Japan Shows Interest in Turkey’s KARGU Kamikaze Drones
Japan, which in recent years has significantly increased its defense budget in response to North Korea’s growing threat in the Asia-Pacific region and China’s military advances, is reportedly interested in the KARGU kamikaze drone developed by Defense Technologies Engineering and Trade Inc. (STM), after the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. This was confirmed in an exclusive interview with GDH News by STM General Manager Özgür Güleryüz.
Özgür Güleryüz, General Manager of STM, said in his statement, “Japan has requested KARGU. We exhibited KARGU several times at fairs in Japan. Some may say, can’t the Japanese make the drone that STM makes? There are many parameters in the foreign market in exports. Very harsh environments. You need to offer the best technical solution at the best price.” Güleryüz stated that Kargu systems have proven themselves both in the field and in tests, and that the company exports Kargu drones to more than ten countries.
KARGU is a portable, rotary wing munition system developed by STM Defense Technologies Engineering and Trade Inc. under the direction of the Defense Industry Agency of Turkey (SSB) to provide tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as well as precision strike capabilities to the Turkish Security Forces. The system, which was initially displayed at the 2017 International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF), was added to the Turkish Armed Forces inventory in 2018. KARGU was used in this process by the Turkish Armed Forces in Syria and Libya, as well as by Azerbaijan during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War.
KARGU was developed to detect and neutralize threats before soldiers enter dangerous areas. KARGU, which consists of a Rotary Wing Attack UAV and a Ground Control Unit, was designed to perform tasks under human (operator) control using the “man in the loop” principle. A single soldier can deploy KARGU, which weighs 7.6 kg with an electro-optical payload and 7.8 kg with a thermal payload, in one minute. The vehicle’s dimensions are 70x70x40 cm, and it can carry various types of warheads weighing up to 1.5 kg. The electric powered quadcopter has a maximum range of 10 kilometers and a flight time of about 30 minutes at a maximum speed of 72 km/h. The system, which can be operated at any time of day or night using EO and IR sensors, also includes “cancel mission,” “return to home,” and “self-destruct” functions, as well as signal jamming measures to prevent signal degradation.
The KARGU platform can launch attacks in swarms in addition to being used independently. More than 20 KARGU platforms can now operate as a swarm as a result of development efforts that have been ongoing since 2019. Furthermore, thanks to the common Ground Control Station software, KARGU platforms will be able to transmit real-time, automatic target information and cooperate with other STM drones such as TOGAN, ALPAGU, and BOYGA in the future.