PARIS – Turkey intends to conduct trials of homegrown hypersonic missiles with ranges of up to 2,000 kilometres from its planned space launch site in Somalia, the French daily Le Monde reported.
The paper said Ankara views Somalia’s Indian Ocean shore as a prime setting for both missile and space operations, signaling a broader strategic mission for the site than its publicly stated role as a satellite launch hub.
Initially touted as a civilian platform for placing satellites into orbit, the spaceport would double as a proving ground for long-range missile capabilities, including hypersonic systems now being developed in Turkey, according to the report.
Le Monde added that Israel regards the initiative as a possible national security risk and is tracking it closely, as regional unease grows over Turkey’s expanding military presence in the Horn of Africa.
The newspaper also reported that North Western State of Somalia — which it said receives Israeli military backing — falls within the reach of missiles that could be tested from the planned Somali facility.
Neither Ankara nor Mogadishu has publicly confirmed plans to use the spaceport for missile testing, and Israel has not issued an official response to the specific claims cited by Le Monde.
AXADLETM
