Goksur and Levent Against Ram
Embargo Does Not Work In Fact Fires Back
It is getting late for America and the West to learn. Embargo does not work: Especially when it comes to defense industry products. From small munitions to large military platforms like battle ships or aircrafts, none of them make any difference. At least when it comes to Turkiye. Turkish Goksur and Levent against the US Made Ram is as good an example as it gets.
ANTI-SHIP MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM
Anti-ship missile defense system (ASMD) is a mean to protect navy vessels against anti-ship missile threats. It is designed to intercept and destroy incoming missiles.
Goksur and Levent Against Ram
Goksur is the newly unveiled ASMD by Aselsan.
Levent is the locally developed competitive ASMD by Roketsan.
They are competing to replace Raytheon’s Ram.
163 warships are equipped with the Ram, rolling airframe missile system, in 11 countries. Turkiye is one of them with the biggest navy in the Mediterranean sea.
So, what is the big deal if there is a small competitor when Raytheon is the Number 1 aerospace and defense industry company in the world?
Aselsan and Roketsan
It matters when the Aselsan and Roketsan duo also build a better version of Raytheon’s major defensive batteries. Patriots have been the dominant land based system.
Turkiye now has Sipers and Hisars to compete against Patriots. They are new, but reportedly, also better and cheaper. Both Aselsan and Roketsan are part of these totally indigenous projects.
Turkiye
Turkiye does not import much of anything military from America anymore. Not that Turkiye stopped buying but the US Senate passed bills and put an embargo on Turkiye.
As a result, Turkiye decided to develop everything it needed on its own. In two decades, it now has a formidable defense industry. As a result, in no time, it began to replace everything from Patriots to Rams.
Since Turkish armed forces are the first users of everything locally built, they also become “test proven” products. Reputation of the Turkish military concludes sales, bringing international market share as well.
Goksur and Levent Against Ram
They Are GameChangers
However, there is a more urgent problem besides losing sales. China has also made great progress in anti-ship missile systems over the past 15 years.
There were 135 ballistic missile live firings for testing and training in 2021. 250 ballistic missile testing in 2020 also proved that China has a robust industrial base.
Common sense would say, if Turkiye has better Goksur and Levent, it is all the better for the US to use them against China. After all, the US and Turkiye are staunch allies.
US Senators
Unfortunately, there has been no one at home in Wash DC for the past few years or so. Let’s leave poor Joe aside for the moment! I am talking about the US senators that cannot shoot straight anymore.
For example, what were these US senators thinking when they decided to apply the CAATSA 231 embargo against Turkiye? In 2020, they simply did not listen to President Trump.
President Trump warned them that the F-35 program could go kaput if they vote for the embargo. Three years later, the Turkish F-35, KAAN, will be in the air this year. It will surely take away a lot of sales.
So much so, Turkiye is now in the “accessory” business with the likes of Goksur and Levent. They will be sold, along with hundred others like them, to many navies worldwide.
China, Russia, and Turkiye Collaboration
As for China! With these oblivious US senators in Wash DC, it first knows what kind of deterrence the US lacks.
China surely knows how technologically advanced the Turkish defense industry has become with the likes of Aselsan and Roketsan.
On that note, it is a good bet that these US senators also do not know how China would not want to miss an opportunity to collaborate with Turkiye.
Much like Russia has been collaborating with Turkiye more and more. What is worse, further collaboration between Turkiye, Russia, and China will only be the first step in light of BRICS, for example.