Türkiye’s Aselsan rolls out KORKUT 100/25 SB drone killer redefining hard-kill tactical air defense.

On June 4, 2025, Turkish defense giant Aselsan rolled out the KORKUT 100/25 SB, a new generation of counter-drone systems engineered to neutralize mini and micro UAV threats using precision-guided 25mm airburst munitions. This advanced hard-kill platform, as reported by Aselsan, marks a significant upgrade in Türkiye’s evolving tactical air defense doctrine. Integrated on the highly mobile Ejder Yalçın 4x4 armored vehicle developed by Nurol Makina, the system offers an agile, combat-ready solution capable of addressing emerging low-altitude aerial threats with modular and autonomous engagement capabilities.
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Türkiye, through Aselsan’s KORKUT 100/25 SB, is not only fielding a domestic response to one of today’s most pressing battlefield challenges, it is also shaping the future of tactical drone defense (Picture source: Aselsan)

The KORKUT 100/25 SB is a physically interceptive anti-drone weapon station equipped with advanced electro-optical sensors, autonomous fire control algorithms, and the ATOM 25mm programmable ammunition. Specifically tailored for kinetic elimination of low-RCS (Radar Cross Section) UAVs, the system can detect, track, and destroy targets under all weather and visibility conditions. Its integration onto the Ejder Yalçın platform ensures high maneuverability across diverse terrain while maintaining combat survivability and tactical versatility in convoy protection, urban warfare, and forward-operating base defense scenarios.

The development of the KORKUT 100/25 SB reflects Türkiye’s incremental approach to building layered drone defense capabilities. A previous configuration was publicly presented at SAHA Expo 2024, but the newer SB variant features a significantly improved sensor suite, seamless integration with external surveillance systems, and a refined targeting architecture that combines automatic cueing and computerized firing solutions. Most notably, the system employs ATOM 25mm programmable airburst rounds with muzzle velocity-based timing, allowing precise neutralization of swarming drones or evasive aerial targets, an advancement built on battlefield data and lessons from real-world operations.

Unlike heavy, turreted drone defense platforms such as the Rheinmetall Skyranger or the NORINCO LD-3000, the KORKUT 100/25 SB is designed with mobility and modularity as top priorities. Its integration onto the Ejder Yalçın 4x4 vehicle platform, already in service with numerous countries, underscores its plug-and-play deployment strategy. While Western counterparts may offer higher-caliber projectiles or radar-based tracking, the Turkish system brings the advantage of logistical simplicity, urban deployability, and a domestic smart ammunition suite, enabling rapid deployment in both high-intensity and grey zone conflict zones.

Strategically, this system reinforces Türkiye’s ambition to develop a fully indigenous and multi-layered counter-UAS capability. Sitting between soft-kill jamming systems and long-range interceptors like HISAR, the KORKUT 100/25 SB is tailored for tactical environments where kinetic interception is essential. Its deployment enhances force protection for mobile units, command centers, and border infrastructure. On a broader geopolitical scale, it represents a message of self-reliance and deterrence, relevant in theaters like northern Syria, Libya, and even beyond, where Türkiye’s expeditionary footprint faces persistent aerial threats from unmanned systems.

Türkiye, through Aselsan’s KORKUT 100/25 SB, is not only fielding a domestic response to one of today’s most pressing battlefield challenges, it is also shaping the future of tactical drone defense. By leveraging indigenous platforms, precision munitions, and agile integration strategies, the system delivers a compelling answer to the fast-changing dynamics of asymmetric aerial warfare.