First detailed images emerge of Turkey’s Hava SOJ standoff jammer aircraft
Three months ago, Turkey’s first Hava SOJ airborne jammer broke cover in a grainy image as the aircraft flew from its Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) facility in Ankara.
Now, new footage has emerged providing a better look at the aircraft in a promotional video released by the Turkish Ministry of National Defense in commemoration of the Turkish Air Force’s 115th anniversary.
Turkey’s new airborne jammer aircraft
The Hava SOJ airborne jammer is based on a modified Bombardier Global 6000 business jet and is called the ASOJ 23-A by Turkish sources. The images clearly show the external Electronic Warfare (EW) payloads integrated into the aircraft.
MSB'nin 115. yıl videosunda HAVA SOJ detayı
— gdh defence (@gdhdefence) June 1, 2026
Milli Savunma Bakanlığının, Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığının 115'inci kuruluş yıl dönümüne özel yayımladığı videoda HAVA SOJ Elektronik Harp Uçağı da yer aldı.
ASELSAN ve TUSAŞ tarafından geliştirilen proje kapsamında Türk Hava… pic.twitter.com/sEwnhPegdf
Turkey is known to be procuring four Hava SOJ aircraft based on the Bombardier Global 6000; two of these airframes were seen at TAI’s facility in 2019 before conversion work. Those aircraft, pre-conversion, had the serial numbers 9855 and 9854 (re-registered as C-GBYG).
Deliveries are expected to start in 2026.
Most of the systems on the Hava SOJ are unknown, although it is known to be carrying Leonardo’s Miysis Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM).
The Aviationist also notes that the aircraft’s wingtip-mounted pods look “strikingly similar to the AN/ALQ-218 Tactical Jamming System on the U.S. Navy’s EA-18G Growler.”
115 yıldır Türk milletinin gökyüzündeki sarsılmaz gücü, Gök Vatan’ın yılmaz bekçisiyiz! 🇹🇷✈️
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) June 1, 2026
Şanlı tarihi, üstün fedakârlığı ve kahraman personeliyle milletimizin gururu olan Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığımızın kuruluşunun 115’inci yıl dönümünü kutluyor; görev başındaki tüm… pic.twitter.com/ktxuhgy2jk
The SOJ integrates with other Turkish systems such as KORAL ground jammers, ANKA/Akıncı drones, the future KAAN stealth fighter, and airborne early warning assets.
The role of the Hava SOJ jammer aircraft
Aselsan is responsible for defence electronics. While Aselsan doesn’t say much about the aircraft or its capabilities, it does have a brochure outlining its roles.
Simultaneously conducted land and air platform based radar and jammer projects
— TR_tech (@T_Nblty) March 1, 2026
➡️Air SOJ
➡️MIT Intelligence Aircraft
➡️IHA-SOJ (ASOJ-234U)
➡️Kara-SOJ 1 (Koral-1)
➡️Kara-SOJ 2 (Koral-2)
➡️AEW-C (ALP-200A)
➡️IHA AEW-C (Baykar-S band early warning radar) https://t.co/pfcATqqKWq pic.twitter.com/rv1sqF5Lt6
It says the aircraft has electronic attack, EW protection, communication, and other systems on board. Aselsan also says the aircraft’s capabilities include “dominance on EM spectrum,” suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD), jamming, and more.
SEAD has long been an area of focus for the USA. The lack of effective SEAD capabilities contributed to the Russian Air Force’s failure to establish air superiority over Ukraine and helped Israel and the US secure air superiority over Iran in 2025 and 2026.
Turkey’s Secretariat of Defence Industries said of the aircraft, “Standoff Jamming (SOJ) platforms are high-value assets that suppress adversary air defence radars, disrupt command and control cycles, and interfere with communications by conducting deception and noise jamming from long ranges without entering hostile airspace.”
The Secretariat explained that the aircraft creates corridors through which friendly air forces can penetrate enemy airspace.
Turkey joins an elite club with dedicated jammers
The War Zone noted that it “underscores the widening spectrum of defence aerospace products, crewed and uncrewed, as well as weapons and sensors, that Turkey is now producing.”
The Hava SOJ makes Turkey one of the few countries in the Mediterranean and Levant region with this capability.
AGN has previously reported how Israel has developed its own advanced modified business jet platforms, such as the Oron multi-mission intelligence-gathering aircraft (although it is not a dedicated jammer).
Meanwhile, The War Zone compared the SOJ to the EA-37B Compass Call aircraft, which the Italian Air Force is purchasing. These are highly specialised aircraft currently only operated by the USAF and replace the older Compass Call, based on the C-130 Hercules.
The Aviationist also compares the Turkish aircraft to the French Archange Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) EW platform.
The need for the SOJ is also related to Turkey being kicked out of the F-35 programme in 2019. The F-35 is much more than just a fighter jet; it is an enabler for penetrating defended airspace and is built around SEAD and DEAD (Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defences) roles.
The removal of Turkey from the F-35 programme saw the country accelerate its own domestic systems, such as the upcoming Kaan fighter jet.
Featured Image: Turkish Ministry of Defense
