Jolt to Çelebi could turn a big gain for this Indian firm that once had deep Turkish ties
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News18
an hour ago
- News18
Turkey Enters Hypersonic Ballistic Missile Era, Unveils Tayfun Block-4
Last Updated: Developed by Turkish defense firm Roketsan, the Tayfun Block-4 weighs 2,300 kilograms, measures 6.5 meters in length and boasts a range of 800 kilometers. Turkey on Tuesday unveiled its first hypersonic ballistic missile, the Tayfun Block-4 in Istanbul. The development came on the opening day of the International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025. Developed by Turkish defense firm Roketsan, the Tayfun Block-4 weighs 2,300 kilograms, measures 6.5 meters in length and boasts a range of 800 kilometers. The missile was highlighted for its high speed and advanced maneuverability. 'The Tayfun Block-4 achieves long ranges, setting another record for the Turkish defense industry. Weighing over 7 tons, this new version of the Tayfun, with its multi-purpose warhead, will be capable of destroying numerous strategic targets, such as air defense systems, command and control centers, military hangars, and critical military facilities, from kilometers away," Roketsan said in a statement. The Tayfun Block-4 ballistic missile is the hypersonic version of the Tayfun missile – the longest-range national missile ever produced in Turkey. Atmaca missile with Akata capsule, Gökbora air-to-air missile, High-velocity Eren, Air-Launched Ballistic Missile System – 300 Er and Simsek-2 Satellite Launch Vehicle. view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 08:23 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India.com
6 hours ago
- India.com
Yunus Turns To Pakistan's Ally Turkey: Bangladesh Races To Arm With Tanks, Rockets And Guns Aimed At India?
Bangladesh Turkey Defence Ties: The runway lights at Dhaka's military airport glowed faintly on the evening of July 21. A sleek Air Force aircraft taxied before taking off into the night. Onboard was Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, one of the most powerful men in Bangladesh's interim government, heading to Istanbul, Turkey. This was not a routine visit. It was a quiet but telling signal of something deeper brewing between Bangladesh and Turkey. Behind closed doors in Dhaka, the interim government led by Mohammed Yunus has begun redrawing the nation's military roadmap. And in that plan, Turkey is fast replacing China as the go-to partner for weapons, war machines and battlefield technology. Two Chiefs, One City Earlier this month, Bangladesh's Navy Chief Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan had also flown out of Dhaka. While his itinerary officially marked a private U.S. visit, a crucial segment of his journey placed him in Turkey between July 22 and 25. Both the Navy and Air Force heads being in Istanbul during the same week was not a coincidence. It was a calibrated show of intent. Invited by Turkish military leadership, they are now holding meetings that could redefine Bangladesh's defense ties. Discussions are reportedly centered around arms deals, joint training and strategic cooperation. The focus? Building a new defense spine that is not Chinese. Guns, Rockets and Tanks The early signs of this tilt had surfaced last year when Bangladesh quietly acquired 18 Boran 105 mm howitzer guns from Turkey's MKE Corporation. Those who know the defense corridors in Dhaka say this is only the beginning. There is an active plan to scale that number up to 200 units in the coming years. In the pipeline are Turkish-made TRG-230 and TRG-300 rocket systems, which are designed for high-speed and long-range devastation. Otokar's Tulpar light tanks are also on the wishlist. If deals go through, Bangladesh will gain battlefield mobility it has not had before. A Silent Goodbye to China? China has long been the dominant force in supplying arms to Dhaka. But the mood is shifting. Earlier this month, an official trip by Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman to Beijing was cancelled without much explanation. The visit had been planned under an invitation by the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Its quiet withdrawal has set tongues wagging in South Block and beyond. For decades, Beijing had counted Bangladesh among its reliable strategic partners in South Asia. But the new signals from Dhaka suggest that loyalty may no longer be guaranteed. The Man Behind the Curtain Observers in Dhaka say Yunus is shaping a new foreign policy doctrine through the backdoor of military diplomacy. His meetings with Turkish Defense Industry Secretary Haluk Görgün during a hush-hush visit on July 8 were not just ceremonial. Görgün met all three service chiefs. But it was his private conversation with Yunus, arranged discreetly by Bangladesh's military intelligence wing, that raised eyebrows. Sources familiar with the visit say that the mood was warm. Mutual interests were discussed. The tone was strategic, not transactional. A Broader Ideological Bond At the centre of this new closeness lies more than just weapons. There is an ideological undercurrent that aligns Yunus' worldview with that of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Both share a deep admiration for the Islamic world's lost past. Erdoğan dreams of reviving the Caliphate-era influence. Yunus, meanwhile, faces growing pressure from Islamist groups within Bangladesh's political ecosystem. The shift from China's secular and communist approach to Turkey's faith-infused military industrial complex is practical as well as philosophical. What's Next If Bangladesh continues on this path, it may soon sign deals that permanently alter its security alignment in South Asia. Indian defense watchers are already tracking this evolution with unease. The presence of two military chiefs in Istanbul, both negotiating arms deals simultaneously, could well be the start of a strategic triangle between Dhaka, Ankara and Islamabad. For now, the Yunus administration is not saying much. But in the skies above Istanbul and in the corridors of Turkish defense halls, a new kind of partnership is taking shape – one that may redraw regional equations far beyond the Bay of Bengal.
