SARSILMAZ Shapes the Technologies of the Future in the Defense Industry
With a history spanning 143 years, SARSILMAZ is among the most established brands in the defense industry both in Türkiye and around the world, solidifying its international reputation through its cutting-edge firearms. Continuously propelling its journey in the defense industry with increasing momentum, Sarsılmaz boasts a comprehensive product range capable of meeting all the needs of an armed forces. The new goal for SARSILMAZ is to carry forward its significant body of knowledge under the vision of becoming a "technology brand focused on the defense industry."
Ahead of the 16th IDEF'23 International Defense Industry Fair, Sarsılmaz opened the doors of its factory located in Düzce to members of the press. During the event, the "SAR 556 MT Light Machine Gun" and the "25 mm Chain Gun" emerged as some of the standout new products prepared for the service of security forces. The SAR 556 MT Light Machine Gun model aims to enter the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces as soon as possible to end dependence on foreign suppliers in this category.
The light machine gun uses NATO standard 5.56 mm ammunition and is designed for uninterrupted firing, both for mounted and dismounted use. The 25 mm Chain Gun is manufactured by TR Mekatronik, a partnership between Sarsılmaz and TUSAŞ. Designed to be used in remotely operated weapon turrets on land and naval platforms, the chain gun aims to minimize the Turkish Armed Forces' dependency on foreign suppliers of this caliber. It is designed to fire NATO standard 25x137 mm rounds and provides a firing rate of 200 rounds per minute with its chain mechanism.
Sarsılmaz also introduced its new product named "SAR 2023" to the press ahead of IDEF'23. The pistol, produced specially for the centennial of the Republic of Türkiye, carries elements that symbolize both the 143-year experience of Sarsılmaz and the Republic entering its second century. This model, produced in a one-time run, was introduced by Sarsılmaz under the motto "A Gift to Our Republic."
At the beginning of the event, Sarsılmaz, Chairman of the Board Latif Aral ALİŞ, stated that they can meet all the needs of a country's armed forces, from handguns to heavy machine guns. "We have the capability to produce all the needs of an army as Sarsılmaz. In recent years, with the support of our state, we have become one of the main actors directing developments in the defense industry. Without specialized monitoring, the advancements in our field can be difficult to understand. Today, I am pleased to share with you our current product portfolio and our new products that you will also be proud of."
Later, Deputy General Manager Öner ÖZYILMAZ took the stage and said, “Sarsılmaz, which has nearly a century and a half of experience in the Turkish defense industry, may seem like a long when we look at our 143-year past, but it actually isn't a very long period in world history. We consider ourselves among the top 10 arms factories in the world. We are among the top three arms factories in Europe, and we continue to grow every day. Our past extends over four generations; in fact, the fifth generation is also with us, sharing the same family roots. This journey, initiated by Mr. Abdullatif in 1880, has been carried on successively by Mr. Mustafa ALİŞ, Mr. Sarsılmaz ALİŞ, who gave the company its name, and our current Chairman of the Board, Mr. Latif ALİŞ, for over 100 years. We continue this effort with a focus on high quality and reliability, human resources and customer satisfaction, and a motivation for a stronger Türkiye while also innovating and directing the industry. We can categorize our products into three main groups. These are assault rifles, submachine guns, and machine guns as military products; automatic and semi-automatic pistols and revolvers as handguns; and hunting and sporting rifles."
Stating that Sarsılmaz, with exports to over 80 countries, has become the steadfast market leader in Türkiye due to its investments in R&D and engineering, ÖZYILMAZ pointed out that the recent developments in our nearby geography have provided a great opportunity for Sarsılmaz, just as they have for all defense industry companies. "We are the unchanging market leader in Türkiye, and with our R&D and engineering investments, we reinforce our leadership and expand our market share here every day. This market share has also begun to grow significantly worldwide. Especially in recent times, the developments in our own geography have presented a great opportunity for all defense industry companies, including us. Seizing this opportunity actually depends on being able to respond quickly. Thanks to our critical investments in this sector through our engineering, we are making rapid progress. Therefore, we are solidifying this leadership. We pursue this not just by selling a product but also by transferring the technology of that product to friendly countries. In this regard, we are spreading our 143-year experience to over 80 countries under these two headings."
