To the participants of the IDEF’23 16th International Defence Industry Fair to be held in the Republic of Türkiye from July 25 to 28 On the occasion of the opening of the IDEF’23 16th International Defence Industry Fair, I greet all participants and wish success to the organizers! I am sure that the IDEF’23 16th International Defence Industry Fair to be held in fraternal Türkiye, will not only be an ideal venue for demonstrating the military potential of the participating countries, exchanging knowledge, experience and discussing security issues but will also provide an opportunity to strengthen current military-technical cooperation and obtain wide prospects, as well as contribute to the emergence of new initiatives. As you know, the Republic of Azerbaijan always pays special attention to improving combat capability and strengthening the material and technical base of its Armed Forces. The process of exchanging the experience between the Azerbaijan Army and the world’s advanced armies, the participation of Azerbaijani servicemen in international exercises, military cooperation, the adaptation of modern weapons, machinery, and equipment in the Azerbaijan Army’s armament, bringing the army in line with the model of the Turkish Armed Forces continues steadily. It is an indisputable fact that the main reason for our most important victories and successes in recent years is that the army development process, the foundation of which was laid by National Leader Heydar Aliyev, is being continued at an increasing pace by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Mr. Ilham Aliyev. The army development is a priority in Azerbaijan. The liberation of the territories, which were under occupation for almost 30 years, the restoration of our territorial integrity, and gaining glorious victory in the Patriotic War, written in golden letters in the military history of Azerbaijan, are the brightest manifestation of the successful army development process. Speaking about the role and significance of the army development process in the fate of our country, I would like to emphasize the professionalism of the Azerbaijan Army. As a result of the reforms initiated by the Nation Leader and successfully continued by the Victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the Azerbaijan Army gave a worthy response and defeated the enemy in the April battles, the Gunnut operation, the Tovuz battles and the Patriotic War. This gained experience and professionalism were once again justified in the successful operations "Farrukh", "Revenge" and other operations conducted after the Patriotic War. Work on strengthening the Azerbaijan Army, in particular, equipping units stationed in the territories liberated from occupation and on the AzerbaijaniArmenian conditional state border with new weapons and military equipment continues successfully. Strengthening the social and living base, innovations in other support areas, and improving the knowledge and skills of servicemen also expand the possibilities of effective use of modern weapons. As the Victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev noted, 2 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel-General Zakir HASANOV: In the army development process, the Republic of Azerbaijan always attaches great importance to cooperation in the military and military-technical spheres with friendly and partner states in order to strengthen its military potential
today the Azerbaijan Army is even stronger than the Azerbaijan Army, which showed heroism and professionalism during the war. In order to increase the potential and capabilities of the Azerbaijan Army, to improve the quality of the comprehensive and continuous logistics support of the troops, work is being carried out in the direction of purchasing new weapons, equipment, military property, and accepting them for armament. The issue of including the world's most modern, new-generation weapons and military equipment into the armament of the Azerbaijan Army is under personal control of Supreme Commanderin-Chief. According to the order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, largescale reforms are being carried out today in the Azerbaijan Army, and the process of adapting the Azerbaijan Army to the model of the Turkish Armed Forces is underway. Thanks to the Shusha Declaration signed between the two fraternal countries in 2021, the relations between Türkiye and Azerbaijan officially reached the peak of alliance. Today, the Azerbaijan Army is the strongest military structure of the region and has a worthy and high place among the world's armies. Currently, the military-political processes taking place in the world, new threats to the security of states have made the issues of military-technical cooperation and the exchange of modern technologies even more urgent. For this reason, according to the order of the Head of state, the process of purchasing new weapons continues after the Patriotic War in order to further increase the military power of Azerbaijan. We know that friendly and cooperative relations exist between the fraternal Republic of Türkiye and Azerbaijan, which have backgrounds of thousands of years. After Azerbaijan regained its independence, these relations entered a new level and cooperation serving mutual interests in all fields was launched. Today, the relations in the military, military-technical field, which are increasing year by year, continue at the level of strategic partnership and alliance. Naturally, Azerbaijan prefers cooperation with Türkiye in the field of military technology, the purchase of the most modern weapons and equipment produced in Türkiye, and defense products that reflect the world's advanced technologies. At the same time, Azerbaijan shows a great interest in modern technology used in various fields of the military industrial complex, and in military equipment distinguished by its competitiveness in the