If we are to look at the global market, it is possible to see different military transport aircraft that are designed out of necessity and for different tasks. Presently, the aviation fleets of America, European countries in their majority, and some African and Asian countries include military transport planes produced according to NATO standards. Sovietstandard military transport planes dominate the aviation fleet of the former post-Soviet countries and many African and Asian countries. Military transport aircraft are divided into light, medium, heavy and very heavy categories depending on their load carrying capacity. Note that the production and use of these aircrafts date back to the period before World War II. At that time, the production of large and heavy-duty military transport aircraft was predominant, but later, aircraft of smaller volume and capacity were also developed for various operations and cargo transportation. Currently, the global market is dominated by US, European and Russian military transport aircraft. US companies started producing MTAs in this field even before World War II. However, two companies, Lockheed Martin and Boeing, are currently the main manufacturers of military transport aircraft in the United States. Made by US companies The current C-130 military transport aircraft, which began to be developed by the US company Lockheed Martin under the name YC-130, later underwent an improvement process and was produced in various variants - C-130A, C-130B, C-130E, L-100, C-130H, L-100-20, L-100-30, C-130H-30 were produced. In 1996, the C-130J Super Hercules version of the C-130 family of transport aircraft was developed and after two years of testing was adopted by the US Army. The production of C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, which is located in the aviation park of the United Kingdom and Italy, along with the US Air Force, Marine Corps, continues. In the information released by the manufacturing company, it was stated that 300 units of these planes, 2500 units of the C-130 series in general, were produced and delivered to the customer until the last 10 years. C-130J SUPER HERCULES with a maximum flight ceiling of 8,000 meters with a payload of 20 tons has been widely used in a number of wars (Korea, Afghanistan, etc.). C-130J SUPER HERCULES aircraft C-130J-30 SUPER HERCULES, EC-130J COMMANDO SOLO, HC-130J COMBAT KING II, HC-130J COAST GUARD, KC-130J TANKER. There are LM-100J Commercial Freighter and MC-130J COMMANDO II versions. Lockheed Martin’s AC-130J Ghostrider is a new version of a flying artillery battery based on the C-130 50 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION Leaders of Global Military Transport Aircraft Azerbaijan buys C-27J Spartan ?Zaur Babashov, Elshan Abdulkarimov Military transport aircraft (MTA) play an important role in the rapid delivery of military cargo and troops from one place to another, as well as in the implementation of various purposes and tasks. This is why states need transport aircraft as much as they want to have 4+ and 5 generation modern jet fighters and multi-purpose helicopters in their armaments. Military transport aircraft differ from each other in terms of carrying cargo, flying shorter and faster distances, as well as the size of the cargo cabin. MC-27J military transport
Hercules military transport aircraft. In October 2021, the company delivered to the US Air Force the first AHEL combat laser unit for the AC-130J Ghostrider aircraft in armament. The laser unit will allow the crew to silently destroy targets with an invisible laser beam. Unlike the C-130, the C-5 Galaxy military transport aircraft produced by the company Lockheed Martin is designed to carry heavier loads. The reason for the development of this plane was the need for military transport planes with more cargo capacity to transport heavy equipment, cargo, and helicopters to the United States during the Vietnam War. As a result, the C-5 GALAXY military transport aircraft, which is 5 times larger than the C-141 and is among the world’s largest HNT, was created. This aircraft was used to deliver aid to Israel, Rwanda, the Vietnam War and operations in support of the British peacekeeping mission in Zimbabwe. Currently, the improved C-5M SUPER GALAXY model of the aircraft is produced and exported. The maximum payload capacity of the aircraft is 127 tons, and the take-off weight is 381 tons. BOEING has developed the C-17 GLOBEMASTER III military transport aircraft to meet the needs of the US Army and has been in serial production since 1995. Until 2014, Boeing produced and delivered a total of 260 C-17 Globemaster IIIs, including 37 units to Kuwait, Australia, Canada, India, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Great Britain, and 223 units to the US Army. Boeing received the largest order of 23.8 billion dollars in 2021 from the United States for this aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 265 tons. Leonardo’s C-27J series The C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft, developed by the Italian company Leonardo-Finmeccanica based on the Aeritalia G.222 aircraft, is intended for the transportation of medium-weight cargo. The C-27J Spartan, a