When do laser weapons stop being weapons? That is when it is not a weapon, the ASELSAN YILDIRIM 100 Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) system does not actually destroy incoming infrared missiles, but rather blinds them before the missile locks on to its target.
Actual renderings of laser countermeasures
When discussing military hardware, it's easy to focus on the things that go "bang." Surprisingly, however, a large proportion of these were created to defend against or completely stop explosions. This is the rationale behind stealth technology and missile countermeasures, which have become increasingly sophisticated over the years.
Modern missiles used against aircraft are not silly projectiles that are fired and prayed to point in the right direction. They are extremely advanced delivery vehicles equipped with systems capable of locating, identifying, locking on to targets, calculating interception routes and homing automatically - even if the target attempts evasive maneuvers.
YILDIRIM 100 Laser Turret
Likewise, military aircraft and many civilian aircraft are equipped with equally advanced countermeasures to evade and defeat these smart missiles. These include stealth systems that make aircraft more difficult to detect or correctly identify, flares and other decoys that deflect missiles off course, and more aggressive countermeasures used to suppress or destroy missiles.
The latter is the function of Türkiye's YILDIRIM 100 laser weapon, which uses laser light to destroy enemy missiles. No, it's not like its cooler cousins, which blow planes away with high-energy beams that burn wings and destroy electronics. Instead, it's a twin-turret laser weapon that can cover the entire sky around an aircraft, searching for incoming missiles that use an infrared seeker to lock on to the target's heat signature.
The principle is that once the missile is detected, the laser will counterattack with multispectral infrared laser, which is powerful enough to stun or even destroy the missile's sensor. This concept is not new. The British Royal Navy also used stun lasers during the Falklands War, but the YILDIRIM 100 did not have a human operator firing lasers at the pilot to disrupt his attack path, but an automated system designed to counter other automated systems.
According to the company, YILDIRIM 100 can be used against a variety of missiles and can engage multiple targets simultaneously. Additionally, it can be retrofitted to many fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft and is compatible with a variety of infrared and ultraviolet missile warning systems.
On July 4, 2025, YILDIRIM 100 intercepted and destroyed multiple infrared missiles during a live-fire exercise, and a high-power YILDIRIM 300 system is being developed that would operate fast enough to be installed on a fighter jet.
"With the successful testing of the YILDIRIM 100, we are extremely proud to elevate (Turkey's) air defense capabilities to the level of the world's leading nations," said ASELSAN President and CEO Ahmed Akyol. "On the occasion of ASELSAN's 50th anniversary, this achievement demonstrates the superior strength of our indigenous technology and our unwavering commitment to innovation. We will continue to develop game-changing systems to meet the ever-changing needs of the modern battlefield."
Source: ASELSAN