The development of Turkey’s Gökbora missile with a ramjet engine is another step in the global race to replicate the capabilities of the Meteor — the Franco-British beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile that has become a new standard in its class.

The development of Turkey’s Gökbora missile with a ramjet engine is another step in the global race to replicate the capabilities of the Meteor — the Franco-British beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile that has become a new standard in its class.

Meteor, developed by MBDA, is based on a concept of sustaining high speed and maneuverability throughout the entire flight path, thanks to its ramjet propulsion. This allows it to:

- maintain kinetic energy until impact;
- significantly expand the "no escape zone";
- use an adaptive thrust profile depending on the target.

This is not just a missile — it’s a paradigm shift in air combat.
▪️Turkey is not alone. Similar BVR ramjet or next-gen missile programs are being developed by:

China – PL-15, developed by CAEIC;
India – Astra Mk-2, under development by Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) - DRDO;
USA – AIM-260 JATM, being developed by Lockheed Martin;
Japan – next-gen BVR missile with ramjet for the F-X fighter.

Additionally, Turkey is also working on the Gökhan missile, which is expected to feature a scramjet engine. It is being developed by TÜBİTAK SAGE since 2022 under a contract from the Turkish Air Force. No technical specs have been made public yet.

Bottom line:
Meteor set the benchmark. Other nations are catching up. Those who don’t — will be stuck with last-generation capabilities.

 #Miltech  #Meteor  #BVR  #Ramjet  #Gökbora  #Gökhan  #PL15  #AIM260  #MBDA  #Roketsan  #DefenseInnovation  #TUBITAKSAGE  #AirDominance  #Ukraine  #Deftech