazar Laser Electronic Warfare System is scheduled to be delivered to the Turkish Naval Forces Command by the end of the year.