The Turkish Ministry of Defence announced that acceptance activities for an unspecified number of SOM-B1T cruise missiles will be carried out at ROKETSAN between 13 and 17 July before delivery to the Turkish Air Force.
The acceptance process will mark the first entry into inventory of the SOM-B1T configuration powered by the indigenous KTJ-3200 turbojet engine.
Developed by TÜBİTAK SAGE and ROKETSAN, the SOM-B1 is part of Türkiye’s indigenous air-launched cruise missile family designed to engage high-value land targets. The B1 variant is equipped with an Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker that enables terminal target recognition and automatic target detection for precision strikes.
The missile has a range of more than 250 kilometres and carries a high-explosive blast-fragmentation warhead guided by GPS, inertial navigation and terrain-referenced navigation systems.
The defining feature of the SOM-B1T is its propulsion system. Under the localisation programme for the SOM family, the French-built Microturbo TRI-40 turbojet has been replaced by Kale Jet Engines’ indigenous KTJ-3200.
The new engine delivers comparable thrust while eliminating dependence on imported propulsion for one of Türkiye’s principal air-launched cruise missiles. The KTJ-3200 is also produced in dedicated variants for the SOM cruise missile family and the ATMACA anti-ship missile.
Author: Özgür Ekşi
SOM-B1 Technical Specifications
| Length | ~ 4 m |
| Weight | ~ 600 kg |
| Range | 250 km [135 nmi] |
| Guidance Modes | INS*/GPS**/TRN***/ GRNS****/ATA***** |
| Warhead Type | High Explosive Fragmentation |
| Warhead Weight | ~ 230 kg |
| Seeker | IIR****** |
| Platforms | F-4 / F-16 |
