Another company from OSTİM, which has made significant contributions to Turkish industry and provided domestic and national solutions to many large projects, has added its name to a national project. The field process has begun for the Electromagnetic Gun System developed by Prof. Dr. Mirzahan Hızal, Fazıl Hızal, and their team.
The company, a member of the OSTİM Defence and Aerospace Cluster, commissioned by SSM, signed the Electromagnetic Launch System Field Prototype Supply Contract together with supporting companies, including OSTİM Teknoloji A.Ş.
The agreement was signed by SSM Undersecretary İsmail Demir, SSM Deputy Undersecretary Faruk Yiğit, Hızal Ltd. General Manager Prof. Dr. Mirzahan Hızal, Anadolu Directed Energy Technologies Inc. Chairman of the Board Fazıl Hızal, OSTİM Technology Research and Development Center Inc. Chairman of the Board Behzat Zeydan, Adalar Makina Ltd. General Manager Muharrem Elçi, and Figes Engineering Inc. General Manager Koray Gökalp.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of National Defense İsmail Demir stated that they named the system ŞAHİ209, adding, "Work continues on including various new generation systems in the inventory for use by our security units, and various research and product development studies are ongoing in this regard."
The system we are currently discussing is a cannon project based on an electromagnetic launch system, which countries such as the United States, Russia, China, France, and Germany are working on.
"Our professor has actually been working on this project since 2013. This is a technology that is currently in the development phase, and we are seeing the prototype product being used in various environments," he said.
Target: 100% Domestic Production
Noting that classic weapons hit their targets with gunpowder, fuel, or explosives, while electromagnetic cannon systems use electrical energy instead, İsmail Demir continued: “The ammunition launched with this energy has very high kinetic energy and hypersonic speed. It destroys the target by hitting it with this high energy.”
The biggest advantage of this technology is the low cost of firing. It's effective at the cost of artillery fire but within missile range, and because it has hypersonic speeds, it's very fast, effective, and capable of destroying targets.
In fact, similar projects are being worked on by other institutions in Turkey. Our goal here is, firstly, 100% domestic production. Secondly, it's a method that Turkey should become accustomed to, with multiple institutions, organizations, and academies working on these kinds of new technology demonstrations. Because projects can lead to different technologies in their own right, and we can create different systems that trigger each other and perhaps work together in an integrated way in the future.”
It will be among the pioneering projects
The Undersecretary of the Undersecretariat of Defense Industries (SSM) indicated that the project will include various trial phases and that the ultimate goal is for it to transform into a weapon systems platform for use by security forces. He stated, “When evaluated with the aim of widespread adoption of systems in this and similar fields in Turkey, our project will be among the pioneering projects. Currently, there are prototypes created in a laboratory environment as part of the development work. We are signing a contract with Anadolu Directed Energy Technologies Inc. for the procurement of a field prototype with similar characteristics.”
To be completed in a short time
Explaining that the project will progress in stages, Undersecretary of the Undersecretariat of Defense Industries (SSM) İsmail Demir said, “The tests in the laboratory environment are continuing. Perhaps close to a thousand tests have been conducted so far, and we are now aiming for a product that can be deployed in the field and fired. Hopefully, we will all witness the day when we conduct our field tests. I want to emphasize that this project is not a three-year project; we aim to complete it in a very short time. Hopefully, we will all witness the field tests of the project before the end of this summer.”
“We wish to continue this”
Hızal Ltd. General Manager Prof. Dr. Mirzahan Hızal also said the following at the signing ceremony: “We would like to thank the Undersecretariat of Defense Industry and our esteemed Undersecretary very much. Their sensitivity and sincere support regarding this issue encouraged us and increased our confidence. Hopefully, we are making the beginning of these efforts today. We wish to continue this as soon as possible.”
“We will support it to the end”
OSTİM Board Chairman Orhan Aydın underlined that they will support the project with all available resources. Regarding the project, which will bring significant gains to Turkey, Aydın stated, “I hope this project will be beneficial to our country, our homeland, our nation, and to all of us for our independence and future. I thank you all for making this project, which my professor has worked on for many years at OSTİM, a reality. We, with all our resources and capabilities at OSTİM, will be at my professor's service to make this project a reality and will support him to the end. I want you to know this, thank you all.”
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