world market. This interest serves the continuous development of Azerbaijan’s defense power and its military cooperation relations with strategic ally Türkiye. As part of the visits of the leadership of the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry to fraternal Türkiye, meetings are held with the heads of ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN, ASPILSAN and a number of other companies of the Turkish Defense Industry, and issues of mutual interest are discussed. Many contracts have already been signed. New unmanned aerial vehicles, long-range missiles with great destructive power and high accuracy have been brought by our country. IDEF’23 16th International Defence Industry Fair is an important platform for introducing advanced defense technologies and models used in various areas of the military-industrial complex, as well as the latest types of military equipment and establishing international cooperation relations. This exhibition once again demonstrates the importance of Fraternal Turkey as a significant strategic partner for the two countries. Holding such fairs which serve the development of the defense industry will be of significant contribution to the competitiveness of military products produced by the states in the world market. The exhibition will provide an opportunity for the participating countries to strengthen the existing military-technical cooperation and gain broad perspectives, it will be useful in terms of developing friendship and joint work, as well as play an important role in improving the existing modern technology base. As for the military-industrial capabilities of Azerbaijan, I would like to note that our country already has a strong military potential and wide opportunities in this area. Our military factories produce more than a thousand types of defense goods. Thus, all types of bullets, pistols, machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars, aviation bombs, armored vehicles, sniper rifles, unmanned aerial vehicles are produced in the military industry of Azerbaijan. Of course, the regular organization of the IDEF’23 16th International Defence Industry Fair in fraternal Turkey and Azerbaijan is also one of the successes we have achieved in the field of international military cooperation. Taking into account the successes of Azerbaijan in the field of defense industry and the interest of influential organizations of the world in cooperation with our country in this regard, it was decided to hold this prestigious fair in Azerbaijan. I am confident that the meetings and discussions to be held as part of the IDEF’23 16th International Defence Industry Fair will create a successful foundation for further expansion and deepening of cooperation between countries in the military and military-technical fields, and contribute to the maintaining of peace and security in the world. I wish you success in your future endeavors, peace and tranquility in your countries! SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 3
Dear Participants, The Turkish defence industry, together with its main and subcontractors, SMEs, research institutions, and universities as a whole, has today become one of the most significant sectors of the country. As a result of all efforts concentrated on defence system procurement and the orientation of the defence industry, our defence and security products and services are now being delivered not only to our heroic security forces but also to the armed forces of friendly and allied nations with whom we have a strategic cooperation in varying regions. Our indigenous and national products have been successfully deployed by our security forces in counter-terrorism operations, as well as in domestic and international missions. The remarkable progress of the Turkish defence industry in the recent years has led to an increased demand for the platforms, systems, and capabilities of our companies in international markets. Today, our defence material export market has reached to 170 countries, while the kinds of export material has risen to some 230, led by UAVs, UCAVs, land vehicles, and naval platforms. Turkish defence and security products are now gaining prominence on a global scale. To sustain this demand, the international collaboration activities we will undertake at the IDEF Fair will be highly beneficial. The IDEF Fair ranks among the world's most prestigious defence industry exhibitions. High-level government and private sector officials from all corners of the world participate in the IDEF Fair. In the previous IDEF'21, 1,238 companies took part, with 537 local and 701 foreign firms from 53 countries. Moreover, 614 delegations comprising 81 countries and 2 international organizations participated in the fair, resulting in 4,055 official meetings/stand visits, 94 signing ceremonies, 7 panels, and 2 presentations. In total, the fair hosted 68,795 visitors from 94 countries. Under the auspices of the Presidency of Türkiye, with the aim of finding new markets, seizing business opportunities, and establishing partnerships for the general industry and SMEs working in the fields of military, civilian, defence, aviation, cybersecurity, and space, we are determined to ensure that IDEF’23, the 16th edition of this event, is executed comprehensively and successfully, like all previous IDEF Fairs. For IDEF’23, the Defence Industry Agency has invited delegations from 57 different countries and 4 international organizations, totalling more than 115 invitations. Throughout the fair, through the unique ‘Meetings Platform’ among other international defence and security exhibitions worldwide, we expect to conduct over 5,000 official and tailored business meetings between domestic and foreign participating companies, foreign delegations, and Turkish procurement authorities. We anticipate the participation of a total of 175 to 200 delegations. We believe that the high-level meetings with the leaders and high level experts of the invitee countries will provide an important platform to review our defence industrial cooperation with countries we have strong ties with and take significant steps towards new collaborations and partnerships. We wish for the successful completion of the IDEF’23 Fair on behalf of our country and extend our best wishes for a productive fair experience to all participants. 4 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION Prof. Dr. Haluk GÖRGÜN President Defence Industry Agency Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye
Bülent ÜNAL TÜYAP Chairman of the Board Within the rapidly changing dynamics of the global economy, the trade fair industry continues to play a guiding role with its significant contribution to the creation of export opportunities and the development of collaborations, particularly in the post-pandemic era. The International Defence Industry Fair IDEF, continues to maintain its position as a significant event in the region, providing substantial contributions to the development of the defence industry. As the Tüyap Fair Organization Group, we are honoured to have successfully organized twelve editions of the IDEF Fair over the past 30 years, contributing considerably to its growth. Furthermore, over the course of 44 years, we have organized 2,088 fairs in 41 countries, hosting more than 350,000 participating companies and welcoming some 70 Million visitors from 219 countries. IDEF’23, the 16th International Defence Industry Fair, commenced under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, hosted by the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Turkey, with the support of the Defence Industry Agency of the Republic of Turkey, under the management and responsibility of the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, and organized by TÜYAP All Fair Organizations Inc. The fair will continue at the TÜYAP Fair and Congress Centre until July 28, 2023. With an expected attendance of nearly 100,000 professional visitors this year, IDEF will strengthen its role as an important meeting point by hosting Heads of State, Presidents, Ministers of National Defence and Interior, Chiefs of General Staff, Commanders of Armed Forces, and authorities responsible for defence and security procurement from friendly and allied countries. It will serve as a platform for bilateral agreements. Throughout the fair, special meeting offices established for the procurement authorities affiliated with the Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Interior, General Staff, Force Commands, Gendarmerie General Command, Coast Guard Command, and the Defence Industry Agency of the Republic of Turkey add an additional significance and strength to IDEF. We are delighted to welcome you to our fair venue, TÜYAP, and wish you a successful fair experience. We look forward to being together in future fairs as well. SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 5
The company, which manufactures bodies and other equipment for civil trucks, agricultural trailers and attachments, now offers to customers locally produced antipersonnel and anti-tank demining machines, firefighting equipment and robots. "Improtex Industries" located on 9 ha in Baku city has 14,500 m² of closed production areas and 5 ha of open storage area. With an annual production capacity of 12,000 tons or 3,000 units/trailers, "Improtex Industries" uses more than 50 technological cutting, bending, punching, and dyeing equipment of European manufacturers. The Factory employs up to 400 highly qualified personnel, including 20 people in the engineering and design bureau. Improtex certified according to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 by TÜV Austria. Production of mechanical demining machines in Karabakh On May 5, 2023, the foundation of the "Improtex Karabakh Industrial Complex" LLC was laid in the "Araz Valley Economic Zone" Industrial Park in Jabrayil district with the participation of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. The new enterprise was created in order to supply increased demand for the products produced by "Improtex" and also to contribute to the revival of the Karabakh region. Complex will be constructed on 5 ha area, investment volume is 7.4 million AZN, number of employees is 124. The enterprise will produce in Jabrayil 300 units of different purpose semi-trailers, 100 units of demining machines, 100 units of fire fighting equipment, 100 units of special purpose vehicles. In addition to dominance in the domestic market, the goal is to expand into the region of the Caspian Sea, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Based on local demand in mechanical demining machines due to explosives clearance on liberated territories of Azerbaijan, since 2021 "Improtex" has started the production of equipment for cleaning anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. Using latest technological solutions and components of well known brands (HARDOX, AGCO Power, Gates, etc.) Improtex designed 2 models of demining equipment – Revival P and Revival T. These units has been tested by the experts of Humanitarian Demining Agency of Azerbaijan Republic (ANAMA) in accordance with UN IMAS international standards. In comparison to main competitors Revival P is equipped with a more powerful engine, durable body and open structure that facilitates service and ensures high work efficiency. As mentioned by company officials main goal is to support activities in mine 6 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION New boost in Defense Industry of Azerbaijan - "Improtex Industries" "Improtex Industries" LLC as a part of Improtex Group used to be mainly engaged in production of civil products. Since 2013 "Improtex Industries" participate as supplier and producer of steel structures in number of strategic projects implemented in the country.