multi-purpose transport aircraft, has MPA, ASW, C3ISR, as well as MC-27J Multimission Aircraft variants. Currently, the company offers customers the C-27J Next Generation version of the aircraft for the transportation of military cargo and personnel. The first serial production batch of the C-27J Spartan aircraft was accepted into the aviation fleet of the Italian Air Force Base in 2006, and the US Air Force Base in 2007. Currently, the aircraft is used by Latin American countries, Europe, Australia and the United States. Since 2010, Leonardo company has sold C-27J to Australia, Mexico, Peru, Slovakia and Slovenia. Countries such as India, Indonesia, Bolivia, Ghana and Great Britain are also among the users of the C-27J aircraft. The aircraft with a takeoff weight of 31 tons and a cargo capacity of 11 tons can carry 46-60 personnel. Great interest in C-27J from Azerbaijan Azerbaijan has shown interest in the Italian-made C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft for several years. The Azerbaijani military delegation repeatedly participated in the tests of these aircraft at the company’s test centre and HQ in Italy. The performance of the aircraft was highly rated. After that, negotiations were held with Azerbaijani delegations regarding the plane. Finally, on the 7th of June 2023, an agreement was signed with Leonardo on the purchase of C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft within the framework of the official visit of Agil Gurbanov, the Deputy Minister of Defence of Azerbaijan - Head of the General Department of Military-Technical Supply, to Italy. According to the information announced by Leonardo, the signing ceremony was held with the participation of representatives of the defence ministers of Azerbaijan and Italy. It was reported that the commercial cooperation between Italy and Azerbaijan was strengthened by the signing of the contract for the supply of C-27J Spartan, “The cooperation between Italy and Azerbaijan, which was initially related to the energy sectors, is now expanding thanks to the valuable contribution of the Working Group of the Italian Ministry of Defence and the supply of defence industry products. The programme for the purchase of the C-27J from Leonardo, which has many years of proven experience in the most difficult operational scenarios, is the result of technical discussions between the Ministries of Defence of Italy and Azerbaijan. The contract is part of the extensive modernization programme of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, which focuses more on the products of the Italian industry.” According to the Italian aviation experts, this aircraft can play an important role in the training of the flight crew of the aircraft with western standards within the modernization program of the military aviation fleet of Azerbaijan. Before signing the contract, the magazine POLIQON referred to Leonardo’s information, which stated that the first C-27J Next Generation aircraft SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 51 C-130J SUPER HERCULES
would soon be delivered to an unnamed customer. Note that the tests of the C-27J Next Generation aircraft with new equipment, a new aviation system and modern aerodynamic devices were completed in 2021. The C-27J Next Generation aircraft features new avionics, cockpit displays, weather radar, including FANS 1/A+ datalink, as well as new radio navigation, modern satellite communications and radio communication capabilities, new cockpit and cargo panels, Mod 5 IFF / ADS- Exit B is equipped with tactical search and rescue system, LED technology lighting system. To operate in hazardous environments, the aircraft can be equipped with a self-defence system and ballistic protection. The MC-27J Multimission Aircraft multimission armed version of Leonardo’s C-27J series is also available. The MC-27J version was developed in cooperation with ATK (USA). Introduced in 2012, the MC-27J armed transport aircraft is equipped with a guided 30 mm cannon. The new aircraft can be used in antiterrorist operations, personnel evacuation, combating asymmetric threats, as well as all standard operations of Special Forces. The MC-27J is capable of reconnaissance, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). In operations, the MC-27J aircraft, in addition to identifying targets, can support units of the Ground Forces with its weapon systems. Airbus A400M The A400M aircraft of the European Airbus company is a modern military transport aircraft produced in the 21st century. The A400M aircraft is designed to meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Türkiye and the United Kingdom, and work on its development has been started since 2003. In 2005, Malaysia also joined this project. Indonesia and Kazakhstan have both signed an agreement with Airbus to purchase two A400M transport aircraft in 2021. To date, the company has received 176 A400M orders from its customers, of which 109 have already been delivered to customers and are being used in operations. The empty weight of the A400M aircraft is 66.5 tons, the maximum load capacity is 37 tons. ASFAT upgrade project Türkiye’s company ASFAT is implementing the project of upgrading the