Turkey's Sat-Launcher Plans Raise Concerns

[Babur Han]

Turkey's Sat-Launcher Plans Raise Concerns



ANKARA — Turkey has approved construction of its first satellite launching center to cater for the country’s mushrooming satellite programs.

But Ankara’s western allies worry that the Turks intend to use their own launching pad to fire the long-range missiles they hope to build in the medium- to long-run.

Turkey’s procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), in early July signed a contract with the country’s national missile manufacturer, Roketsan, to build the Turkish Satellite Launching System (UFS) for pre-conceptual design work.

Under the contract, Roketsan will design the UFS to be capable of launching, initially, satellites into low earth orbit (500 to 700 kilometers) through a launching center the company will build and the Turkish Air Force will operate.

“We intend to end Turkey’s foreign dependency on launching military and [civilian] communications satellites,” one Roketsan official said. “We also think Turkey may launch other nations’ satellites with its own system in the longer-run.”

An SSM official familiar with the program said one reason for the UFS project was that Turkish planners are aiming toward a compact space program, including a national launcher. “The government and military planners think that any space road map without an indigenous launcher would be incomplete,” he said.

But diplomats and analysts think that the Turks may have other reasons for their desire to have their own satellite launcher.

“Some of Turkey's NATO allies fear that Ankara could in the future use its satellite launcher also as a launching pad for its intended 2,500-kilometer-range missiles,” said one western ambassador in Ankara.

A defense attaché from a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) embassy in Ankara said: “It is puzzling for us to observe whether Turkey intends to use the planned [satellite] launcher for its missile ambitions. I think Turkey, if it intends to develop a long-range missile, would face other difficulties, such as problematic access to necessary equipment, other than a need to have its own launcher.”

The SCO member states are China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Turkey in 2012 won the dialogue partner status at the SCO.

In 2011, Turkey announced plans to develop a missile with a maximum range of 2,500 kilometers, not revealing whether it would be ballistic or cruise. Although little information about the program has been released, a Turkish cabinet minister in January confirmed that Turkey possesses capabilities to produce a missile with a range of 800 kilometers.

TUBITAK-Sage, an affiliate of state scientific institute TUBITAK, has been awarded the development contract and has indicated that it intends to test a prototype within the next two years. However, independent analysts say this development plan appears to be overly ambitious.

Right now, the Turkish military’s space-based assets are geared more toward ISR missions, but Turkey has so far been dependent on other nations to launch its satellites.

A Turkish earth-observation satellite named Gokturk-2 was launched from Jiuquan, China in December. The satellite designed and built by TUBITAK’s space technologies research unit, TUBITAK-UZAY, in cooperation with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). Gokturk-2 is Turkey’s second national satellite following RASAT, which also was developed by TUBITAK-UZAY and launched from Russia on Aug. 17, 2011.

In early 2013, Turkey’s Defense Industry Executive Committee approved contract negotiations with TAI for domestic development of a synthetic aperture radar spacecraft dubbed Gokturk-3. And Turkey plans to launch Gokturk-1 in the next few years. Gokturk-1, under construction under a deal with Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space, is a larger and more powerful optical imaging spacecraft capable of sub-meter resolution that is similar to the French Pleiades earth observation satellites built by EADS-Astrium.

According to a government road map for military and civilian satellites, Turkey plans to send into orbit a total of 16 satellites until 2020. A space industry expert based here said the next five years’ satellite contracts could amount to $2 billion.

The Roketsan official said that the government would invest about $50 million in the planned UFS’ infrastructure, and another $50 million for the its electronics systems.

Turkey's Sat-Launcher Plans Raise Concerns | Defense News | defensenews.com

 

[olcayto]

These westerns countries should really start to shut the fvck up.

What kind of a ally are you, if you raise concerns just for a launch centre.

 

[atatwolf]

Which western countries are against the launchpad? Turkey should revalue their relationship with those western countries. Itis pretty scary actually. They don't want Turkey to develop military capacity.. Because? They either don't want Turkey to defend itself or they have plans to wage war against Turkey in the far future.

 

[Baykuş]

... But diplomats and analysts think that the Turks may have other reasons for their desire to have their own satellite launcher.

“Some of Turkey's NATO allies fear that Ankara could in the future use its satellite launcher also as a launching pad for its intended 2,500-kilometer-range missiles,” said one western ambassador in Ankara. ...

... A defense attaché from a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) embassy in Ankara said: “It is puzzling for us to observe whether Turkey intends to use the planned [satellite] launcher for its missile ambitions. I think Turkey, if it intends to develop a long-range missile, would face other difficulties, such as problematic access to necessary equipment, other than a need to have its own launcher.” ...

Seems like someone has missed the previous wonders that Turkey has proved itself to be able to design and produce.

 

[tyrant]

Which western countries are against the launchpad? Turkey should revalue their relationship with those western countries. Itis pretty scary actually. They don't want Turkey to develop military capacity.. Because? They either don't want Turkey to defend itself or they have plans to wage war against Turkey in the far future.

Every single western country follows non-prolifration very strictly and will oppose and even sanction turkey (and many other countries), if they have too.

There are two non-proliferation treaties, because of its highly strategic and game changing nature:
1. Missiles more than 300 km range (includes SLV)
2. Nukes

As an example:
US opposed SK regarding its cooperation with Russia in SLVs, forced Russia to stop its help to SK. US opposed SK regarding its enrichment to the point that they apologized.

Note that:
SK is a non-muslim and advanced country

 

[Babur Han]

Every single western country follows non-prolifration very strictly and will oppose and even sanction turkey (and many other countries), if they have too.

There are two non-proliferation treaties, because of its highly strategic and game changing nature:
1. Missiles more than 300 km range (includes SLV)
2. Nukes

As an example:
US opposed SK regarding its cooperation with Russia in SLVs, forced Russia to stop its help to SK. US opposed SK regarding its enrichment to the point that they apologized.

Note that:
SK is a non-muslim and advanced country

MTCR does not forbid Countries indigenous R&D Efforts for SLV or Tomahawk like Cruise Missile, it only regulate or Transfer of such Technologies to other States. The west fear that Turkey can archieve independent Space based IS&R Cappabillities and prvide them to it's Allies. States in north Africa or Cental Asia could launch their Satellites from Turkey, Europe for example would not launch an Spy-Satellite for a north African Country !

 

[tyrant]

MTCR does not forbid Countries indigenous R&D Efforts for SLV or Tomahawk like Cruise Missile, it only regulate or Transfer of such Technologies to other States. The west fear that Turkey can archieve independent Space based IS&R Cappabillities and prvide them to it's Allies. States in north Africa or Cental Asia could launch their Satellites from Turkey, Europe for example would not launch an Spy-Satellite for a north African Country !

1. There is only a slight difference between SLV and ICBM in the third stage.
2. The problem is not sending satellites for north African countries. The bottleneck for spy satellite is the camera lens and CCDs, not launching. It takes a year to make the lens of the high resolution satellites. Look at China; they started their SLV in late 60's but they don't have a good spy satellite yet.
3. To be plain simple:
Containment is one of the primary pre-emptive strategies that a superpower does. Preventing other countries to reach your level of technology.

 

[atatwolf]

Where can I read about SLV and ICBM? I don't know what these are

 

[Babur Han]

Where can I read about SLV and ICBM? I don't know what these are

SLV = Space Launch Vehicle

ICBM = Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

 

[tyrant]

Where can I read about SLV and ICBM? I don't know what these are

Wiki is fine for general knowledge. Just wiki SLV and ICBM. ICBM is a satellite launching vehicle loaded with explosive or nuke that rotates a round the earth for a short time and comes toward the earth again by using a final propulsion stage. When ICBM is rotating around the earth, it needs no energy (it means less fuel and weight) and it is very difficult to be hit by air defense.
If you read physics books, you will learn more about the behavior of a launching projectile in an orbit but it takes a time to read it.

 

[u.MP]

Where can I read about SLV and ICBM? I don't know what these are

Ballistic Missile Basics
Ballistic Missile Facilities
Theater Ballistic Missiles
Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles

Nuclear Forces Guide

 

[Kompromat]

@tyrant

All of those powerful countries who implement the so called non proliferation regime are the most vile violators of the regime itself. Its just a discriminatory policy to make sure that emerging nations don't reach their level of technology. Its Turkey and all other nation's right to explore space and SLVs are are a necessary tool of exploring the cosmos. Turkey should steer ahead and do not listen to them.

 

[T-123456]

We should just go ahead and do it,our ''allies''are to concerned.

 

[ELTurco]

With friends like these..

 

[Serpentine]

I thinks you guys understand what the west is doing to us.
Even our breathing raises concerns for them, it's ridiculous. The irony is they are having largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, ICBMs and have used nuclear weapons in a war.Turkey should go on with it's launcher program and do not give a damn about what they say.