STM, one of the leading companies of the Turkish defense industry, continues to achieve export success in the international arena with the innovative and national systems it develops.
Developing modern and rapid solutions for the changing battlefield, STM integrated an armor-piercing warhead into Türkiye’s first national strike UAV, “STM KARGU”, which it developed with national resources and is used effectively in the fight against terrorism, last year. After an intensive development phase, the armor-piercing KARGU, which entered the field, hit the determined targets with full accuracy in test shots.
The KARGU armor-piercing ammunition, which attracted attention after hitting its targets with pinpoint precision in test firings, signed its first export contract. Deliveries are planned to be completed in 2025.
Güleryüz: There is Great Interest from Abroad in the Armor-Piercing Head KARGU
STM General Manager Özgür Güleryüz stated that KARGU is continuously developed according to the dynamics of the battlefield and is equipped with different payload options and continued as follows:
“KARGU, which has been the choice of more than 10 countries on three different continents with its anti-personnel warhead, will now be in the service of friendly and brotherly countries, primarily our Turkish Armed Forces, with its armor-piercing warhead. We have signed our first export contract for this purpose. The fact that the armor-piercing KARGU is being preferred by a country that has previously actively used its anti-personnel warhead version once again demonstrates the satisfaction felt for the reliability and effective performance of the product. There is intense interest in the armor-piercing KARGU abroad, and our contacts with different countries continue. We aim to share new export news in the upcoming period. We will continue to contribute to our defense industry export targets with determination.”
The Choice of More Than 10 Countries in Three Different Continents
The strike UAV KARGU, also known as the “kamikaze UAV” in the public, was developed by STM with domestic and national resources. KARGU, which entered the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces in 2018, is effectively used by various security forces in Türkiye, especially the TAF, in the fight against terrorism, special operations and cross-border operations. Drawing attention in the world arena, KARGU achieved its first export success in 2021, and by 2024, it was exported to more than 10 countries on three different continents.
Different Ammunition Options
Users can remove the anti-personnel ammunition head from KARGU and quickly replace the armor-piercing head, depending on the current situation in the field. KARGU is used against individual or grouped enemy elements with anti-personnel ammunition, while armor-piercing KARGU affects mobile and settled ground targets, durable structures and armored land vehicles.
Hard to detect in enemy territory
With its low radar cross-section feature, KARGU is difficult to detect in enemy territory and can be easily carried by a single soldier and set up in the mission area within 1 minute. The national strike UAV KARGU provides a significant surprise effect and operational superiority with its artificial intelligence and image processing capabilities, silence, and ability to deliver the explosive it carries to the target. Consisting of a strike rotary wing UAV (VIAV) and a ground control station, KARGU can operate effectively day and night with its advanced electro-optic and infrared cameras. KARGU, which can stay in the air for more than 30 minutes, has a range of 10 km. KARGU, which has mission abort, return home and self-destruct capabilities, is equipped with high-performance navigation and control algorithms. In addition to the swarm UAV technology that allows KARGUs to operate in swarms, there is also the KERKES Project that allows them to operate independently of GPS.
The name comes from old Turkish
KARGU, which means “mountaintop observation tower” and “hawk” in Old Turkish, navigates completely automatically with the help of a mission computer. KARGU is particularly responsible for detecting and neutralizing threats in risky areas before soldiers enter. KARGU, which operates completely under operator control with the “Man-in-the-Loop” principle, provides reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence and precision strike capabilities to user personnel by detecting and confirming targets in high-risk, complex conflict zones.
