SİPER 2 Air Defence Missile Destroys a Target Switched in Mid-Flight
Türkiye’s SİPER 2 long-range air and missile defence system has destroyed a target that was switched while its missile was already in flight, the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) and the system’s makers said on Sunday, 25 October 2026. SSB President Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün wrote that SİPER Product-2, “after being fired at a specific target, destroyed its new target updated while airborne” (Haluk Görgün on X). ROKETSAN said it was the first time the system had demonstrated in-flight target change (ROKETSAN).
- SİPER Product-2 (SİPER 2) was fired at one target, received a new target while airborne and destroyed it, the head of Türkiye’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) said on 25 October 2026
- ROKETSAN said the system showed in-flight target change for the first time
- ASELSAN said the firing involved targets flying close to the sea and tested mid-course and terminal guidance
- The date and location of the test were not disclosed
- ROKETSAN lists the Block-2 missile’s range as 150 km; it forms the long-range layer of Türkiye’s Steel Dome air defence network
What the firing tested
ASELSAN gave the most technical detail. It said SİPER 2 carried out engagements against targets flying close to the sea surface, and that the firing tested three things: switching the missile from its first target to a second one after launch, mid-course guidance and terminal guidance (ASELSAN). None of the three statements gave the date or location of the test, the type of targets used or the distance at which the intercept took place.
Retargeting in flight matters because an air defence battery rarely faces a fixed picture. If a target turns away, is destroyed by another weapon or is overtaken by a more dangerous threat, a missile that can be redirected over its data link is not wasted. Low-flying targets over the sea are also harder for ground radars to track, because the sea surface and the horizon limit detection.
What is SİPER Block-2?
SİPER is Türkiye’s long-range regional air and missile defence system. SSB runs the project, and ASELSAN, ROKETSAN and TÜBİTAK SAGE develop it as a business partnership (SSB). According to ROKETSAN’s product page, the Block-1 missile has a range of more than 100 km, while Block-2 reaches 150 km. Block-2 is 6.3 m long with a 420 mm diameter, compared with 5.4 m and 370 mm for Block-1. Both use the same canister. In mid-course the missile is steered by a data link and GPS-aided inertial navigation; in the final phase an active radar seeker takes over. Listed targets are combat aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, cruise missiles and air-to-surface munitions (ROKETSAN).
Görgün said that about 1,000 subcontractors work on the SİPER project and that the system strengthens the long-range layer of Steel Dome, Türkiye’s integrated air defence architecture (SSB President). Our explainer on what Steel Dome is covers how the layers fit together.
Previous developments
SSB announced the first firing test of SİPER Product-2 at the Sinop test centre on 29 August 2023, noting that Product-2 uses the same radars, command and control, launcher and communications as Product-1, with a longer-range missile (SSB). In June 2026, SSB reported that SİPER 2 had destroyed a manoeuvring target (SSB weekly bulletin).
On the industrial side, Defence Turkey reported from an SSB signing ceremony at SAHA 2026 that a SİPER-2 serial production contract had been signed on 29 October 2025 and was later amended to cover more Turkish Air Force fleets, batteries and missiles, with deliveries targeted for 2027-2032 (Defence Turkey). ASELSAN chief executive Ahmet Akyol said in October that the missile had entered serial production, according to TURDEF (TURDEF). These timelines come from reports of official statements; SSB has not published delivery quantities.
Industry context
Sunday’s announcement adds a guidance capability rather than more range. For Türkiye, it is another step in building a home-grown long-range layer alongside HİSAR and short-range systems. Our guide to Türkiye’s air defence systems, from SİPER and HİSAR to the S-400 sets out where SİPER sits in the national inventory.
Sources: SSB President Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, ROKETSAN and ASELSAN official X accounts (25 October 2026); ROKETSAN SİPER product page; SSB SİPER project page and news releases (29 August 2023, 22 June 2026); Defence Turkey (6 May 2026); TURDEF (5 October 2026).