A400M multi-purpose military transport aircraft. Currently, ASFAT continues the ‘retrofit’ operations of the A400M transport aircraft in the inventory of the Turkish Air Force. Within the framework of the contract signed between ASFAT and Airbus, the upgrade processes of the first A400M aircraft in the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces were completed and handed over in July 2021. In May 2022, ASFAT handed over the second upgraded A400M aircraft to Air Forces at the Fasbat Service Centre in Kayseri. As part of the A400M project, the 2nd Aviation Service Centre, which is the first outside of Spain, is undergoing A400M upgrade works in Kayseri. In the coming period, it is planned to carry out the process of upgrading 7 more A400M transport planes in this centre. With this project, Türkiye became the 4th country in the world with an approved A400M service, repair and improvement centre. There is no need to send the A400M aircraft belonging to the Turkish Air Force to abroad for upgrading operations, it was possible to bring A400M aircraft from other countries to Kayseri for reequipment and maintenance operations. EADS CASA C-295 The multipurpose EADS CASA C-295 military transport aircraft produced by Airbus can be used for various operations. The first flight of the C-295 with two turboprop engines, designed by the Spain’s Construcciones Aeronáuticas A. S. (CASA), took place in 1997 and has been in service since 2001. The aircraft has ISR, ASW, Fire Fighting, Airborne Early Warning (AEW), Medical Evacuation, Air-to-Air Refuelling options. C-295M is a modernized version. The C-295W is considered one of the world’s most highly modified military transport aircraft and was first presented to the public in 2013. The company has delivered 200 of the 285 C-295 orders to customers. The C-295 aircraft is used by the Armed Forces of more than 25 countries. Among them are Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan from the countries of the region. The first importer of the plane was Mexico, and the second customer was Uzbekistan. Airbus received the largest C-295 order in the last 5 years from India in 2021 (56 units). The crew of the plane includes 2 people, while the capacity is 71 personnel, the carrying capacity is 9250 kg and the maximum take-off weight is 23,200 kg. The C-295 aircraft is equipped with 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127G turboprop engines. CASA CN-235 The CASA CN-235 light transport aircraft, produced by Spain’s CASA and Indonesia’s IPTN, which is considered 52 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION Airbus A400M
the predecessor of the C-295, is in the aviation fleet of the Armed Forces of more than 20 countries. It is produced under license by TUSAŞ in Türkiye. Türkiye is the biggest user of CASA CN-235 aircraft. There are 52 CN-235 light military transport aircraft in the service of Air Forces, Navy and Coast Guard Command of Türkiye. The CN-235, which can carry 44 personnel, has a payload limit of 5,950 kg and a maximum take-off weight of 16500 kg. “Antonov” MTA The An-124 Ruslan strategic MTA, produced in the 1980s by the airline company Antonov located in the territory of Ukraine of the USSR, is the world’s largest military transport aircraft. Antonov produced 55 An-124 Ruslan aircraft until 2004, after which production was stopped. The An-124 MTA was considered the largest transport aircraft in the world for three decades until the Boeing 747-8F was produced. Currently, the An-124 is the second largest aircraft in the world in terms of cargo capacity. The carrying capacity is 150,000 kg. An-124 Ruslan with an empty weight of 175000 kg has a maximum take-off weight of 405000 kg. The Soviet-made An-22 Antei heavy turboprop transport aircraft is the world’s first wide-body and the world’s largest turboprop aircraft. It is intended for longdistance transportation of heavy and bulky weapons, military equipment and troops, as well as landing and disembarkation of airborne troops. The passenger capacity of the plane is 202 wounded or 150 paratroopers. The carrying capacity is up to 80000 kg, the empty weight is 118727 kg, and the maximum take-off weight is 227000 kg. Antonov’s An-12 military transport aircraft has a smaller capacity than the An22. The passenger capacity of the plane is 90 soldiers or 60 paratroopers. In total, 68 units of An-22 MTA were produced. Antonov An-26 is the most numerous aircraft of the class of military transport aircraft. About 1,400 AN-26 MTAs are in the military aviation fleet of about 40 countries. The original model is a modification of the An-24. The plane can carry 38 passengers or 24 wounded on a stretcher. The empty weight is 15850 kg, the maximum take-off weight is 24000 kg. Ilyushin IL-76 The Soviet Il-76 is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing military transport aircraft developed by the Ilyushin Design Bureau. The plane is designed for medium and long-distance transportation of heavy and large cargo. The plane can carry 50 tons of cargo and 140 personnel. IL-76 military transport aircraft is designed for the transportation of both military cargo and personnel (there are such models as IL-76 MTA’s