India Today
15 hours ago
- India Today
From Agra to edge of space: Arvi Bahal to fly on Bezos' Blue Origin spaceflight
India-born businessman Arvi Bahal is all set to travel to space aboard Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin NS-34 mission. This mission is the 14th human flight under the New Shepard programme and the 34th in its history. Indian-American Bahal will travel to space as part of the six-member far, Blue Origin has flown 70 people above the Karaman line, the internationally recognised boundary of space, offering brief moments of weightlessness and a panoramic view of the Karman Line, set at an altitude of 100 kilometres above sea level, is widely recognised as the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space. The live webcast on launch day will start 30 minutes before lift off, according to the US-based space technology Bahal on the flight are Turkish businessman Gkhan Erdem, meteorologist Deborah Martorell, teacher Lionel Pitchford, repeat flier JD Russell, and Justin Sun – a tech entrepreneur and the original $28 million winning bidder for the first New Shepard seat in IS ARVI BAHAL?Arvi Bahal is a real estate investor born in Agra and is now a naturalised US citizen.A lifelong traveller and adventurer, Bahal has visited every country in the world, the North and South Poles, and skydived on Mount Everest and the Pyramids of Giza. He holds a private pilot's licence and also flies helicopters, according to Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp expressed enthusiasm for the company's mission, highlighting the growing momentum of its space tourism program."Looking forward to our sixth New Shepard launch this year and welcoming back our fifth astronaut to fly twice! Proud to have this international crew as we continue opening up space to people from all backgrounds," Limp said in a post on Gopichand Thotakura was the first Indian to venture into space as a tourist as part of Blue Origin's New Shepard-25 (NS-25) ACCOMPANYING ARVI BAHAL ALSO BIG LEAGUERSGkhan Erdem is a Turkish businessman and a board member of Erdem Holding, a diverse group of companies operating in the energy, telecommunications, construction, and manufacturing of his professional responsibilities, Gkhan is a passionate space enthusiast and an avid photographer. Deeply inspired by space exploration, he dreams of one day travelling to the International Space Station and possibly even beyond, Blue Origin wrote on its third crew member's name is Deborah Martorell. She is a Puerto Rican meteorologist and journalist. Her reporting on environmental and space topics has garnered eight Emmy Awards and two Awards of Excellence in Science Reporting from the American Meteorological Society, according to Blue fourth crew member is Lionel Pitchford, an Englishman who has spent the last four decades in Spain working as a teacher, translator, and tour guide as a means to travel the world. In 1992, following a plane crash with his sister and her family onboard, Lionel founded a nonprofit in Nepal dedicated to serving disadvantaged children and girls, Blue Origin fifth member is JD Russel, an entrepreneur and founder of Alpha Funds, a technology-focused venture capital company, and Alpha Aerospace, an aerospace consulting and solutions company. He founded the Victoria Russell Foundation to honour the memory of his deceased foundation is dedicated to supporting children's education and assisting the families of first responders, Bezos's Blue Origin wrote about his Sun is the Ambassador and former Permanent Representative of Grenada to the World Trade Organisation, founder of TRON - a cryptocurrency with an associated blockchain DAO ecosystem, and advisor to HTX - one of the world's largest crypto exchanges. A protege of Alibaba's Jack Ma, Sun was featured on the cover of Forbes Magazine in April 2025, where he was recognised as one of the most dynamic and outspoken figures in crypto, earning the moniker "Crypto's Billionaire Barker" for his bold approach to innovation, advocacy, and industry leadership.- EndsMust Watch
