Roketsan details progress on Midlas VLS

Midlas modules under construction. The two on the left are the strike version and the one on the right is the tactical variant. (Roketsan)

During the 12th Naval Systems Seminar held in Istanbul, Mustafa Özdemir, head of launch systems at Roketsan, provided a detailed overview of the company's progress on its Midlas indigenous vertical launch system (VLS).

“Midlas is fundamentally more than a launcher,” Özdemir said. “It's a scalable, high-capacity, vertical launch system that not only stores and launches guided munitions but also serves as a munition depot with integrated safety systems.”

Developed in response to export restrictions on foreign systems initially intended for the Turkish Navy's Milgem-class corvettes, Midlas offers an indigenous, flexible, and expandable solution for the Turkish Navy's growing surface combatant fleet.

A key design objective was space efficiency. “We can fit eight cells into just six square metres,” Özdemir said. “Once the quad-pack configuration is finalised, that same footprint will be able to host up to 32 missiles.”

Two configurations of Midlas have been developed. The tactical-length Midlas, which is deployed on TCG Istanbul, is 6.7 m long, weighs 15 tonnes, and has an eight-cell capacity.

The strike-length Midlas, which is planned for use from the sixth Milgem ship onwards, is 8 m long, weighs 18 tonnes, and has an eight-cell capacity.

Integration is below deck and requires minimal modification to the host ship. “On TCG Istanbul, we achieved full integration without needing to uninstall the launcher at any point,” Özdemir said. The system interfaces with the ADVENT combat management system via ethernet and includes a status panel for external fault monitoring, as well as a remote arming panel inside the combat information centre.