Turkey could deploy local-made air defense missile systems HISAR-A and HISAR-O in Syria.

According to news released on Internet by Turkish media on March 3, 2020, the Turkish armed forces could deploy in Syria, new local-made air defense missile systems called HISAR to increase the protection of Turkish troops that perform combat operations in Syria.

HISAR-O medium-range air defense missile system based on military truck chassis Mercedes-Benz Zetros. (Picture source Army Recognition)

In February 2020, Turkey has requested to NATO the possibility to deploy American Patriot air defense missile systems on its southern border with Syria to establish a no-fly zone. But American senior leaders at the U.S. Joint Staff and Office of the Secretary of Defense are resisting to deploy Patriot in Turkey, according to U.S. State Department and DoD (Department of Defense) officials and two additional people familiar with the discussion. U.S. Defense officials believe the move would set a bad precedent and would not change Russian or Syrian calculations in the conflict, the U.S. State Department official said.

Due to escalating clashes in northwestern Syria’s Idlib province bordering Turkey and after the death of 33 Turkish soldiers following an airstrike, Turkey would like to deploy new local-made air defense missile systems HISAR-O and HISAR-A on the ground of Syria.

The HISAR is a short and medium-range air defense missile system jointly developed by the Turkish companies’ Aselsan and Roketsan. ASELSAN A.Ş., (Turkish: ASELSAN, acronym: Askeri Elektronik Sanayi, Military Electronic Industries) is a Turkish Company that produces tactical military radios and defense electronic systems for the Turkish Armed Forces. Roketsan design and develop a wide range of rockets and missiles. The company also produces subsystems for Stinger and Rapier missiles and provides technology and engineering solutions for other integrated civilian and military platforms.

The HISAR family includes the HİSAR-A low-altitude air defense missile system and the HİSAR-O medium-altitude air defense based on different mobile platforms.

The HİSAR Air Defense Missiles are specially designed to provide protection of military bases, ports, facilities, and troops against rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, cruise missiles, air-to-ground missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). HİSAR-A and HİSAR-O have a modular structure as part of their family concept and are designed to be compatible with different platforms, fire control, and command control infrastructures.

The HISAR-A is a short-range air defense system based on an ACV-30 tracked armored vehicle chassis designed by the Turkish Company FNSS which is fitted with four vertical launched missiles. It utilizes the KALKAN Air Defense radar paired with an electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) system, allowing it to operate as an independent standalone system without the need to operate as a battery with a separate Fire Control System (FCS). It has a maximum firing range of 15 km. 

The HISAR-O is a medium-range air defense missile system that utilizes infrared homing for guidance. The launcher unit is mounted on a Mercedes-Benz Zetros truck chassis. It features modular and design and can be vertically launched if needed. HISAR-O is dual-purposed; it can perform missions autonomously using medium-altitude 3D search radar or operate as part of a battery using a fire control unit. It has a maximum firing range of 25 km. 

HISAR-A short-range air defense missile systems based on tracked armored vehicle chassis FNSS ACV-30 (Picture source Army Recognition)