Turkish "Archer" missiles, it is difficult to hit strong targets
Defense Blog reported on April 28, 2023 that during the 2023 Turkish Aerospace and Technology Festival, Turkish UAV manufacturer Belka displayed a light cruise missile called the Archer. This cruise missile is specially designed to equip UAVs, and at present, the three UAVs of the Turkish TB-2, TB-3 and Akinci can use the "Archer". The CEO of Belka said that the bomb was completed independently from the jet engine to the camera system, from artificial intelligence software to system design. The Archer is 1.73 meters long, has a wingspan of 1.25 meters, weighs 30 kilograms, and has a payload of 6 kilograms, the projectile uses a jet engine, a maximum speed of Mach 0.7, a cruising speed of Mach 0.3, a maximum range of more than 200 kilometers, and a time in the air for more than 1 hour. The Archer is optically guided and has a 2-axis stabilized, 36x zoom camera mounted at the warhead position. According to the introduction of Belka, the artificial intelligence software carried by the bomb is likely to be launched by the "archer" used with the camera, and can also transmit data back to the drone, with a data transmission distance of 50 kilometers, and it is also equipped with an anti-electronic jamming system.
According to the plan, the "Archer" will be tested in 2023 and mass-produced in 2024, after which Belka will also develop an improved version of the "Archer". Belka believes that when equipped with an "archer", the drone can have a strong long-range attack capability, because the "archer" has the function of transmitting data back, and the drone can also use it to detect dangerous areas. Of course, in terms of the range of the "Archer" of more than 200 km, it is simply impossible to lock on a target at this distance by the optoelectronic turret of the UAV alone, and target designation must be provided by third-party equipment. At the same time, with a firing range of more than 200 km and a warhead of only 6 kg, it is simply impossible to combat strong targets.