Emphasizing that the SAR9 pistol has twice won the Best Handgun of the Year award in the United States, which is seen as the world's largest civilian arms market, ÖZYILMAZ underlined that the fundamental element behind developing successful products is understanding science and physics. For this reason, they describe themselves as an engineering company, and ÖZYILMAZ stated that they invest in new technologies every day to set up their infrastructure in the best way possible. "We are present in the United States, as we are in different countries around the world. The U.S. is the largest civilian market. Our SAR9 pistol was selected as the best handgun of the year twice in the United States, and we represent our company, our country, and our products in the United States under our SAR USA brand. To be able to go to more than 80 countries, we represent our country and our company at fairs worldwide to develop our customer portfolio and define relationships. The perspective behind this success is not merely about manufacturing a product in its basic form; it's about understanding the science and physics behind it. That's why we define ourselves as an engineering company.
In this context, we have over a hundred engineers working in our factory. With the help of advanced simulations, we first understand the products in the environment where we design them before we manufacture them. I emphasize this specifically because our engineering and R&D perspective is our greatest strength. We use highly precise machines to manufacture the products we design in the best quality possible. These include 5, 7, and 11-axis CNC machines featuring the latest technologies in the world, and we produce very high-quality products modeled according to variable production palettes, especially with robotic systems. You can buy production machines for money, but operating those technologies and producing quality products with them provides you with things that not everyone can buy with money. Here, we work every day to renew ourselves with our hundred-plus engineers to establish our production infrastructure in the best way possible. We said we are investing in technology; we are the first R&D center certified by the Ministry of Industry and Technology in the light weapons sector."
The SAR 109T, MPT-76 SH, and SAR 56 stand out as Sarsılmaz's innovative products in the light weapons sector, serving in the inventories of the Turkish Armed Forces, the Gendarmerie, and the General Directorate of Security. The latest and largest member of Sarsılmaz is the SAR 127 MT heavy machine gun, which comes in both land and air versions. The SAR 762 MT also continues to serve all law enforcement agencies with its four different versions. All Sarsılmaz products are tested according to the NATO Standard AC/225-NAAG directive and go through 47 different tests before being offered to users in the field. Achieving significant success with its compact use feature in enclosed spaces, the SAR 109T is successfully used primarily by the General Directorate of Security, as well as by the Gendarmerie General Command and Turkish Intelligence units. Sarsılmaz's new infantry rifle, the SAR 56, has now been fully shaped according to user requests and blended with their field experience.
All Sarsılmaz products meet NATO standards, including the most rigorous mud tests. The MPT-76 SH (Sarsılmaz Lightened) started as a development project and has been lightened by approximately half a kilogram after Sarsılmaz’s engineering studies. The modified rifle is offered to the user with higher performance than its previous version and is successfully used in the field. Another product of Sarsılmaz, the SAR 15, is an updated model of the well-known AK-47 rifle, developed and produced with current production technologies. The SAR9, which won the Indigenous Domestic Handgun Development Project initiated by the Defense Industry Agency (SSB) in 2018 to select Türkiye's new handgun, continues to be used by all law enforcement agencies, with approximately 500,000 units produced over the last seven years. Developed as part of the project carried out with the Defense Industry Agency (SSB), the SAR 762 MT is domestically produced as an alternative to machine guns used on armored vehicles that have always been supplied from abroad. With the SAR 762 MT and SAR 127 MT products developed under these localization projects, dependence on foreign sources has been eliminated.
Türkiye's Indigenous Multi-Purpose Machine Guns
The SAR 127 MT heavy machine gun, developed solely by Sarsılmaz in Türkiye, operates in both fully automatic and single-shot modes, using 12.7x99 mm NATO ammunition. Capable of being integrated into Remote Controlled Weapon Stations (RCWS), the SAR 127 MT can also be installed on land, sea, and air platforms through the necessary interface connections. The land version of this heavy machine gun, which has completed its qualification tests, features a quick barrel change system and can be used on all armored land vehicles. The system, having completed its qualification tests, can be used on any land, sea, and air platform when needed. When used with a tripod, the effective range of this approximately 38-kilogram weapon for area targets extends up to 1,830 meters. The SAR 127 MT Air, developed for integration into aerial platforms, is designed to provide fire support from the air with its range of up to 7 km and effective range of 1.8 km. The SAR 127 MT Air, like its land counterpart, features a fixed barrel equipped with quick cooling elements and lightened internal parts, enabling a higher firing capacity. With belt-fed ammunition, it can fire 900-1250 rounds per minute. The heavy machine gun has a muzzle velocity of 890 m/s, a maximum length of 1610 mm, a barrel length of 915 mm, a height of 160 mm, and a weight reduced to 33 kilograms, setting it apart from other versions with these capabilities.
