Türkiye Enters the Hypersonic Age with Tayfun Block-4 Missile Boasting 800 km Range at Mach 5.

At IDEF 2025, Roketsan reached a new technological and strategic milestone by unveiling the Tayfun Block-4, the first hypersonic ballistic missile developed in Türkiye. More than a product debut at a defense exhibition, this missile reflects a clear objective: to equip the Turkish Armed Forces with a fast, accurate, and hard-to-intercept strike capability, one previously limited to a handful of military powers.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

With Tayfun Block-4, Türkiye signals its intent to join the limited group of countries possessing national hypersonic capabilities.

Tayfun Block-4 is a significant evolution of the original Tayfun short-range ballistic missile, first tested in 2022. The hypersonic version reaches an estimated speed of Mach 5 and is designed to strike targets up to 800 kilometers away, with a claimed accuracy of 5 to 10 meters CEP, thanks to an inertial navigation system assisted by GPS and GLONASS. Roketsan has indicated that future variants could exceed 1,000 kilometers in range, positioning Türkiye among a limited group of nations with long-range hypersonic strike capabilities.

Measuring 10 meters in length and weighing 7,200 kilograms, Tayfun Block-4 is launched from a mobile VOLAT platform, enhancing its tactical flexibility and rapid deployment capability. It is equipped with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead designed to neutralize strategic ground targets, such as air defense systems, command centers, aircraft hangars, and critical infrastructure.

The missile was developed to be resistant to electronic warfare and to operate under all weather conditions, day or night. The intended effect is to challenge adversary missile defense systems and enhance the strategic depth of Turkish forces.

Murat İkinci confirmed that the Tayfun Block-4 is not intended for export at this stage. This decision reflects a priority to first strengthen national deterrence. The program is part of a broader effort to build autonomous capabilities, initiated in the 1990s with the Yıldırım missile program and continued through the Bora tactical missile series.

The introduction of a domestically developed hypersonic missile has drawn international attention and is seen in some quarters as a geopolitical shift. In Greece, commentators have called for upgrades to detection and interception systems. In South Asia, the announcement was noted in the context of Türkiye’s defense ties with Pakistan. From Ankara’s perspective, the missile supports its doctrine of independent defense and responds to technological restrictions imposed by certain NATO partners.

In addition to Tayfun Block-4, Roketsan presented five other advanced systems: the Gökbora air-to-air missile, the Akata submarine-launched anti-ship missile, the Eren loitering munition, the 300 ER air-launched ballistic missile, and the Şimşek-2 space launch vehicle. These developments reflect an acceleration in Roketsan’s R&D efforts, focusing on range, precision, and electronic warfare resilience.

With Tayfun Block-4, Türkiye signals its intent to join the limited group of countries possessing national hypersonic capabilities. The missile serves both as a strategic deterrent tool and as a demonstration of Türkiye’s domestic expertise in long-range strike systems. While it is not currently designated for export, it reinforces Roketsan’s position as a key player in advanced missile technologies.