Indigenous Air-to-Air Missile Family

Turkey has developed a complete indigenous air-to-air missile family: the GÖKDOGAN (Peregrine Falcon) beyond-visual-range missile with active radar homing, and the BOZDOGAN (Merlin) within-visual-range infrared-guided missile. Developed by TUBITAK-SAGE, both missiles are designed to replace the US-supplied AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder. The GÖKDOGAN achieved a historic milestone in November 2025 when it scored the world's first BVR air-to-air kill from a jet-powered unmanned aircraft (the Kizilelma).

Air-to-air missiles are among the most tightly controlled defense technologies globally, and Turkey's previous dependence on US AIM-120s created a critical vulnerability — Washington could effectively ground Turkey's air force by withholding missile deliveries. The indigenous missile family eliminates this chokepoint and provides weapons for the KAAN fighter, F-16 upgrades, and unmanned combat aircraft without requiring US government approval.

The successful integration and firing from the Kizilelma unmanned fighter demonstrated that Turkey's air combat ecosystem — radar, missile, and platform — can operate as a fully sovereign system. This capability is essential for the KAAN program's credibility as a genuine fifth-generation fighter, not merely an airframe dependent on foreign weapons.