The SAR 127 MT Air, which uses NATO standard 12.7x99 mm ammunition, is mounted on the HÜRKUŞ-C within a special pod developed by TR Mekatronik, a joint venture between Sarsılmaz and TUSAŞ. The Weapon Pod, designed to be used on all fixed-wing and rotary-wing platforms with a NATO-standard 14” interface, aims to provide additional firepower. It is currently undergoing qualification tests with live-fire exercises. Concurrently, electronic integration and certification flight tests have begun on HÜRKUŞ-C aircraft. Flight tests are expected to be completed in 2023, resulting in Airworthiness Certification. The Weapon Pod features the ability to use different types of 12.7x99 ammunition, a lightweight composite body, low drag coefficient, remote weapon cocking mechanism, 250-round capacity, sight adjustment with 0.1º accuracy, and empty cartridge/link collection systems.
Sarsılmaz has started deliveries of its 7.62x51 mm SAR 762 MT machine guns, further solidifying Türkiye's independence in the defense industry. The first deliveries were made to the Gendarmerie General Command, and the weapons were integrated into the RCWS on 4x4 tactical wheeled armored vehicles. There are five different versions of the SAR 762 MT: A, B, C, D, and E. The SAR 762 MT-A can be used in RCWS, while the SAR 762 MT-B, designed for infantry use, can be fired both from a bipod and a tripod. The SAR 762 MT-C is intended for use as a co-axial machine gun on both wheeled and tracked armored vehicles. Like the SAR 762 MT-B, the SAR 762 MT-D features a firing rate that can be adjusted through a three-position gas valve. The last model in the series, the SAR 762 MT-E, is corrosion-resistant and can be used on naval vessels. The effective range for area targets is 1,100 meters, with a maximum range of 3,725 meters. The average weight of different models is around 12 kilograms.
Among the new products developed by SARSILMAZ, the SAR 556 light machine gun is designed to meet not only the needs of infantry but also special operations units in urban environments. The light machine gun, using 5.56 mm NATO standard ammunition, emerged as a result of SARSILMAZ's long-standing experience. The user-friendly design of the SAR 556 can meet the diverse needs in both the frontline and urban settings. It is expected to be a significant addition to the Turkish Armed Forces' national and indigenous weapon inventory.
Another product from TR Mekatronik, a partnership between Sarsılmaz and TUSAŞ, is the 20 mm Gun System. Developed for use in T-129 Atak helicopters, the 20 mm Gun System has been designed, produced, and tested by Turkish engineers. The project involves significant contributions from numerous domestic subcontractors led by Sarsılmaz. Capable of firing 750 rounds per minute, this rotating-barrel, turret-mounted gun system significantly enhances the firepower of the Turkish Armed Forces and reduces dependency on foreign systems. Utilizing 20x102 mm NATO-standard ammunition, the system features a servo control system that operates with up to 0.01º accuracy. The system has the capability to relay functions like weapon and turret control, the status of the weapon, the number of rounds fired, and malfunctions to the helicopter through the MIL-STD-1553 protocol.
The 25-mm-Chain-Gun-System, developed under a contract signed between the Defense Industry Agency and the TR Mekatronik, a joint venture between SARSILMAZ and TUSAŞ, is designed to fire 25x137 mm NATO-standard ammunition. The chain-driven system has both rapid and slow firing modes, allowing for 200 rounds per minute. Designed and manufactured by Turkish engineers, the 25 mm chain gun can be used in both manned and remotely operated turrets on land and naval platforms. The "gun control unit," which is part of the weapon system, has been developed with hardware and software infrastructure that will report the number of rounds fired, misfire/malfunction, and internal device failure. All controls on the platform to which the weapon system is connected are also carried out through the gun control unit.
