The Azerbaijani military displayed a Roketsan SOM cruise missile for the first time during its annual parade in Baku on 26 June.
This is the first known export of the SOM, which Roketsan says has a range of more than 250 km with a high explosive/blast fragmentation warhead weighing approximately 226 kg.
The baseline SOM-A uses a combination of inertial navigation system and global navigation satellite system guidance, while the B1 and B2 versions also use terrain referenced navigation and an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker for terminal guidance.
The one displayed in Baku had an aperture on its nose, indicating it has the IIR seeker. The B1 and B2 have different payloads, the latter being a two-stage penetrator warhead.
The SOM is designed to be difficult to detect by radar and has been integrated with F-4 and F-16 aircraft, both of which are flown by the Turkish Air Force, but not its Azerbaijani counterpart. The most likely launch platforms for Azerbaijan’s SOMs are its MiG-29 multirole fighters, although the Su-24 strike aircraft may also be an option.
janes.com