The purchase will give the Azerbaijani Navy a coastal weapon system capable of striking targets more than 135 nautical miles away. That range would put a substantial portion of the Caspian Sea within reach.
Barbaros combines missiles with different ranges and warhead sizes, allowing operators to match the weapon to the threat. Both will use transport-launch containers mounted on common 8×8 wheeled chassis.
Launchers carrying the larger Atmaca missile will have four containers, while those carrying Çakir will have six. The source article identifies the KamAZ 63501 or 6560 as the likely chassis, but the choice has not been confirmed.
Atmaca is a subsonic missile with a range exceeding 135 nautical miles and a 220 kg warhead. It weighs 890 kg and measures 5.2 metres long, with a diameter of 35 centimetres and a wingspan of 1.4 metres.
The lighter Çakir carries a 70 kg warhead and weighs 330 kg with its launch booster. Its KTJ-1750 turbojet sustainer engine provides a range exceeding 81 nautical miles, while the missile measures 4.1 metres long and 27.5 centimetres in diameter.
A small portion of deliveries is expected before the end of 2026, according to comments by Cumhur Murat Boz, executive director of Roketsan’s Azerbaijani branch, cited in the article. The remaining deliveries are expected within two years.
The numbers of batteries and missiles ordered have not been disclosed. The agreement makes Azerbaijan’s navy the first user of Barbaros.
Less than a decade ago, Baku held talks with Russia about buying the Bal-E coastal defence system armed with Kh-35E missiles. Moscow reportedly refused the sale over concerns that the system might be used against vessels of Russia’s Caspian Flotilla.
