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The 2025 International Defence Exhibition and Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul saw the public debut for two distinct Turkish long-range, ramjet-powered air-to-air missile (LRAAM) programs: Roketsan’s Gökbora and TÜBİTAK SAGE’s Gökhan.
The decision to pursue two separate, resource-intensive development tracks for a similar capability reflects a sophisticated strategy designed to mitigate technological risk, drive a healthy level of competition, and create tailored solutions for the distinct requirements of Turkey’s current and future air fleets.
For the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Turkey’s dual-channel approach could offer a unique window for collaboration, not to address a capability gap, but to acquire deep insight of a major class of threat – i.e., the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) MBDA Meteor – and diversify its inventory with a system built on a different kinematic profile than its mainstay LRAAMs, like the PL-15E, SD-10, and AIM-120C5 AMRAAM.
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An Opportunity for Pakistan
To be clear, Pakistani interest in either one of these designs is far from a given; however, in 2024, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) called for pursuing an “air-to-air missile technology exchange program to accrue maximum benefits for both Air Forces.”
For the PAF, securing a ramjet-powered AAM would be beneficial. It would allow the PAF to objectively leverage and train against a missile with similar kinematics as the Meteor, which the IAF will certainly lean on in as its mainstay LRAAM. This is not to say that the PAF’s decision to leverage the PL-15E is flawed; rather, the goal should be to build more of a holistic understanding of the threats against the PAF fighter fleet.
One could only go so far using theoretical simulations; real-world deployment of either the Gökhan and the Gökbora would give the PAF far deeper insights. In addition, these AAMs would also allow the PAF to build a parallel supply chain for its AAMs whereby it would not be solely reliant on the Chinese.
There would certainly be platforms available for any one (or both) of these LRAAMs – i.e., the JF-17-based Project PFX and, potentially, future UCAVs. Though unclear, the PAF had at various points in the past also expressed interest in the TAI KAAN.
In any case, the fundamental goal (as with surface-to-air missiles or SAMs) should be to develop the core technology platform in Pakistan. Currently, Turkey’s export model does allow for a measure for joint-collaboration and transfer-of-technology. The latter could be merited even more with the customer supporting the funding and development. Just as it does with SAM technology, Pakistan has an opportunity to potentially develop a platform for ramjet technology for AAMs.
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