Turkish Navy Successfully Conducts First-Ever Test of Submarine-Launched ATMACA Anti-Ship Missile

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — In a significant milestone for its naval strike capabilities, the Turkish Navy has successfully conducted the first test launch of the submarine-launched variant of the ATMACA anti-ship missile, marking a major advancement in the country’s indigenous defense technology.

The successful trial underscores Türkiye’s growing ability to develop and field next-generation maritime strike systems, enhancing its strategic deterrence and operational reach.

The historic test launch took place in the eastern Mediterranean Sea from the Turkish Navy’s Type 209/1400 diesel-electric attack submarine, TCG Preveze (S-353), a vessel that has undergone extensive modernization to integrate advanced combat and weapons systems.

The submarine-launched ATMACA introduces a new dimension to Türkiye’s undersea warfare doctrine, allowing its submarines to strike enemy surface vessels from standoff ranges while maintaining acoustic stealth.

Unlike conventional torpedo engagements, which often require submarines to close the distance to their targets, this long-range capability enables Turkish submarines to launch precision attacks from concealed positions, significantly complicating enemy defensive responses.

The successful test was formally announced by the President of the Turkish Defence Industries Secretariat (SSB), Prof. Haluk Görgün, via the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), highlighting Türkiye’s progress in achieving self-sufficiency in high-end naval weaponry.

The missile was fired using the newly integrated Müren Combat Management System (CMS), a cutting-edge digital battle network designed to enhance situational awareness, targeting efficiency, and multi-weapon coordination.

The Müren CMS was installed on TCG Preveze as part of its Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) program, ensuring that Türkiye’s aging submarines remain combat-relevant against evolving maritime threats.

Unlike its ship-launched counterpart, the submarine-fired ATMACA is encapsulated in a specialized watertight launch canister, engineered to be ejected from the submarine’s 533 mm torpedo tubes.

This encapsulation technology ensures that the missile can withstand the immense pressures of deep-sea operations before breaking the surface to initiate its engagement sequence.

Upon launch, the capsule self-propels away from the submarine, minimizing acoustic and thermal signature exposure before the missile is activated and released, ensuring stealthy, long-range engagement against enemy warships.

Measuring between 4.8 to 5.2 meters in length and weighing under 800 kilograms, the ATMACA missile is armed with a 250-kilogram high-explosive, penetration-type warhead, optimized to pierce heavily armored hulls of warships before detonating inside for maximum destructive effect.

With a range exceeding 220 kilometers, ATMACA is designed to conduct covert, high-precision strikes against adversary fleets.

The ATMACA anti-ship missile project was initiated in 2009, spearheaded by ROKETSAN, which developed the missile’s airframe and propulsion system.

Meanwhile, ASELSAN designed its advanced radio frequency (RF) seeker and precision guidance system, while Kale Arge supplied its high-performance engine.

After successfully undergoing its first land-based test launch in 2017, ATMACA was subsequently fired from a warship for the first time in November 2019, launched from TCG Kınalıada, the fourth Ada-class (MILGEM) corvette of the Turkish Navy, in the Black Sea.

A critical milestone was achieved in February 2021, when ATMACA was tested with a live warhead, validating its effectiveness in real-world combat conditions.

Currently, ATMACA serves as the Turkish Navy’s primary anti-ship missile, progressively replacing the American-made Boeing RGM-84 Harpoon, which has been the mainstay of Türkiye’s naval strike capability for decades.

The missile is now actively deployed on Ada-class corvettes and being integrated into the Barbaros-class frigates undergoing their mid-life upgrade (MLU) program, ensuring that Türkiye’s naval surface fleet remains equipped with cutting-edge strike capabilities.

The ATMACA anti-ship missile has rapidly gained international attention, emerging as an affordable yet highly capable alternative to Western-designed missile systems such as the Harpoon, Exocet, and NSM (Naval Strike Missile).

Among the earliest export customers are Indonesia and Malaysia, two key maritime nations in Southeast Asia seeking cost-effective yet advanced naval firepower.

In November 2022, Indonesia signed a contract to procure 45 ATMACA missiles, reinforcing its naval deterrence capabilities amid growing maritime security concerns in the region.

Malaysia has also selected the ATMACA missile system, with plans to integrate it into its upcoming three Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) Batch 2 vessels, which are derived from the Turkish Ada-class corvette design.

This move aligns with Malaysia’s ongoing naval modernization efforts, aimed at bolstering coastal defense and blue-water operations.

The successful development and testing of the submarine-launched ATMACA is a watershed moment for Türkiye’s defense sector, placing it in an exclusive club of nations capable of producing and fielding advanced submarine-launched missile systems.

With the Turkish Navy enhancing its subsurface warfare capabilities, ATMACA will serve as a force multiplier, extending the reach of Türkiye’s undersea fleet and reinforcing its strategic posture in the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Black Sea regions.

Beyond Türkiye’s own navy, the increasing global interest in ATMACA signifies a shifting landscape in naval armament procurement, with non-Western defense manufacturers gaining traction in the competitive international market.

As Türkiye continues to push the boundaries of indigenous defense technology, the ATMACA missile family—now encompassing land, sea, and submarine-launched variants—stands as a symbol of the nation’s growing defense self-reliance and its ambitions to become a global leader in advanced missile systems.

— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA