Project J: J-600T Yildirim (Thunderbolt)
Without doubt, Project J is the most speculative and controversial weapon system project of Turkey, causing much stir in both internal and international military circles. This effect can be linked to the strategic nature of the weapon system in focus and the mystery surrounded it for years, coupled with an effective disinformation campaign.
The story of Project J, as well as Project Kasirga, goes back to the first half 1990's, when negotiations for the joint production and technology transfer of M-270 MLRS artillery rocket system were failed. After the shelving of the project, Turkey started to seek other alternatives, mainly focused on full sovereignty over critical technologies in order to establish self sufficient missile and guidance technology capability infrastructure. After signing of a contract for the licensed production of WS-1 under the name of Kasirga in 1997, a similar contract was signed with CPMIEC
(Chinese Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation) for the B-611 SRBM system in late 1998 covering licensed production of a battery of B-611 with more than 200 missiles, for a reported cost of USD 300,000,000.
An extremely interesting feature of Project J is the associated disinformation campaign conducted throughout the project. J-600T Yildirim was thought to be aredivative of Chines M-7 (CSS-8) surface to surface inertial guided missile which itself was a derivative of HQ-2 SAM system, the CHinese copy of Russian SA-2 Guideline SAM. The main source of this disinformation was an article published in Milliyet newspaper on 14 January 2002. According to this article, The 150km "J" missile, which was produced by the transfer of technology from China was test fired from Sile in 2001. Based on the information provided by "anonymous experts", the article claimed that the missile was very similar to Chinese M-7. The article was supported by a photo of an unknown missile and a drawingof a SA-2 / HQ-2 missile.
For years to come, this article was the main source for claims, analysis and speculations about Project J. The speculations varied widely, ranging from estimates that (although M-7 was an inertial guided missile) Project J incorporated radar, GPS/INS technology to wild guesses about ranges; from 150km to as high as 1,000km. But the truth came to the surface in 2007.
The J-600T was first revealed to the public on 30 August 2007, during Victory Day parade in Ankara. The TRT (Turkiye Radyo Televizyon Kurumu; Turkish Radio and Television Corporation) commentator announced the system as "Yildirim missile system". During this parade and following two ones in the same year, both launcher and reloading vehicles were shown to the public. Yildirim system was also reported to United Nations Register of Conventional Arms by Turkey in March 2007.
Like Kasirga, Project J from the very start was protected with the highest security measures available. Thus, still few details are known about the project. Even the correct name was not known until very recently. It is now positively known that, from the start, "J" was the code name of the project, which led to unofficial nick-name "Jaguar". The official designation of the missile system is "J-600T" and Yildirim is the late official name of the system. When first appeared, most defence media, such as Greek defence publication ΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΙΚΗ
(Stratigiki;Strategy), misidentified the system as "F-600T" hence the code name of the launcher vehicle visible on a plate during the system's first revelation at 30 August Victory Day parade in 2007.
Yildirim's first public appearance caused great excitement in Greek defence circles as well. Greek Stratigiki magazine is apparently one of those which published the story with some false information mixed with the excitement. Note that the missile system is misidentified as F-600T, the designation of the launcher vehicle. The magazine also falsely classified the missile system as MRBM
(Medium Range Ballistic Missile), which in fact falls in SRBM
(Short Range Ballistic Missile) category.
J-600T Yildirim is a conventional battlefield missile system providing high mobility, designed to attack high value targets such as enemy air defence installations, C3I centers, logistics and infrastructure facilities as well as providing fire support to friendly artillery by expanding the area of effect.
TRT Footage showing the very first Yildirim launchers shown to the public. Not visible in the screen capture, there are three T-300 Sakarya MBRLS launcher vehicles in front of the Yildirim formation.
J-600T design is based on B-611 SRBM developed by CASIC
(China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation) as a low cost tactical missile system, with a range up to 250km in improved versions, and as a replacement for the M-11 (CSS-7 and DF-11) missiles in inventory.
J-600T Yildirim SRBM. The missile seen is a dummy training round hence the yellow stripes. (Photo: Selim Talu)
Yildirim system is composed of two units: J-600T SRBM and F-600T launcher vehicle, which is based on MAN 26.372 6x6 truck. The very same vehicle is also used in T-122 Sakarya and T-300 Kasirga MBRL
(Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher) systems, providing advantage in logistics. Each F-600T carries one J-600T one an open rail-type launcher and can be prepared for launch in less than 25 minutes, with the vehicle ready to move again in less than 5 minutes. The missile is loaded on to F-600T by crane from a reloading vehicle, again a MAN 26.372 6x6.
J-600T Yildirim Reload - Resupply Vehicle (Photo: Selim Talu)
Reload - Resupply Vehicle (left) at the start of loading process (Photo: Selim Talu)
The missile's flight is controlled by an INS
(Inertial Navigation System) which feeds trajectory correction command inputs to the four moving wings at the nozzle section. The trajectory data is load onto the missile's Guidance & Control Unit
(GCU) (FCS) on board F-600T before the launch. The FCS in F-600T is also supported by BAIKS
(Batarya Atis Idare Komputer Sistemi; Battery Fire Control Computer System) and TOMES (
Topcu Meteoroloji Sistemi; Artillery Meteorology System). It is reported that the missile is also able to be upgraded with a GPS/INS GCU.
Manufacturer ROKETSAN
Launcher VehicleF-600T (Based on MAN 26.372 6x6)
Warhead typeTNT+RDX
FuzeProximity
Guidance INS
Range, minimum 80km
Range maximum150km
Diameter 600mm
Length 6.10m
Weight, total 2,100kg
Weight, warhead 480kg
Propellant typeHTPB (Composite)
CEP<150m
Table 14: Technical specifications of the J-600T Yildirim tactical missile system
Each J-600T Yildirim battery consists of one Battery Command & Control Vehicle, 2 Firing Team Command and Control Vehicles, 6 F-600T Launcher Vehicles, 7 Reload - Resupply Vehicles and one Maintenance Vehicle.
It is not exactly known when the deliveries of J-600T started and if still underway. One of the clues on when the deliveries could have started is the writing on the designation plate of F-600T photographed during 30 August 2007 Victory Day Parade. According to the plate, the vehicle was delivered to KKK in 2001, uggesting the system is in service since at least that year. It is reported in Turkish defence media that at least a battery of Yildirim is in service with 58th Artillery Brigade in Polatli, Ankara. The vehicles shown in parades were wearing desert-type camouflage patterns used in armored and mechanized units of KKK deployed in Southern and SouthEastern Anatolia.
Roketsan is reportedly working on an improved version of J-600T, details of which are highly speculative for the moment. Given that the system was first revealed to the public more than 7 years of its introduction to service, it can be expected that information about this improved version, if there is any, is going to remain secret for some time.
Although there is still much confusion on the subject, CPMIEC officials confirmed in IDEF 2007 that B-611M, the improved version of B-611 was not part of the cooperation program under Project J. Roketsan is reportedly working to improve the performance and design of J-600T, alternatives of which could be sealed pod-launcher box design, improved propellant and increased range, and / or different warhead configurations. Improved or different GCUis also a possibility, though there is minimal -if not zero- information or clue on the subject, hence the top secret nature of the system.
