As drone warfare continues to reshape modern battlefields, nations are racing to develop effective short-range air defense (SHORAD) solutions. Turkey’s defense electronics giant Aselsan has emerged as a key player in this domain with its ATOM 35mm airburst ammunition. Designed to neutralize small UAVs and loitering munitions with high precision and minimal collateral damage, the ATOM round is becoming a cornerstone of Turkey’s layered air defense strategy.
ATOM 35mm Airburst Ammunition: Technical Overview
The ATOM is a 35×228 mm airburst munition developed by Aselsan in cooperation with MKE (Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation). It features a programmable electronic time fuse that enables the round to detonate at a precise point along its trajectory. This mid-air detonation creates a lethal cloud of tungsten pellets designed to shred soft-skinned aerial targets such as quadcopters, fixed-wing micro-UAVs, or loitering munitions like the Lancet or Switchblade.
Key specifications of the ATOM round include:
- Caliber: 35×228 mm
- Fuse: Programmable electronic time fuse with inductive setting
- Payload: Tungsten pellets for directional fragmentation
- Effective Range: Up to ~4 km against aerial targets
- Rate of Fire (platform dependent): Up to 550 rounds/min (Oerlikon KDC cannon)
The projectile is programmed just before firing via an inductive coil in the weapon system’s muzzle device. The fire control system calculates the optimal burst point based on target speed and trajectory data provided by radar or electro-optical sensors. The result is a highly accurate kill mechanism against fast-moving or evasive aerial threats.
Integration into Turkish SHORAD Systems
The ATOM ammunition has been integrated into two key Turkish short-range air defense platforms:
KORKUT Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun System
KORKUT is Turkey’s mobile SHORAD platform developed by Aselsan and FNSS. It consists of a tracked vehicle equipped with twin-barrelled Oerlikon KDC-02 cannons (35 mm), supported by a separate command vehicle with radar and fire control systems. Each gun vehicle can carry up to 400 rounds of mixed ammunition types including HEI-T and ATOM.
KORKUT has been deployed by the Turkish Armed Forces since around 2019 and has reportedly seen operational use near Turkey’s southern borders. Its mobility allows it to accompany mechanized units while providing protection against low-flying threats such as drones or cruise missiles.
GÖKDENİZ Naval CIWS System
The naval counterpart of KORKUT is GÖKDENİZ—a close-in weapon system for ships designed for last-ditch defense against UAVs, helicopters, sea-skimming missiles, or asymmetric surface threats. It uses the same twin-barrelled Oerlikon-derived gun architecture as KORKUT but adapted for naval conditions.
The GÖKDENİZ system includes onboard radar tracking and electro-optical sensors for autonomous engagement. The use of ATOM rounds enhances its ability to engage multiple small aerial targets simultaneously—particularly relevant in swarming drone scenarios increasingly seen in littoral conflict zones.
Tactical Role Against Drones and Loitering Munitions
The proliferation of cheap commercial drones modified for military use—alongside purpose-built loitering munitions—has created an urgent need for cost-effective counters that do not rely on expensive missile interceptors. Airburst ammunition like ATOM offers several advantages:
- Low cost per shot: Significantly cheaper than SAMs or hard-kill interceptors.
- Saturation resilience: Capable of engaging multiple small targets rapidly due to high rate of fire.
- Reduced collateral damage: Fragmentation pattern can be optimized for minimal ground impact.
This makes systems using ATOM ideal for defending forward operating bases (FOBs), mobile columns, naval vessels near contested waters (e.g., Eastern Mediterranean), or critical infrastructure such as power plants or airports from drone swarms or suicide UAVs.
Ammunition Compatibility and NATO Interoperability
The base caliber—35×228 mm—is NATO standard and compatible with widely used platforms such as Rheinmetall’s Skyguard/Skyshield systems. While the proprietary programming interface may limit direct cross-platform compatibility without integration workarounds, the adoption of programmable fuses aligns with trends across NATO militaries seeking modularity in effectors across C-RAM/SHORAD layers.
This opens potential export avenues not only within Turkey’s traditional partners (Qatar, Azerbaijan) but also among NATO members seeking affordable kinetic C-UAS options without investing in new missile-based systems.
Status in Production and Export Potential
MKE manufactures the physical shell while Aselsan provides the fuse programming module and fire control integration suite. According to open sources including IDEF presentations and Turkish MoD statements from recent years, both KORKUT and GÖKDENİZ are in serial production with confirmed domestic orders exceeding several dozen units each. The ammunition itself is being stockpiled in significant quantities by Turkish forces as part of their layered air defense modernization effort post-2016 coup attempt reforms.
No confirmed foreign sales have been publicly disclosed as of early 2024; however, both Qatar and Pakistan have reportedly evaluated components of these systems during bilateral defense expos. Given global demand for affordable C-UAS solutions—especially among countries facing asymmetric drone threats—the export prospects remain strong if interoperability hurdles can be addressed through licensing or joint production agreements.
A Growing Trend Toward Programmable Airburst Munitions
The development of programmable airburst rounds like Aselsan’s ATOM follows an international trend seen in similar efforts such as Rheinmetall’s AHEAD ammunition used in Skyshield/SkyRanger systems or Northrop Grumman’s XM1211 used in U.S. Army’s future IFPC programs. These munitions are increasingly viewed as essential components within multi-layered defenses combining kinetic guns with soft-kill EW jammers or directed energy weapons (DEWs).
Together they form part of modern counter-UAS doctrine emphasizing flexibility over reliance on expensive missile interceptors alone—a lesson reinforced by conflicts from Nagorno-Karabakh to Ukraine where massed drone attacks have overwhelmed traditional IADS elements lacking rapid-fire kinetic layers.
