Nigeria Receives TOGAN Unmanned Aerial Vehicles From Turkey
The TOGAN autonomous rotary wing unmanned aerial vehicle system was exported for the first time by Turkish Defense Technologies Engineering and Trade (STM). Nigeria, which has recently collaborated extensively with Turkey in the defense industry recently, was the system’s first customer. For the time being, nothing is known regarding the specifics of the contract Nigeria signed with STM Defense. The only thing that is known is that these vehicles will be deployed by the Nigerian Armed Forces to protect the nation’s borders.
Nigeria has long struggled with issues like Salafi-Jihadi terrorist groups, local and regional armed gangs, drug trafficking, and illegal immigration. For these reasons, Nigeria previously ordered aircraft such as the Bayraktar TB2, SONGAR Armed Drone System, and T129B Atak attack helicopter from Turkey. For similar reasons, Nigeria also placed orders for two OPV 76 class offshore patrol vessels and one Tuzla class patrol boat from Turkish Dearsan shipyard. In addition, Dearsan will also carry out the modernization of ARADU, the 40-year-old flagship of the Nigerian Navy.
TOGAN is a Rotary Wing Spotter UAS designed for tactical level reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence missions, complete with a flight control system and mission planning software that can be carried and operated by a single soldier. After numerous tests and modifications in the field, the system, which was originally exhibited at the International Defense Industry Fair in 2017 (IDEF 2017), entered the Turkish Armed Forces inventory in 2022. According to the company, the system, which consists of a “Micro UAS Platform” and a “Ground Control Station,” can be used in tactical reconnaissance and surveillance missions due to its ability to track fixed and moving targets and perform autonomous change of duty, which is supported by real-time image processing and deep learning algorithms.
TOGAN is an electrically powered quadcopter UAS with a flight time of about 45 minutes and a maximum speed of 72 km/h. A single TOGAN platform can operate at a range of 10 kilometers for 45 minutes. TOGAN’s 30x optical zoom level daytime and infrared imaging systems provide effective operation day and night. When the battery of one TOGAN falls below a certain level, the other can automatically take over the task, providing the user with uninterrupted use. Furthermore, as part of the Global Positioning System Independent Autonomous Navigation System Development (KERKES) Project, the system will soon be able to operate without the requirement for GPS.