Turkey's laser gun passes acceptance tests

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s ARMOL, an on-board fiber laser system designed and developed by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), successfully completed acceptance tests, an official said.

"The national laser gun ARMOL has passed acceptance tests successfully and has been qualified to enter Turkish Armed Forces' inventory," Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank said on Twitter late Sunday.

ARMOL was developed at the Informatics and Information Security Research Center of TUBTAK, a national agency playing a leading role in the creation of a science and technology culture in Turkey, successfully completed acceptance tests.

1.25-kilowatt laser gun is able to damage three-millimeter steel plate at a 500-meter range.

The 400-kilogram (around 880 pound) laser system, for which studies started in July 2018, is planned to be integrated into aircraft.

TUBITAK also conducts other laser gun system projects, such as 20-kw laser gun.