From Kaplan Rockets to Bayraktar Drones: Bangladesh’s New Kill Chain Signals Forces Goal 2030 in Action

Defence affairs

The Bangladesh Army signed its first landmark contract for the TRG-300/230 Surface-to-Surface Tactical Ballistic Missile System, developed by Türkiye’s Roketsan, back in 2019 — an order that positioned Dhaka as one of the earliest confirmed export customers of this battlefield-proven precision artillery.

By June 2021, the first batteries of TRG-300 systems began arriving on Bangladeshi soil.

Since then, the Army has inducted multiple deliveries, fielding an estimated 18 or more launchers, reload trucks, mobile command posts, and supporting logistics vehicles.

Each asset comes integrated with an advanced C4ISR backbone that allows real-time target acquisition, mission planning, and battlefield mobility — a stark contrast to the legacy, unguided artillery systems that defined Bangladesh’s fire support arm for decades.

Valued at an estimated USD 60 million (around BDT 700 crore), the procurement reflects not only a major investment in rocket artillery but also a deepening of Bangladesh’s strategic defence partnership with Türkiye — a relationship fast becoming one of South Asia’s most dynamic.

What makes the TRG-300 Kaplan stand out is its fusion of raw destructive power with pinpoint accuracy.

The rocket, derived from Roketsan’s TR-300 Kasirga, carries a heavy high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing up to 190 kg, capable of saturating targets with lethal steel ball submunitions.