Alpin, Turkey’s First Unmanned Helicopter, Is Counting Down the Days Until It Enters Service With the Turkish Armed Forces
Titra Tech’s Alpin rotary wing VTOL drone successfully completed a supply mission during the Pence-Kilit operation launched by the Turkish Armed Forces against the PKK. This was Alpin’s first operational use, it is currently undergoing acceptance trials, which if accepted will see it added to the Turkish Armed Forces’ inventory.
Alpin is Turkey’s first unmanned helicopter platform, built by Titra Technology as part of the unmanned helicopter project launched in 2019 under the direction of the Turkish Defense Industry Agency. The Alpin drone is the autonomous (unmanned) version of Cicare’s manned CH-7 helicopter, manufactured in accordance with the needs and requirements of both civil and security operations in the Turkish market. Using a manned helicopter as a reference in this project made building Alpin much faster, more efficient, and cost-effective than building it from scratch. In fact, the company announced about a year after the commencement of the project that the rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicle in question had successfully completed its first flight.
Alpin, which was first displayed at the IDEF Defense Fair in 2021, was rented by Turkey’s General Directorate of Forestry the same year and was also used in fire monitoring and coordination. The Alpin UAV, which was ready for mass production by 2022, was later on display at the SAHA EXPO 2022 and the IndoDefence Fair held in Indonesia.
According to Titra Technology, the ALPİN drone, which can take off and land vertically with a single button, has a length of 7.2m, a width of 1.6m, a height of 2.45m, and a rotor diameter of 6.28m. The cruise speed of the aircraft, powered by the Rotax 914 UL engine produced by the Austrian BRP-Powertrain company, is 107km/h (58kts), and the maximum cruise speed is 203km/h (110kts). With a maximum take-off weight of 550kg, the drone can carry up to 200kg of payload, including optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), light detection and ranging (LIDAR), signal intelligence (SIGINT), communication intelligence (COMINT), communication relays, weapon systems, and a crane or hook for logistical support.
Alpin, which can reach an altitude of up to 21,000 feet and stay in the air for up to 9 hours, can carry out target spotting in military applications, support artillery units in ground operations, supporting artillery units in ground operations, transport various payloads such as weapons, ammunition, medical supplies, and equipment to military personnel, and perform intelligence, target detection, surveillance, and tracking support tasks. Alpin’s civilian uses include reconnaissance, observation, delivery of payloads like as food, first aid, and so on, mapping and imaging applications, agricultural applications, and mobile base stations in the event of a natural disaster. Alpin’s civilian uses include reconnaissance, observation, delivery of supplies such as food, first aid, and so on in the event of a natural disaster, mapping and imaging applications, agricultural applications, and acting as mobile base stations.
Additionally, Titra Technology is currently negotiating with other nations for the sale of ALPİN abroad. Speaking about the Alpin project at the SEDEC event last year, Titra Technology General Manager Davut Yılmaz said that there was a serious demand from Middle Eastern and African countries for the unmanned helicopter system. Yılmaz stated that the aircraft in question is closely followed by two European and one NATO member country, and that we can see Alpin in many parts of the world, particularly next year. Among the countries known to be closely interested in Alpin are Malaysia, Indonesia and Nigeria, with whom Turkey has recently increased its cooperation in the field of defense.