Turkey's sat-launcher plans raise concerns

Ankara'swestern allies worry that the Turks intend to use their own launching pad to fire the long-range missiles they hope to build in the medium- to long-run, as DefenseNews.com website reports. Turkey's procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), in early July signed a contract with the country's national missile manufacturer, Roketsan, to build the Turkish Satellite Launching System (UFS) for pre-conceptual design work. In 2011, Turkey announced plans to develop a missile with a maximum range of 2,500 kilometers, not revealing whether it would be ballistic or cruise. Although little information about the program has been released, a Turkish cabinet minister in January confirmed that Turkey possesses capabilities to produce a missile with a range of 800 kilometers. (Read more)