Turkey has released the first photos of its new electromagnetic railgun that will arm the Turkish Navy's TF-2000-class anti-air warfare frigates currently undergoing development by the Turkish Naval Institute.

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The EM railgun named "TÜBITAK SAPAN" is a 14 megajoule (MJ) weapon using technology similar to that of railguns produced by the U.S. Navy. Military railguns rely on electromagnetic forces to generate very high kinetic energies that fire specially-made projectiles towards targets at speeds of up to 3,500 meters per second.

Tübitak Sapan is Turkey's first domestically engineered railgun. The word "sapan" is Turkish for sling. "Tübitak," is an acronym for the state-run "Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey." It's a national agency whose goal is to conduct research, technology and development studies in line with "national priorities."

Tübitak has been conducting extensive research into inertial confinement fusion technology over the past decade and the Sapan railgun is merely a by-product of that research.

Tübitak also develops "science, technology and innovation" policies; support and conduct research and development, and to "play a leading role in the creation of a science and technology culture" in Turkey.

Turkish media said Sapan uses electromagnetic currents rather than high explosives to fire projectiles at speeds much higher than those of conventional weaponry.

Sapan, which was first tested in 2014, will allow Turkey to compete with U.S-based and U.K.-based defense companies, the only two countries in the world that develop railguns, claims Turkish media.

Photos of the new railgun's prototype were made public by Faruk Özlü, Minister of Science, Industry and Technology.

The Turkish Navy's TF-2000 class frigate will provide survivability against modern aerial threats and also support combat functions such as command, control and communications, reconnaissance, early warning, surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and electronic warfare.

The navy plans to build eight of these warships, all of which will be armed with full-scale, combat-ready versions of Sapan.

TagsTurkey, TÜBITAK SAPAN, SAPAN, TÜBITAK, Railgun, TF-2000-class anti-air warfare frigates, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey