Turkish defense company Aselsan has announced a successful live-fire test of its Gözde guidance kit for free-falling bombs. The trial, concluded on February 27, 2025, showcased the system’s capability to track and neutralize a moving target using a combination of inertial, satellite guidance, and terminal semi-active homing head. Target designation was done by an F-16 multirole fighter.
A joint development by Aselsan and Tübi̇tak SAGE research institute, the Gözde guidance kit applies to a standard Mk 82 bomb, effectively turning it into a smart weapon. In that respect, Gözde is conceptually similar to the American Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) or French AASM Hammer, all compatible with Mark-family free-fall bombs.
“Developed without any propulsion system, it makes the highly effective MK-82 bomb family weighing 500 LB, capable of hitting moving and precision targets with a cost-effective approach thanks to its advanced guidance and navigation capabilities,” Aselsan wrote in a media release on the successful Gözde testing.
The weapon is integrated across multiple carrier platforms, including the F-16 multirole fighter, F-4E-2020 Phantom II modernized 3rd-gen fighter, and Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned combat aerial vehicle. When equipped on an Mk 82, a Gözde is 2.59 meters in length and weighs 265 kg.
Aselsan declares the weapon range of 28 km at a maximum drop altitude of 12 km (40,000 ft MSL). Hit accuracy is within 3 meters from the aiming point, regardless of weather conditions. The aircraft can also release Gözde in a fire-and-forget mode, relying on the bomb’s GNSS and inertial guidance systems.
