Indigenous Naval Vertical Launch System

MIDLAS (Milli Dikey Atım Lançer Sistemi — National Vertical Launch System) is Turkey's first indigenous naval vertical launch system, developed to replace dependence on the US Mk 41 VLS for Turkish warships. The system was successfully demonstrated in 2025, launching both the HISAR-D RF air defense missile and the SIPER-1D long-range missile from the TCG Istanbul frigate during separate test firings.

Naval VLS technology is a critical enabler for modern warship capability — without it, vessels cannot deploy air defense missiles, anti-submarine rockets, or cruise missiles from protected below-deck launchers. The US Mk 41 VLS dominates this market, but export restrictions limit what weapons can be fired from it. MIDLAS gives Turkey unrestricted capability to integrate its indigenous missile family on its growing fleet of indigenous warships.

The MIDLAS development also positions Turkey for the TF-2000 anti-air warfare destroyer program, which began construction in January 2025. The TF-2000 will require extensive VLS capacity for its air defense mission, and MIDLAS provides the sovereign launcher platform for the SIPER missile system in the naval domain.