Serial production deliveries of the SOM-B1T cruise missile developed by ROKETSAN will commence in the coming weeks. According to information disclosed at the Ministry of National Defence's Weekly Press Briefing, acceptance activities will be conducted at ROKETSAN facilities between July 13-17, 2026. This development represents a significant milestone in operationalizing national missile systems.

ROKETSAN continues its work to meet the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces and develop new technologies. Since its establishment, the organization has achieved important successes in guided munitions and missile systems. The SOM missile family was developed through cooperation between ROKETSAN and TÜBİTAK SAGE, making it Turkey's first air-launched national cruise missile. The organization continues serial production and delivery operations without interruption.

The SOM-B1T is designed as an important platform that provides the Turkish Air Force with strategic strike capability. With a range of approximately 280 kilometers, it enables target destruction from safe stand-off distances without entering the effective range of enemy air defense systems. The missile can reach its target undetected due to its low radar cross-section. The SOM-B1T variant is equipped with an infrared imaging seeker head and a high-explosive blast-fragmentation warhead. Weighing approximately 620 kilograms, the system is guided by Inertial Navigation System (INS), Astro Navigation System (ANS), and Auxiliary Reference Navigation System (YRNS).

From a Turkish defense industry perspective, the SOM missile family makes an important contribution to indigenization and national production objectives. The system demonstrates Turkey's independent design and production capability in the air-launched munitions category. Developed to meet the operational requirements of the Air Force, this platform also carries export potential. Various variants of the SOM missile (SOM-A, SOM-B1, SOM-B2, SOM-C1, SOM-C2) are designed to engage different target types including soft targets, hardened concrete structures, and surface targets.

In the context of global defense industry, the SOM missile is comparable in quality to cruise missile systems designed to NATO standards. Similar systems exist in the international market (such as AGM-158 JASSM and Scalp/Storm Shadow), but SOM's national design and production characteristics provide strategic independence. The cooperation between ROKETSAN and TÜBİTAK SAGE strengthens Turkey's cruise missile technology expertise. The delivery process increases the Air Force's operational capacity while contributing to the strengthening of the defense industry ecosystem.