Turkish defence company Roketsan is using its presence at Avalon 2017 to highlight its indigenously-developed SOM Stand-Off Missile, a variant of which is in development for the F-35 JSF.

The SOM is an autonomous, long-range (250km class), low-observable, all-weather, air-to-surface weapon which can be employed against stationary and moving land and naval targets, and is already in service on Turkish Air Force F-16s and upgraded F-4E Phantom fighters.

Roketsan is now developing the SOM-J for internal carriage on the F-35, having signed a cooperation agreement Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control to jointly develop, market and support the new weapon.

Roketsan says SOM-J serial production is expected to begin in 2018 following the flight tests from F-16 Block 40s in the first quarter of 2017.