Reliable Rifles in All Conditions
Blending the company’s expertise in infantry rifles with feedback from the field, Sarsılmaz has developed the SAR 56, one of the most attention-grabbing models. Featuring a user-friendly design, the 5.56x45 mm SAR 56 offers a five-position stock with cheek-rest, and a removable handguard, as well as an angled handgrip, making it adaptable to any field condition. Driven by a short-stroke gas piston system, the SAR 56 offers high performance and is available with three different barrel lengths: 7.5 inches, 11 inches, and 14.5 inches. This feature allows the SAR 56 to be suitable for a wide range of tasks from close to long range. The gas tube used in the SAR 56 is so thin and light that it does not affect the natural resonance of the barrel, thus enabling more accurate shots. The alignment of the moving mechanical parts with the barrel minimizes recoil and muzzle rise. A Picatinny rail allows for the mounting of various optical systems. The SAR 56, which can also be safely locked when not deployed, prioritizes safety and includes a dual-sided safety catch for tactical use.
Sarsılmaz, under the scope of the National Infantry Rifle Project, developed Türkiye's first indigenous and national infantry rifle, the MPT 76, into a lighter version called the MPT 76 SH by reducing its weight by 470 grams. The MPT 76 SH uses 7.62x51 mm NATO standard ammunition and has a 20-round magazine. Capable of firing 700 rounds per minute and achieving a muzzle velocity of 800 meters per second, the MPT 76 SH has an effective range of 600 meters. The rifle features a modular handguard rail system, making it customizable with various accessories. The MPT 76 SH rifles developed by Sarsılmaz are reliably used by the Turkish Armed Forces and the General Directorate of Security.
One of Sarsılmaz's newest models, the SAR 15T, is a fully indigenous version of the legendary military rifle platform AK-47. The SAR 15T has been modernized with Picatinny rails on its upper cover and both lower and upper handguards and is part of the Turkish Armed Forces inventory. With reinforced steel parts and a high-strength polymer magazine, stock, and handguard, the weapon exhibits a modern appearance and stands out as a much lighter infantry rifle compared to its counterparts. The SAR 15T offers easy portability to its user with its 5-position folding stock and delivers superior performance under all climatic conditions. Chambered in 7.62x39 mm, this rifle operates with a gas piston-driven system and offers both semi-automatic and automatic firing options.
Special Handguns for Special Forces
A new addition to the SAR9 family, the SAR9 SP, was developed considering the needs of the Special Forces Command. This new model, which inherits all the superior features of the SAR9 series in the TSK inventory, is equipped with technical capabilities to meet different and specialized needs. Like other SAR9s, it has a polymer frame and alloyed forged steel barrel, offering safe and practical usage. The pistol features a firing pin and trigger safety, along with high fixed sights. Furthermore, the SAR9 SP includes options for suppressor attachment, a magazine guide, and a lanyard loop. SAR9 SP possesses features that meet the tactical needs of close combat scenarios.
Entirely developed with indigenous design and engineering, the SAR9 METE is the product of a project initiated with the philosophy of "making the best pistols." The new generation SAR9 METE, with its lightweight polymer frame, weighs just 750 grams. Made with an alloyed forged steel barrel and slide, the pistol offers three different sizes of changeable grips and backstraps. The SAR9 METE, which comes with optical fixed sights, ensures safe use with its manual safety as well as trigger and firing pin safety. The SAR9 METE also enables accessory usage through its special rail system on its frame.
Sarsılmaz specifically designed the SAR 109T for urban combat scenarios, developed to meet the tactical needs of close-combat situations. With a modular body, the SAR 109T allows for the use of NATO-standard accessories through rails on its body. Operating on a blowback principle, it fires 9x19 mm standard NATO ammunition. The SAR 109T machine pistol operates at a high rate of approximately 900 rounds per minute and has a full magazine capacity of 30 rounds, weighing 3,032 grams. Recently, the weapon has been updated with enhancements like polymer rail covers for easier gripping and a modern, compact tactical stock. The SAR 109T is actively used in the field by the Turkish Armed Forces, the General Command of Gendarmerie, and the General Directorate of Security. Additionally, there is a version of the SAR 109T with a carrying handle
