Turkish anti-aircraft gun
The GOKDENIZ (Turkish: Aselsan Gökdeniz) complex along with Aselsan ATOM 35mm[1][2] airburst ammunition is an all-weather-capable Turkish 35 mm dual barrel close-in weapon system (CIWS) developed by Aselsan.[4][5] It is a CIWS variant of KORKUT Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun.[6][7]
Each GOKDENIZ platform carries a variant of Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon, manufactured under licence by MKEK.[7] The CIWS system, sensors and electronics manufactured by Aselsan. The CIWS can fire up to 1100 rounds a minute up to an effective range of 4 km.[4][7]
Purpose
The system's primary purpose is to defend against anti-ship missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and other precision-guided munitions. It can also be employed against conventional and rotary-wing aircraft, surface ships, small water-crafts, coastal targets and floating mines.[6][1][2]
Ammunition
The cannons fire 35×228 mm Aselsan ATOM 35mm airburst round and high-explosive incendiary (HEI) ammunition.[5][2]
In the anti-missile role it uses ATOM 35mm airburst ammunition from Aselsan. This round ejects tungsten pellets at a predetermined distance. It is a smart ammunition which has a base fuse. Together with the ability of precise time counting and the capability of being programmed during firing by taking muzzle velocity into consideration automatically sets the fuse to detonate the round as it approaches a pre-set distance from the target.[1][2] Whilst a single pellet is too small to do major damage in itself, the accumulation of damage from multiple strikes is designed to destroy wings and control surfaces, sensors and aerodynamics, causing the target to crash. According to Aselsan, the ammunition is resistant against electromagnetic jamming.[1][2] On the other hand, HEI ammunition designed to impart energy and therefore damage to its target in one or both of two ways: via a high-explosive charge and/or via its incendiary (fire-causing) effects. They caused fires, which on ships can be difficult to extinguish.
The system allows loading of both ammunition at the same time and it can switch between ammunition type with automatic linkless ammunition feed mechanism when needed during the operation.[4]
Variant
GOKDENIZ ER
This is a further variation of the GOKDENIZ close-in weapon system. It was one of the two point-defense weapon systems from Turkey presented during the International Defense Exhibition and Fair (IDEF) 21. The GOKDENIZ-ER will operate independently of ship sensors and systems, be armed with 11 missiles, and provide 360-degree coverage through AESA radar and electro-optical sensors.[8]
The system is still under development. It be developed independently of ROKETSAN's Levent system, and is seen as an alternative to SeaRAM Block-2. The system will have less missiles than Levent, but the missiles will be larger. Because of the involvement of TÜBTAK-SAGE in the project, it is expected that the surface-to-air version of the Bozdogan missile, an indigenous air-to-air missile produced by TÜBTAK-SAGE, will be preferred. Nonetheless, the possibility of employing a more powerful and larger version of the SUNGUR Missiles is also being considered.[8]
