The US government has approved the sale of 94 RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) to the Turkish Navy.
The $90-million sale includes 94 Mk 44 MOD 4 (tactical) RAM Guided Missile Round Packs, 3 Mk 47 MOD 9 telemeter missiles, and 1 blast test vehicle, Naval News reported, citing a US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs report.
According to the outlet, the Raytheon missile is being bought for the Turkish Navy’s ADA-class corvettes, which are equipped with the RAM point defense missile system.
The Turkish Navy has a fleet of five indigenously developed ADA-class anti-submarine corvettes, a pair of which are also being built for the Ukrainian Navy.
The RAM system was originally intended to be installed on the indigenous Istanbul-class frigates. However, due to US sanctions, the indigenous Gokdeniz 35-mm close-in weapon system was preferred.
RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile
The ship-borne, infrared-homing, surface-to-air missile is used as a point defense weapon against anti-ship missiles.
It flies at a speed of over Mach 2 (1,500 miles/2,500 kilometers per hour) and has an operational range of 9 kilometers (5.6 miles).
The missile features a 10-kilogram (22 pounds) blast fragmentation warhead and is deployed through the MK49 RAM Guided Missile Launching System and MK15 Mod 32 SeaRAM Close-In Weapon System.
Over 165 vessels in 11 countries are equipped with the missile system, ranging from 500-ton fast attack craft to 95,000-ton aircraft carriers.