Turkey’s Newest Unmanned Ground Vehicle Kapgan Completes Its First Test-Fire
Shortly after its debut, Turkey’s newest unmanned ground vehicle, Kapgan, which was developed under the leadership of HAVELSAN with the collaboration of leading companies in its field, successfully completed its first test-fire. According to the Turkish Defense Industry Agency’s press office, Unirobotics’ gun turret and Samsun Yurt Defense’s Canik M2 QCB 12.7mm heavy machine gun were integrated into the vehicle for the test, which was conducted at Samsun Yurt Savunma’s shooting range in Samsun, and a test-fire was conducted at night. Another test-fire was also conducted during the day in the early hours of the following day. Kapgan’s driving performance was also revealed in the field after the tests. The Canik M2 QCB 12.7mmheavy machine gun, which was recently added to the Turkish Armed Forces’ inventory, was also used for the first time with an unmanned ground vehicle in this test.
Turkish Defense Industry President İsmail Demir stated following the development that they are determined to acquire the experience and global success they have gained with UAVs in other unmanned systems. Demir said that numerous Turkish defense industry companies have produced highly effective projects in unmanned ground vehicles and provided the following evaluations: “While some of our products are utilized in the service of our security forces, efforts to provide some of them with new capabilities are continuing. Our unmanned ground vehicles are still receiving new weapons. Our Kapgan Unmanned Ground Vehicle, which passed its first test-fire with a 12,7-millimeter heavy machine gun, is also eager to join its brothers in the field. I congratulate all of our companies that contributed to the project, and I sincerely believe that they will achieve greater success in this field.”
KAPGAN is an armed unmanned ground vehicle developed from the experiences gained during the development of BARKAN, HAVELSAN’s first unmanned ground vehicle produced after the Digital Unit Technologies R&D studies began in 2019. The vehicle, which was first displayed at the SAHA EXPO International Defense and Aerospace Exhibition in October last year, with its autonomous features and modular design that allows different payloads to be integrated, can perform a variety of tasks such as attacking with various types of weapons, transporting equipment, carrying wounded personnel, bomb disposal, reconnaissance and surveillance, and war damage reconnaissance.
According to HAVELSAN, the vehicle is 3.2 meters long and 1.75 meters wide, it weighs in at 1400 kg and has a useful load capacity of 600 kg. The vehicle, which is powered by an electric motor, has a top speed of 25 kilometers per hour and can operate for 6 hours. KAPGAN will be able to overcome 50cm tall obstacles on rough terrain and operate at a depth of 120cm at trench crossings, climbing 70% steep slopes and holding on 40% side slopes. KAPGAN will be highly resistant to electronic warfare thanks to its ability to perform autonomous patrols, GPS-independent missions, dynamic route planning, return home in the event of a connection loss, and drivable path analysis features. The vehicle is outfitted with a 30x113mm gun and is capable of providing day/night video feed and operation by sensing its surroundings via tactical data connection, GSM and satellite communication infrastructure, and an upgradeable perimeter surveillance system with a 5 km line of sight. The platform has a 2 km effective range and can easily neutralize air and ground targets. Furthermore, KAPGAN, the newest member of the HAVELSAN Digital Unit concept, has a swarm infrastructure that will allow it to operate jointly with other autonomous systems.
HAVELSAN intends to arm the Kapgan UGV with various weapons and subject it to extensive testing throughout 2023 before putting it into service with the Turkish Armed Forces in 2024. HAVELSAN’s BAHA UAV, which was recently updated and was also developed within the scope of the “digital unit” concept, is expected to enter the Turkish Armed Forces inventory in 2023.
