Turkish Navy conducts submarine launch of Atmaca anti-ship cruise missile

The Turkish Navy diesel-electric attack submarine TCG Preveze recently launched an example of the Atmaca anti-ship cruise missile, making this the first firing of the weapon from a Turkish submarine while submerged.

Turkish Ministry of Defence officials said the test launch was conducted in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Mersin on Wednesday, March 12.

The missile was placed inside a propeller-equipped watertight capsule, which enabled it to be launched through one of the submarine's torpedo tubes.

Upon entering the water, the rocket motor ignited, allowing the missile to break free of the capsule, breach the surface, and climb.

Officials said the missile used in the test had no live warhead.

Developed by Roketsan as a replacement for the US-supplied Harpoon missile, Atmaca is now the primary anti-ship missile of the Turkish Navy. The weapon is cleared for deployment aboard the service's Ada-class corvettes as well as some of the surface ships of the Indonesian and Royal Malaysian Navies.