Turkey completes preliminary design of GÖKHAN ramjet missile

Turkey has completed the preliminary design phase of its GÖKHAN ramjet-powered air-to-air missile, according to a 2024 activity report from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK).

The project, officially titled the National Ramjet-Powered Air-to-Air Missile Development Project, was launched on May 21, 2021, under a contract between the Ministry of Defense and TÜBİTAK’s Defense Industries Research and Development Institute (SAGE).

GÖKHAN is designed to meet Turkey’s need for long-range air-to-air missiles with beyond visual range engagement capabilities.

The missile is primarily intended for air superiority missions, protection of high-value aerial assets and improved self-defense for fighter aircraft.

Its defining feature is its ramjet engine, which differs from conventional rocket propulsion systems.

After launch, a solid-fuel rocket motor accelerates the missile to speeds above Mach 1.

Mach speed refers to the ratio of an object’s speed to the speed of sound, with Mach 1 equal to roughly 767 mph at sea level.

Once that threshold is reached, the ramjet engine activates, using atmospheric oxygen as an oxidizer to maintain high speed over long distances.

This reduces onboard fuel requirements, enabling integration of a larger warhead or more advanced seeker head.

Because of their high speed, ramjet-powered missiles are extremely difficult to evade at ranges of several tens of kilometers.

TÜBİTAK-SAGE released the first image of the GÖKHAN missile in February 2025.

With the conceptual and preliminary design phases complete, the project is now entering ground and flight testing.

During this phase, engineers will verify the missile’s subsystems, aerodynamic structure and propulsion performance.

Initial integration will take place on F-16 fighter jets, followed by Turkey’s National Combat Aircraft (KAAN).

If testing is successful, Turkey will become one of the few NATO countries capable of producing ramjet-powered air-to-air missiles.

GÖKHAN will compete with the European-made MBDA Meteor, which has a range of 200 kilometers and a 60-kilometer no-escape zone, and the US-made AIM-120D AMRAAM, which has a range of 180 kilometers.

Both the Meteor and the AIM-120D can reach speeds exceeding Mach 4.

While GÖKHAN’s exact range has not been disclosed, it is expected to exceed 100 kilometers.

No official timeline has been announced for the missile’s entry into service, though it is expected to become operational by the 2030s.