In a major concern for India, Turkey, which openly supported and armed Pakistan during the recent India-Pakistan conflict after Operation Sindoor, has made another giant leap in the advance weapons’ space as it unveiled its first hypersonic missile, the Tayfun Block-4, the latest variant of its indigenously-developed Tayfun ballistic missile family.
How powerful is the Tayfun Block-4 missile?
Designed and developed by Turkish defense giant Roketsan, the Tayfun Block-4 is a hypersonic variant of Turkey’s indigenously built longest-range Tayfun ballistic missile series. The Tayfun Block-4 measures 6.5 meters, weighs 2,300 kilograms and has a range of 800 kilometres, as per a report by Turkey Today.
“The Tayfun Block-4 is capable of long-range strikes, setting another record for the Turkish defence industry. Weighing over 7 tonnes, this new variant of the Tayfun, with its multi-purpose warhead, will be capable of destroying a range of strategic targets such as enemy air defence systems, command and control centres, military hangars and important military facilities from hundreds of kilometers away,” Roketsan said in a statement.
What makes hypersonic missiles so lethal?
As the name suggests, hypersonic missiles are capable of travelling at hypersonic speeds of Mach 5 and above (five times the speed of sound or around 6,100 kilometers per hour), making it extremely difficult for even the most advanced air defense systems to intercept them in time.
The destruction caused by Iran’s hypersonic missiles across major Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv and Haifa during the recent Israel-Iran war is a testimony to the penetrative capabilities of the hypersonic missiles which render even advanced air defenses like Arrow 3 and the Iron Dome useless in a battle scenario.
Why Turkey’s new missile is a concern for India?
Turkey, along with China and Azerbaijan, was among the few countries that openly supported Pakistan during the recent India-Pakistan conflict. Turkey, which has strengthened its military ties with Pakistan in recent times, also armed the Pakistani forces with advanced military drones like the Bayraktar TB2, which were actively used against Indian installations during Operation Sindoor.
Defense analysts believe Turkey’s development of a hypersonic missile system could be a significant security threat to India as Ankara could provide the technology and the missiles to Pakistan.
Notably, Pakistan had earlier approached its “iron brother” China for hypersonic technology, but the request was denied.
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