Turkey Tests ASELSAN’s GÖKBERK Laser Against FPV Drones

Turkey’s defense company ASELSAN has tested its GÖKBERK mobile laser system, successfully destroying various types of drones, including FPV models.

“ASELSAN, Türkiye’s leading defense company, continues to take important steps in the field of directed energy weapons, one of the new generation technologies. Previously proven effective against rotary- and fixed-wing kamikaze drones, GÖKBERK now showcased its advanced capabilities by detecting, autonomously tracking, and eliminating FPV drones across multiple test scenarios, demonstrating exceptional speed and precision in engagement,” the company stated in its press release.

The tests showed that the laser system could destroy small quadcopter-type drones from 1,500 meters and fixed-wing drones from 1,200 meters. Additionally, it demonstrated the capability to melt a 6 mm steel sheet at a distance of 600 meters.

Beyond drone defense, GÖKBERK can disable improvised explosive devices and integrates the IHTAR electronic warfare system.

It relies on radar, an optoelectronic station with thermal imaging, and AI-based target recognition for detection.

Due to a powerful cooling system, the laser can reportedly operate continuously for a long time.

The company states that the GÖKBERK system integrates all components on a 6×6 chassis rather than using a distributed architecture, likely in contrast to another Turkish-made laser system, ALKA.

ALKA combines laser and electronic warfare, detecting UAVs at 4,000 meters and engaging them with a laser at 500 meters.

ALKA is a system from Roketsan that provides the ability to combat individual mini-/micro-unmanned aerial vehicles using a laser and electronic warfare system.

The effective range of detection and tracking of aircraft using the radar channel is up to 4000 meters. The range of the directed electronic warfare system is 1000 meters, and the laser is used to destroy UAVs at a distance of 500 meters.

GÖKBERK is designed to protect military bases, airports, power plants and oil refineries.

Militarnyi reported that the U.S. Navy recently tested a similar system, the HELIOS laser, successfully destroying a drone in early February.