Hisar 0+ air defence missile passes final acceptance test

Turkey's Hisar 0+ medium-altitude air defence missile system successfully engaged a high-speed target drone in its final acceptance test ahead of entering service.

The successful test was first announced in a Twitter post on 26 December by İsmail Demir, head of Turkey's Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB). The Turkish Defence Ministry noted İn a separate post that the test firing was carried out in central Anatolia at the Aksaray shooting range on 24 December, utilising an Autonomous Missile Launching System and added that the Hisar 0+ is now operationally ready.

It is understood that the missile system was tested against either the Şimşek or Turna high-speed targets, both produced by Turkish Aerospace (TAI).

According to the SSB, Hisar 0+ has a full 360° capability and can simultaneously engage at least nine different targets out to a range of 25 km. Its capability set is said to include the interception of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles, and air-to-surface missiles. Demir has previously noted that the system will be effective against targets flying at altitudes above 10 km.

Hisar 0+ will be a battalion-level asset, according to information from Aselsan, and consists of a fire-control centre, radar, three missile batteries, a tactical data link connection system, and support vehicles. It will work in co-ordination with command-and-control elements from across the Turkish armed forces.

Hisar (Fortress) is a family of short-, medium-, and long-range surface-to-air missile systems being developed by Roketsan and Aselsan. The warheads are produced by the Defence Industries Research and Development Institute (SAGE) of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK).