The Turkish-made Korkut self-propelled anti-aircraft system is expected to replace the previous Gepard systems pledged by Germany to Ukraine.
Turkey’s Korkut self-propelled anti-aircraft gun is reported to have significantly better tactical performance than Germany’s famous Gepard 1A2 anti-aircraft gun, which was originally announced as aid to Ukraine but has yet to be delivered. According to reports, the German government plans to transfer to Ukraine 30 self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery systems (Gepard 1A2) that have been decommissioned and are being stored.
Although it is unclear when supplies will take place, Berlin claims that the biggest stumbling block is a lack of ammunition for this weapon, but Ukraine accuses Germany of blocking purposely to avoid a Russian retaliation. In light of the aforementioned predicament, it is believed that Kyiv is considering discarding the German-made self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery system in favour of a newer Korkut system of Turkish origin.
Turkey had shown an interest in selling several Korkut complexes to Ukraine before to the commencement of the war. This weapon will be supplied as rapidly as the Bayraktar TB2 UAV if the US “green lights” it with financial support in the near future. Turkish defence manufacturing corporation Aselsan produced the self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery ACV 30 Korkut. Three combat vehicles with 35 mm double barreled guns and a command vehicle make up the Korkut complex. The Korkut system was planned and constructed by Aselsan Corporation at the request of the Turkish military to improve its air defence capabilities against modern air threats.
Korkut’s 35 mm cannon-carrying combat vehicle is based on FNSS’s ACV-30 tracked armoured vehicle, which is built on the chassis of two preceding ACV-15 and ACV-19 armoured vehicles. Korkut’s combat vehicle features an unmanned turret with two MKEK 35 mm automatic guns, as well as three crew members (commander, gunner, and driver) who sit totally within the fuselage. Each 35 mm cannon fires at a rate of 1,100 rounds per minute. Above the turret is a 3-D fire control radar with infrared sensors and daytime television cameras. Border combat vehicles can be linked together to form a single network.
Korkut’s mobility is enhanced by the FNSS ACV-30 crawler chassis, which has increased damping capacity and greatly increased payload to handle both 105 mm cannon and heavy anti-aircraft complexes with amphibious capabilities. Another feature of this weapon is that it can fire shells with electronic fuses that decide the explosive range based on the fire control system’s parameters, requiring only a few bullets to destroy the target.
Despite the lack of missiles, Turkey believes that the ACV-30 Korkut self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery complex is superior to the Russian-made Pantsir-S1 and, of course, significantly superior to the Gepard 1A2. In addition to air defence, the Korkut self-propelled anti-air cannon can lower the barrel to fire directly at the infantry, allowing it to act as a full ground fighting vehicle.
