TAI Şimşek

Maximum speed: 740 km/h (460 mph, 400 kn)
Endurance: 60 min
Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,800 ft)

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TAI Şimşek is a turbojet-powered radio-controlled high-speed target drone designed, developed and built by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) between 2009-2012 for the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces.
Şimşek is the Turkish word for “lightning”.

Overview #

Development started in 2009, and a prototype was presented to the public at the International Defence Industry Fair the same year. The UAV made its maiden flight on August 4, 2012.
Şimşek simulates enemy aircraft and missiles for air-to-air, surface-to-air, anti-aircraft gunnery and missile systems’ tracking and firing training. It looks like tactical air-launched decoys (TALDs).
TAI intends to further develop the drone into a cruise missile with “Human-in-the-Loop” (HITL) guidance capability for use against mobile or fixed soft targets.
Payloads of TAI Şimşek consists of following features:

Passive Radar Cross-Section Augmenter (Luneburg lens)
Passive IR Signature
Miss Distance Indicator (MDI)
Counter-measures Dispensing System
Tracking Smoke Generator

The drone is launched from a catapult and recovered by parachute. It can take off and can be controlled from navy vessels.
In July 2020 TAI launched Şimşek from TAI Anka integrated arm and made history by launching the target drone from UAV for the first time.