Will Ukraine war air defence experience unlock new markets for Korkut gun system?

Aselsan’s Korkut twin 35mm Air Defence Gun System (ADGS) integrated onto an Otokar Arma 8x8 IFV chassis is being shown for the first time at Eurosatory 2024.

There is no similar twin 35mm system on the market. The German Gepard, based on a much modified Leopard 1 tank, was deployed by Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands but these were phased out of service many years ago.

Ukraine has, however, obtained a number of Gepards which have been successful in countering Russian drones, and large numbers of heavy machine guns have also been used for C-UAS work.

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Service planners following the conflict are therefore more likely to consider mobile gun systems such as Korkut for their own forces. AFV designs overall are evolving to factor in and counter the increased threat from battlefield UAS.

Korkut has been in service with the Turkish Armed Forces for several years integrated onto an FNSS ACV-30 tracked platform which is fully amphibious. These vehicles are also fitted with an auxiliary power unit to allow all of the subsystems to be run with the main diesel engine switch off

In Turkish service three ADGS platforms would typically be controlled by one Command and Control Vehicle which carries out target acquisition and tracking using its 3D search radar, makes a threat evaluation and assigns the target to the individual Korkuts.

The remote controlled stabilised turret’s two 35mm cannon each have a cyclic rate of fire of 550 rounds per minute and can use a variety of rounds including the Aselsan-developed ATOM air bursting ammunition for greater target effect.

It features an automatic linkless ammunition feed mechanism which offers the unique capability of loading two different types of round at the same time and the gun changed from one to the other in less than 15 seconds.

According to Aselsan the system has a fire-on-the-move capability and is capable of engaging not only fixed -wing aircraft and helicopters but also air-to-ground missiles, cruise missiles and UAVs, with the ATOM round optimised for this threat.

Mounted on the roof of the turret is a sensor package that includes day/night cameras, a laser rangefinder and a radar which features automatic target tracking.

Korkut also features an integrated IFF capability and can be coordinated with higher echelon C2 units as part of an overall integrated air defence system.

In addition to the Otokar and FNSS chassis the system can be installed on other tracked and wheeled platforms allowing commonality with an operator’s AFV fleet.

Shephard's Eurosatory 2024 coverage is sponsored by: