Turkey test-fires domestically made concrete-piercing aircraft ammunition
SERT-82 and SARB-83 ammunitions developed by the TÜBİTAK SAGE are displayed at the 14th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF'19) between April 30 and May 3, 2019, in Istanbul, Turkey. (AA Photo)


SARB-83, a domestically developed concrete-piercing aircraft ammunition with warhead technology produced by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK), has been successfully tested, Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank said Wednesday.

Varank also shared a video showing the test-firing via his Twitter account.

He said in the statement that the ammunition that has consecutive piercing technology was tested in Turkey for the first time, noting that thanks to the country’s testing infrastructure it is now possible to test ammunition projects in a short time with low costs.

The statement did not specify when the ammunition will be approved to join the military's arsenal.

SARB-83 is a concrete-piercing ammunition developed by TÜBİTAK Defense Industries Research and Development Institute (SAGE) for use against ground and underground targets, with warhead technology.

The ammunition, which is a new generation ammunition that can be used with thermobaric explosives with its pre-piercing warhead feature, was developed for priority targets such as caves, runways, hangars, bunkers and dams.

SARB-83 can pierce 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) of concrete and is capable of destroying additional targets inside.