Bangladesh’s military modernisation drive under Forces Goal 2030 has taken a decisive leap forward with the successful test-firing and full operational deployment of the Turkish-made TRG-300 Kaplan guided multiple launch rocket system — a system that has already proven its mettle in combat zones like Iraq and Syria under the Turkish Armed Forces.
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.
With its dual INS/GNSS guidance, the system can achieve a Circular Error Probable (CEP) of less than 10 metres, giving Bangladeshi gunners the confidence to strike enemy air defence sites, logistics hubs, and command nodes deep behind the front lines — all while staying on the move thanks to the robust 6×6 KamAZ or MAN tactical truck chassis.
Equally significant is the Kaplan’s resilience against hostile electronic warfare, a vital feature in today’s contested electromagnetic spectrum where GPS jamming and spoofing have become commonplace.
But Dhaka’s push for a modern kill chain doesn’t stop at rockets alone.
In parallel with its MLRS procurement, the Bangladesh Armed Forces have quietly inducted 12 Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAVs, with six already operational since 2023 and the remaining six scheduled to arrive imminently.
Deployed under the Army’s ISR regiments, these drones have redefined Dhaka’s eyes in the sky, providing real-time battlefield intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance — and, crucially, the ability to direct precision-guided firepower like the TRG-300 with maximum effect.
Bangladesh’s TB2 fleet stands out in South Asia for its timing: the deal followed closely on the heels of Pakistan’s own acquisition and frontline deployment of Bayraktar TB2s along its strategic corridors bordering India.
Dhaka, for its part, maintains the drones are strictly for defensive ISR operations, but their presence has triggered unease in New Delhi’s security establishment.
Reports from late 2024 confirm that India threatened to shoot down any Bangladesh Army TB2 that strayed too close to the sensitive border regions of Meghalaya, Tripura, or Mizoram.
A senior Indian military officer told local outlets that “no drones are permitted to fly within 10 kilometres of the India-Bangladesh border under the standing SOP.”
This warning came after a Bangladesh TB2 — identified by its transponder code TB2R1071 — flew close to the frontier, prompting India to tighten its border airspace monitoring.
According to multiple open-source trackers, the drone was launched from the Tejgaon Air Base in Dhaka and is believed to have been operated by the Army’s 67th ISR Battalion, executing a standard surveillance sweep when it triggered alarms across the Line of Control.
For the Bangladesh Army, however, the integration of the TRG-300 Kaplan and the Bayraktar TB2 is more than just a hardware upgrade — it represents a doctrinal pivot to a sensor-to-shooter model that mirrors Azerbaijan’s game-changing playbook during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
That campaign demonstrated how real-time UAV reconnaissance, coupled with precision artillery strikes, could neutralise hardened positions and mobile threats with minimal exposure.
Bangladesh’s embrace of this integrated kill chain reflects lessons learned from modern conflicts and shows the maturity of Forces Goal 2030 as it enters its most critical phase.
Alongside the Turkish systems, Dhaka continues to field Chinese WS-22 MLRS, Nora B-52 self-propelled howitzers, and indigenous C4ISR upgrades, crafting a truly layered fires network.
From a geo-strategic perspective, Bangladesh’s warming ties with Türkiye align perfectly with Ankara’s broader “Asia Anew” policy, which seeks to expand Turkish defence industrial collaboration across South and Southeast Asia.
This relationship not only provides Dhaka with competitive, battle-proven hardware but also reduces dependency on traditional suppliers — a crucial balancing act as South Asia’s security architecture becomes increasingly multipolar.
The TRG-300 Kaplan’s combat pedigree, tested in the rugged theatres of Iraq and Syria, brings added credibility to its role in Bangladesh’s force structure.
The system’s successful test-firing on home soil in 2025 — observed by senior commanders and defence officials — sent a clear message that Bangladesh now wields a precision strike capability capable of reshaping its deterrence posture along both land borders and coastal approaches.
Equipped with cutting-edge guidance, hardened against electronic threats, and supported by persistent UAV overwatch, the TRG-300 Kaplan has effectively turned Bangladesh’s artillery corps from a blunt instrument into a razor-sharp spear.
In the evolving calculus of South Asian military power, precision matters more than ever.
With its alliance with Türkiye flourishing and its integrated fires doctrine maturing, Bangladesh is no longer merely modernising for prestige — it is arming itself with the tools to protect its sovereignty decisively and credibly.
In the years to come, the fusion of Turkish rockets and drones under Dhaka’s command will stand as a testament to a small nation’s big strategic bet: that in the age of precision, the right partnerships — and the right technology — can tilt the balance in your favour.
SNIPPET
“Bangladesh’s acquisition of the TRG-300 Kaplan multiple launch rocket system and Bayraktar TB2 drones from Türkiye marks a major leap in precision firepower under Forces Goal 2030, transforming the Army’s strike reach and regional deterrence posture.”