'Steel Dome': How deadly are Turkey's new Hisar-O medium-range missiles that Bangladesh wants?

The Turkish Air Defence Command has successfully conducted a live-fire test of the Hisar-O medium-range air defence system, reports said on Saturday. These air defence missiles feature an interception range exceeding 25 kilometres and are designed to take down fast-moving threats, including cruise missiles, fighter jets, and UAVs, reports suggest.

Part of Turkey's broader project to develop an indigenous air defence system (popularly called the "Steel Dome"), the Hisar-O medium-range missiles are designed to protect military bases, ports, facilities, and even troops on the ground against incoming enemy projectiles. Although they can neutralise targets in both low and high altitudes, the Hisar-O variant is optimised for medium-altitude engagement. They are equipped with vertical launch capability with 360-degree effectiveness, Ankara said, while claiming that it is for the first time that it has developed an air defence system with such advanced features.

Turkish Air Defence Command reportedly conducted the live-fire test at the Aksaray firing range with around 10 Hisar-O missiles maintained in a ready-to-fire status. The visuals of the launch were later released on social media, stating: "The Hisar-O firing was successfully conducted by the Air Defense Command at the Hisar Test Firing Range.” The missiles are equipped with high-explosive blast fragmentation warheads. 

How lethal are Hisar-O missiles?

At the battery-level, the new air defence system maintains 18 or more ready-to-fire missiles with tracking capability for 100 targets simultaneously, while at the battalion level, the system can maintain 54 or more ready-to-fire missiles, Türkiye Today quoted government sources as saying.

Electro-optical sensors can be used for automatic target tracking and shooting, and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) capability is supported in the system that can work even under adverse weather or pitch-dark night hours, the developers claimed. Fired from a Mercedes-Benz Zetros 6×6 chassis, the Hisar-O systems are mobile—meaning they can cover critical infrastructure, camps, or civilian settlements—not long after having given cover for troops on the move.

Turkey’s Steel Dome after Israel’s Iron Dome

Turkey's plan is to build its multi-layered “Steel Dome” air-defence system by incorporating short-range Hisar-A, medium Hisar-O, and long-range Siper missile variants, along with the naval Hisar-D RF. Aselsan-developed Kalkan phased-array 3D search and track radars will help the defence system detect and destroy enemy planes, drones, and missiles alike from ranges up to 120 kilometres. Bangladesh and Indonesia have shown interest in buying the air defence system from Turkey but there was no credible information on the price tag.