India Be Worried? Turkey Unveils Hypersonic Ballistic Tayfun Block-4 Missile

Asianet News English

Turkey has officially entered the hypersonic missile race with the unveiling of its Tayfun Block-4 at IDEF 2025. Developed by Roketsan, this missile reaches speeds of Mach 5.5–8, features a range of 800–1,000 km, and carries a 750 kg warhead—placing it among the most advanced weapons in the region. With only the US and France fielding similar technology within NATO, Turkey’s move signals a major leap in military power. What does this mean for India, especially considering Turkey’s close defense ties with Pakistan?&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;

Transcript

00:00Turkey has just unveiled its most ambitious technological leap yet, the Typhoon Block 4,

00:13the nation's first hypersonic ballistic missile. But why is the world talking about it? What is so

00:19special about this missile? And should India be worried about this new Turkish weapon,

00:25especially considering Turkey's growing proximity to our western neighbour, Pakistan?

00:30Let's break it down for you in detail.

00:36Unveiled at IDEF 2025, Turkey's International Defence Industry Fair, the Typhoon Block 4 is an

00:43addition to the Turkish arsenal. Manufactured by Rokitsan, Turkey's premier state-backed defence

00:50company, this missile is a hypersonic version of an existing system, taking it into the elite club

00:57of nations like the US, Russia and China, which possess hypersonic weaponry.

01:06The Typhoon Block 4 hypersonic ballistic missile can travel at speeds ranging from Mach 5.5 to Mach 8,

01:13making it extremely fast and difficult to intercept. The missile has an estimated operational range of

01:19800 to 1000 kilometres, enabling it to strike regional strategic targets. It can carry a warhead of

01:27approximately 750 kilograms. In terms of precision, the Typhoon Block 4 achieves precision of just 5

01:36metres, which means it can reliably hit very close to its designated target. The missile's length ranges

01:42from about 6.5 metres to 10 metres and it weighs around 7,200 kilograms. It can be launched from

01:50mobile transporter launchers. For guidance, the Typhoon Block 4 uses advanced navigation systems,

01:56including GPS, GLONASS and an inertial navigation system INS, along with anti-jamming technologies to

02:04maintain accuracy.

02:13The Typhoon Block 4 is designed for deep strike and precision targeting. It can target air defence

02:16systems, command centres, logistics nodes and other critical military facilities. It can change course,

02:22mid-flight, confusing enemy radars and dodging missile defence systems. On-road mobile launch platforms can

02:29make it hard to locate and destroy this missile pre-emptively. It can also cover vast swathes of

02:35the eastern Mediterranean, including all of Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Syria and the other outer periphery of

02:42South Asia. Turkey claims that this weapon sets a new record for the Turkish defence industry. It is a core

02:50enabler of its Blue Homeland Maritime Strategy, which advocates for extensive maritime claims in the Black Sea,

02:57Agency and Eastern Mediterranean.

03:03So, does the Typhoon Block 4 pose a direct threat to India? India has long tracked Turkey's growing

03:11military ties with Pakistan. The two have diversified and deepened their defence cooperation, sharing

03:17technology and training. After recent India-Pakistan border escalations, Turkey origin platforms were

03:24reportedly fielded by Pakistan, raising red flags in New Delhi. While the typhoon's range cannot reach

03:30Indian soil from Turkey, the possibility of Turkish technology, knowledge or even limited hardware

03:36flowing into Pakistan just cannot be ignored. Hypersonic technology is a global arms race.

03:42Turkey's entry sends signals to other adversaries in the region, prompting them to accelerate their

03:48weapons programs, potentially leading to proliferation in our immediate neighbourhood.

03:58India has already tested nuclear-capable hypersonic missile technology like the Shorya missile.

04:03India also recently tested a new indigenous hypersonic missile called ET-LDHCM, which is extended,

04:10trajectory, long-duration hypersonic cruise missile. It can travel eight times the speed of sound.

04:16With indigenous innovation, India is far from behind. In fact,

04:19India is considered a front-runner in the hypersonic arms segment in South Asia.

04:25Direct Turkish missile threat to India is logistically impractical. Any deployment in

04:30Pakistan would invite international outcry under the multilateral groups, which aim to limit the

04:35proliferation of missile technologies. India's multi-layered air and missile defence network is

04:41constantly being upgraded. The emergence of any new threat always prompts rapid indigenous response.

04:48India continues to push the frontiers of hypersonic missile technology, while simultaneously building

04:54international partnerships to future-proof its security. Turkey's missile may be a headline today,

05:01but tomorrow it will be Indian innovation that leads the story.

Category

Transcript

Recommended