Il-76, Il-76D, Il-76K, Il-76LL, Il-76M, Il76MD, Il-76MD-90, Il-76MF, Il-76PP, Il-76MD PS, Il-76MD -76T/Il-76TD). To date, more than 900 Il-76 have been produced and delivered to customers. Il76 series military transport aircraft, which are in the inventory of about 40 countries, are currently used by the Air Forces of a number of African and Asian countries, as well as the CIS countries, including Azerbaijan. Currently, the production of the last version of the aircraft with the index Il-76MD-90A by the United Aviation Corporation of Russia (OAK) continues. The first flight of the Il-76MD-90A, a modernized version of the Il-76MD, took place in 2012, and the first serial production aircraft was put into operation by the Russian Air Force in 2019. Il-76MD-90A has a maximum take-off weight of 210 tons and a payload capacity of 52 tons. The aircraft is capable of carrying 126 paratroopers or 145 personnel or 114 wounded with special equipment. Ilyushin Il-112V light MTA made by OAK made its first flight in 2019. The aircraft is scheduled to enter service in 2023. The Il-112V aircraft has the ability to transport up to 5 tons of cargo. It is intended for the transportation of personnel, weapons, light military SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 53 EADS CASA C-295 An-124
equipment and other loads of airborne troops. The Il-112Vs, manufactured on the basis of the contract signed between the Ministry of Defence of Russia and OAK, will replace the AN-26 military transport aircraft in service with the Russian Army. China’s Y-8F200WB MTA The design of the Y-8F200WB military transport aircraft (MTA) developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) allows it to perform various operations and tasks. For this purpose, versions of the multi-purpose aircraft providing maritime patrol, rescue and radar support have been developed. The medium-range aircraft is capable of carrying a maximum of 20,000 kilogrammes of cargo (86 personnel and light vehicles). The Y-8 aircraft, designed to meet the needs of the Chinese Armed Forces, was exported to foreign countries in small numbers. Kawasaki MTA of Japan The Kawasaki C-1 military transport aircraft was produced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and placed in the inventory of the Japanese Air Force in 1974 to replace the aging Curtiss C-46 Commando in use by the Japanese Air Force. A short-range transport aircraft, the C-1 is capable of short take-off and landing (STOL). The plane has the capacity to carry 23,000 kilogrammes of cargo. The maximum take-off weight of the Kawasaki C-1 is 38 tons. Kawasaki C-1, which was produced in 31 units to meet the needs of the Japanese Air Force, was not exported to any country. Kawasaki Heavy Industries has produced the Kawasaki C-2 MTA to replace the end-of-life Kawasaki C-1s. The C-2 MTA, which made its first flight in 2010, was accepted into service by the Japanese Air Force in 2016. Kawasaki C2 MTA differs from its predecessor both in terms of the ability to carry more cargo and increased flight range. Since its acceptance into service, only 15 units of Kawasaki C-2 MTA have been produced and handed over to Japan’s Armed Forces. The maximum take-off weight of the aircraft is 141 tons with a payload capacity of 69 tons. As a general conclusion, it can be said that the military transport aircraft, which are the means of the High Command, are designed for operational and strategic landings and transportation of troops and materials by air. In addition, military transport aircraft are capable of striking ground targets, conducting electronic warfare and performing special missions. MTA has air bases located inside the country. During military operations, military aviation units and units use airfields in the main base area. MTAs can typically be operated from airfields with small prepared runways. Before the start of military operations, the MTA carries out the tasks of transporting troops, military equipment, ammunition and other materials and provides air manoeuvring of the Air Force. With the start of the fighting, the main task of the MTA is to land behind enemy lines. Subsequently, MTA can participate in the delivery of various cargoes to the troops located behind the enemy. Traditionally, the MTA acts in the interests of the army - it carries out the landing of airborne forces, as well as the delivery of weapons, ammunition, material and technical parts, the prompt transfer of military units and the evacuation of the wounded. Military transport aircraft are also ready to be used for air reconnaissance, electronic warfare and other purposes. If necessary, military transport aviation can be used for special tasks and humanitarian aids. Combat characteristics of military transport aircraft are characterized by long flight range, availability of modern flight and navigation equipment and versatility. When looking at the global military transport aircraft market, it is observed that NATO countries and former Soviet aircraft form the basis of MTA. PJ 54 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION Kawasaki C-1 military transport Ilyushin IL-76
SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 55 FNSS will showcase SHADOW RIDER with 12.7 mm SANCAK Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RWS), PARS IZCI 8x8 with NEFER RCT, PARS 4x4 Anti-tank with SANCAK RWS equipped with a 30mm cannon developed by Samsun Yurt Savunma in line with local capability development activities, KAPLAN MT with 105 mm turret and PULAT active protection system developed by ASELSAN, ZAHA with CAKA RWS designed and manufactured by FNSS, PARS IV 6x6 Special Operations Vehicle and a new product which will be revealed during IDEF’23. KAPLAN MT: The Only User Qualified Turkish Medium Tank Enter into Service with an Army The KAPLAN MT stands out as the first tank-class system serial manufactured in Türkiye and entered into the inventory of an army. Jointly developed by FNSS and PT Pindad within the scope of the Defense Industry Cooperation Agreement signed between Türkiye and Indonesia. Equipped with a command control system and laser warning system that provide tactical awareness to the vehicle commander, the KAPLAN MT is a modern platform equipped with advanced firepower capabilities and the latest technologies. It features a design architecture with advanced ballistic and mine protection systems, allowing for the use of a wide range of firepower options. Additionally, it is integrated with Pulat active protection system. Marine Assault Vehicle is Now In Service with the NAVY The Marine Assault Vehicle (MAV), which will be exhibited together with the CAKA Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RWS) at IDEF, recently entered the inventory of the Turkish Navy as the first domestically manufactured armoured combat vehicle in the Naval Forces inventory, MAV has the capability to swiftly cover distances in ship-to-shore, shore-to-ship, and shore-to-shore operations, enabling units to rapidly disembark under protection and fire support. Designed by FNSS to meet the needs of marine infantry, MAV is a state-of-the-art amphibious vehicle with four different variants: Personnel Carrier, Command Vehicle, Recovery Vehicle, and Mine Breaching Vehicle. PARS IV 6x6 S-Ops Vehicle: The Only Selected & Put into Service 6x6 Wheeled Armoured Vehicle by the Turkish Armed Forces The PARS IV 6x6 Special Operations Vehicle, which will be showcased at the FNSS booth with the SANCAK RemoteControlled Weapon Station (RWS), is currently in use by Turkish Army Special Forces Command. As the first 6x6 class armoured vehicle to enter the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces, the PARS IV 6x6 is designed to be a superior vehicle compared to its predecessors; with its mission equipment, situational awareness futures, mobility, firepower and protection against mines, IEDs, artillery splinters and heavy machine gun projectiles. The vehicle is equipped with two independent SANCAK RWS systems developed by FNSS. The weapon stations are fitted with a universal gun mount, which enables them to carry 7.62 mm, or 12.7 mm machine guns, or 40 mm automatic grenade launchers, which can be easily changed depending on mission requirements. The vehicle is equipped with new generation mission equipment which ensures combat effectiveness, safer route planning, command/control and rapid targeting and has been specifically designed to carry special operations units to their mission objectives where multiple threats can be in place and provide fire support to deployed units at the battlefield. The vehicle’s high level of ballistic, mine and IED protection along with the RPG net is designed to protect the crew and the powerpack against unconventional threats where the timing and intensity of the threat cannot be estimated. SHADOW RIDER: Türkiye’s First and One of The Key Heavy UGVs in the World The utilization of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) is becoming increasingly common in the modern battlefield, where unconventional threats are inevitable. Unmanned systems have become the focus of modern armies with their superior capabilities that let them to take part in high and low intensity operations and hazardous environments, thereby their role has become increasingly indispensable. As a result of FNSS's initiatives in this direction, the "SHADOW RIDER" concept, based on the M113 platform, has evolved into a family of autonomous unmanned ground vehicles that will serve in all kinds of missions, especially fire support. FNSS' concept is presented as a viable and adaptable solution that provides autonomous capability to a conventional land platform with a kit that can be integrated into any armoured ground vehicle. SHADOW RIDER has marked its position as Türkiye’s first and one of the key heavy UGVs in the world with TRL-6-7. FNSS is Exhibiting its Armored Fighting Vehicles at IDEF 2023 FNSS is participating in the 16th IDEF'23 International Defense Industry Exhibition held at the Istanbul TÜYAP Exhibition and Congress Center on July 25-28. PARS IV 6x6
Holding leader position in Türkiye’s weapon industry with its past experience of 142 years, Sarsılmaz is subscribing to projects assuming extremely important role in the defense of our country. While production of local and national infantry rifles such as SAR 223 and MPT-76, as a result of intensive R & D activities, new projects are brought to life. Commenced with the design and production processes under this scope by Sarsılmaz, infantry rifle SAR 56 and machine gun SAR 762 MT are attracting attention thanks to their powerful performance and user-friendly construction. SAR 56 for perfect result in every task Infantry rifle SAR 56 developed by Sarsılmaz for those combatting at the front lines is incorporating all past experiences and accumulation compiled in this field. 5,56x45 millimeter caliber SAR 56 is a user-friendly rifle developed in parallel to feedback received from field personnel. Sarsılmaz melted in the same crucible the accumulation acquired from infantry rifles developed uniquely, namely SAR 223 and MPT 76 introduced to serial production. SAR 56, while presenting superior performance by means of its short-strike gas piston drive system and 5,56 x 45 millimeter caliber, is also providing ease of use by means of its cheeksupported butt of five positions. Such ergonomic construction of SAR 56 is further enriched with its long and removable fore-hand as well as cantilevered hand-held holster. SAR 56, which can be secured while not cocked as well, prioritizes safety and also nests a construction compatible with tactical use thanks to its two-sided latch group. Polymer dust cap, ergonomic strap connection loop, magazine with indicator are amongst other essential features of SAR 56. This infantry rifle of high technology production possesses different barrel length alternatives as well. Introducing three different barrel lengths of 7,5 inches, 11 inches and 14,5 inches, SAR 56 is in harmony with all tasks that could be carried out ranging from short distance to long distance. Uninterrupted power: SAR 762MT Yet another of the products recently developed by Sarsılmaz for the front line fighters is the machine gun family SAR 762 MT brought to series production stage. SAR 762 MT developed with the purpose of covering Turkey’s machine gun requirement fully by means of local design and engineering, is developed towards usage by both infantry as well as on board vehicles. Presenting possibility of more firing through its feature of rapid barrel changeover, SAR 762 MT has at least 50 shooting life body and 25 thousand shooting barrel life. Weapon operable at temperatures between -36 to +72˚C has an effective range reaching 1.200 meters for area targets. While maximum range of SAR 762 MT is 3.725 meters. This machine gun with its mechanism incorporating the principle of open position (gas driven) operation. While SAR 762 MT – A could be used with remote controlled weapon systems, SAR 762 MT - C, could possibly be used on Ejder Yalçın, Cobra, Kirpi, Vuran and Amazon vehicles as a solenoid fired machine gun operable co-axial with the main weapon. SAR 762 MT - B and SAR 762 MT - D developed for use of the infantry, could be fired both on a bipod as well as a tripod pedestal. Sarsılmaz started to develop SAR 762 MT under PMT 7.62x51 project signed in 2018 with Defense Industry Department (SSB). Starting this Project with the target of meeting requirements of Turkish Armed Forces, Gendarmerie General Command and Security General Directorate, introduced an infantry rifle capable of en least 50.000 shots. This weapon operating fully automatic is in-fed by strip (ammunition belt). Strip fed both from the right as well as the left side, SAR 762 MT could be adopted with great ease to every type of vehicle and terrain/position. This air cooled weapon possesses rapidly interchangeable barrel feature as well. Thereby, in circumstances where weapons are required to fire with interruption like combat requiring intense fire oppression, machine gun sniper is able to change the barrel in a rapid and safe manner. Thus the weapon continues with the combat without lessening its firing power. Having a wide product range from pistol to machine gun, Sarsılmaz is providing substantial contribution to Türkiye’s defense industry by the local and national infantry rifles it has developed. Let us have a closer look at infantry rifle SAR 56 and machine gun SAR 762 MT, developed upon combining feedback from the field with its experience. SPECIAL EDITION 2023 The founder “POLIQON JURNALI” LLC Chief editor Zaur Babashov Tel: (+994 77) 311‐81‐18 E‑mail: [email protected] [email protected] Web: www.poliqon.az Address: Baku city, Oskar Efendiyev str. 110 Ariana Business Park 401 Turkish representation Mehmet Demirkol Chankaya, 06540 Ankara – TÜRKİYE Tel: +90 (552) 437 32 67 azeridefence‐[email protected] Russian Federation representation Arkadi Komarov World Business Media Ofis: +7 (495)987 38 00 mob.: +7 (985)769 57 32 E‑mail: [email protected] Pakistan representation Ehtesham Bari mob.: +92 (331) 239 96 95 [email protected] Kazakhstan representation SAVDAN Yerasil Baizhuman mob.: +7(707) 333 15 03 E‐mail: [email protected] The magazine is state registered in the Ministry of Justice. No. 3632 was state registered by the State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan on June 21, 2012. “POLIQON JURNALI” LLC Registration number (TIN): 1702953031 The editors of POLIQON magazine are not responsible for advertising materials. Reference is necessary when using materials. Seal signed 21.07.2023 Format 60x901/8. Photographer Vugar Ibadov