Not missiles! But rockets! Need to arm your attack helicopters? Don't pay a fortune for overrated Hellfires, buy the new Cirit laser guided rockets! Will destroy targets up to 8 kilometers away! A cheaper solution to low-altitute precision strike. Versions that can be launched from IFVs/APCs are being developed too.

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roketsan_Cirit



http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/de...ay&link=147680

Yeah, been following the development of that for quite some time.
It's the trend of a lot of explosives. Smaller and guided.

Maybe im wrong here but by definition if it has means of changing course and an engine it is a missile not rocket?

I followed something like as well and sure I posted it here months ago. Turning low cost rockets into laser guided smart weapons, I'll hunt.

Originally Posted by SHERMAN

Maybe im wrong here but by definition if it has means of changing course and an engine it is a missile not rocket?

Well, by that definition we could call the Space Shuttle or Soyuz missiles too, no? But most people will refer to them as (space) rockets. The difference between a rocket and a missile has never been clear to me either, different sources will give different descriptions. But these really are "rockets" at a traditional sense. Even though the munition is laser-guided and can change course during flight, it has a diameter of 70 mm and is launched from the traditional unguided rocket pads.



The laser seeker on the tip of the rocket is a light-weight passive unit, and the fligth control surfaces are foldable.



A very efficient design.

This is what I was talking about one of our forum members knew something about it or even work on the early project which I think was bought out.

Our forum
Raytheon Teams with Emirates Advanced Investments to Develop Laser Guided Rocket

Link
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/mi...TE=May+7,+2008

From our forum

BAE SYSTEMS COMPLETES TWO TESTS FIRINGS OF ADVANCED PRECISION KILL WEAPON SYSTEM FROM

Link
http://www.baesystems.com/Newsroom/N...120141652.html

Yes, these type of low-cost guided rockets/missiles are gaining enormous popularity. I'm glad Roketsan is in the market with the Cirit. It was developed primarily with the Turkish attack helicopter T-129 (Mangusta) in mind, but the export potential is huge. It can be used on all helicopters that can carry the standard 70mm rocket launchers and a simple Aselsan laser target designator, which I'm sure Aselsan would be more than happy to export as well.



The new chopper will get an engine upgrade that'll increase the flight ceiling by 20% compared to that of the original Italian A-129. It'll be retrofitted with a new Turkish flight/mission control computer, digital glass cockpit & avionics, a millimeter-wave mast radar, as well as UMTAS anti-tank missiles (Hellfire 2 equivalent) by Roketsan. Almost on a par with the Apache, but much cheaper.