Turkey’s new airborne laser zaps heat-seeking missile in first test

Turkey’s defense firm Aselsan has successfully tested its YILDIRIM-100 Directed Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) system, designed to detect, track, and neutralize infrared-guided air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles using high-energy, multi-band laser beams. The live-fire trials demonstrated the system’s autonomous capability to identify incoming missile threats and disrupt their seeker heads, forcing missiles off course before impact. The YILDIRIM-100 offers 360-degree hemispherical coverage, can engage multiple simultaneous threats, and features a twin-head turret with fast-tracking sensors and a high-power laser. It integrates with ultraviolet and infrared missile warning systems, boasts low power consumption, reduced size and weight, and an open architecture compatible with NATO standards, making it suitable for both new and legacy aircraft in high-threat environments. Aselsan is also developing an advanced variant, the YILDIRIM-300, tailored for Turkey’s fifth-generation KAAN fighter jet, which is expected to enter