ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey will outfit its locally-built drones with a new, locally-built, mini laser-guided rocket, the Bozok ("white arrow" in Turkish).

Officials said they plan serial production of the Bozok soon. The rocket was designed and developed by Tubitak SAGE, a government-controlled defense industry research and development institute.

"With this program we aim to earn our drones attack capabilities," Turkish Science, Industry and Technology Minister Fikri Isik told reporters. "The Bozok is an ideal solution especially in asymmetrical war."

The 79-centimeter Bozok ("white arrow" in Turkish) weighs 16 kilograms. It can hit targets at a maximum distance of six kilometers.

Procurement officials say the Bozok can be an ideal attack asset for the Anka S, Turkey's first indigenous drone, built by Tusas Turkish Aerospace Industries. Tusas plans to move forward to serial production phase of the program.

Burak Ege Bekdil was the Turkey correspondent for Defense News.

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