Türkiye's New High-Speed Drone Achieves First Rocket-Assisted Launch

Türkiye’s Defense Industries Secretariat announced on Friday the successful test of Simsek, a high-speed target drone system.

With its lightning rocket-assisted take-off (RATO) system, Simsek took off from the ground for the first time and gained the ability to be used in target aircraft and kamikaze missions, Haluk Gorgun, the head of Türkiye's Defense Industries Secretariat, said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, The Caspian Post reports, citing Anadolu.

"Our defense industry has added yet another critical capability to its arsenal," he wrote.

The step is a concrete demonstration of technologies developed entirely with national capabilities, enhancing Türkiye's operational flexibility and strengthening its deterrence, he said.

"We continue on our path with our commitment to producing innovative solutions for future defense needs," he said.

He also thanked Turkish Aerospace Inc. (TAI), which developed Simsek.​​​​​​​