clearance in Karabakh region by supplying required number of equipment in shortest period. Future plan is to export this type of equipment to other countries. "Revival P" demining machine Revival P, which is primarily intended for clearing anti-personnel mines, is resistant to 7 kg TNT blasts. This technique is suitable for demining in urban areas, forests, bushes, fields, forest roads and river banks. Although the Revival P can withstand the explosion of anti-tank mines, it is not designed to clear anti-tank mines. Its remote control function allows the operator to stay out of the range of the destructive blast wave and debris that can cause damage when mines and munitions detonate. The special armored metal used in the production of the technique protects the engine, as well as other important hydraulic and electronic components of the Revival P during demining. Ballistic parameters were taken into account in the design of "Revival P". "Revival P" demining machine has a body length of 5200 mm, width of 1700 mm, height of 1850 mm, and the width of the cleaning device is 2000 mm. The total weight of the equipment is 6.5 tons, the longitudinal movement inclination is 30°, the transverse movement inclination is 30°, the remote control distance is 2000 meters and the diving depth is 500 mm. The machine with a speed of 5 km/h and a working speed of 0.5-1.5 km/h is driven by a 259 hp "AgcoPower" engine. "Revival P" machine can perform mine cleaning operations in the temperature range of -20°C to +55°C. The equipment is equipped with 4 explosionproof cameras - one 80x Zoom camera and three 120° cameras - providing 360° video. With a control panel screen size of 6", the Revival P machine has a 10.1" inch HD screen for the 360° camera system. The width of the demining area of the equipment is 1900 mm, the depth is 300 mm, the vegetation clearing capacity is 1500 mm, and the demining ability is up to 2500 m2/hour, depending on the characteristics of the soil surface. Main advantages: • 11% wider Flyer device increases effective working volume; • A larger radiator ensures longer operation in hot climates; • Larger fuel tank provides more performance without going off-road; • The construction of the body ensures that every detail can be more easily intervened during the service without leaving the area; • More stable, high temperature and impact resistant special metal was used; • Lower center of gravity in accordance with existing construction prevents overturning in case of explosion. "Revival T" demining machine "Revival T" demining machine, unlike "Revival P", is designed to clear more anti-tank mines. For this reason, "Revival T" is resistant to TNT explosions of up to 11 kilograms. Larger than the Revival P, the Revival T is powered by a 778-horsepower CAT engine. This allows the mechanical demining machine to move at a speed of 5 km/h and work at a speed of 0.5-3 km/h. "Revival T" machine has the potential to work in the temperature range of -20°C to +55°C. The demining capacity of "Revival T" equipment, which has a total mass of 21 tons, is 4500 m2/hour. The Revival T has a 10.1" HD display for the 360° camera system, with a 6" screen size for the Revival T control panel. "Revival T" uses two devices for demining. One of them is a chain-type forging device called a flail, and the other is an ax called a tiller. If the mine fails to be detonated by the chainsaw during the demining operation, then the axes are activated and chop the mine before it explodes. Its demining area is 2500 mm wide, 450 mm deep, and 2000 mm vegetation clearing capacity. "Revival T" body length is 8400 mm, width is 2200 mm, height is 2500 mm, width of cleaning device is 3000 mm. "Revival T" with a remote control distance of 2000 meters has a longitudinal tilt of 30°, a transverse tilt of 20°, and a diving depth of 500 mm. SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 7
Established in 1998 by the Decree of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, ANAMA reestablished with a new strategic vision, tasks, and responsibilities through the Presidential Decree of President Ilham Aliyev on January 15, 2021, as a public legal entity. Currently, ANAMA is engaged in the clearance and neutralization of mines, unexploded ordnance, explosive devices, and other explosive remnants of war in the territories liberated from occupation and affected by the war. ANAMA is also responsible for coordination activities of all mine action operations in the country. Azerbaijan ranks among the most mine-contaminated countries. Immediately after the conflict, the restoration and reconstruction of these territories for the safe return of our people to their native homelands have become the most crucial issue for our state. In this regard, mine action has been identified as one of the top priority tasks in the post-conflict period. Under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and the bravery of the Azerbaijani army, following the great victory in the Patriotic War, extensive humanitarian demining operations are carried out in the territories liberated from occupation, in line with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS). According to the annual action plan for mine action approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan, all technical and professional capabilities are mobilized to conduct the clearance operations of landmines and explosive remnants of war. Clearance operations are mainly carried out to support the restoration of key priority areas, including transportation, energy, agriculture, industrial parks, as well as the creation of residential infrastructure and other. These operations are conducted using manual demining, specialized mechanical machines, and mine-detection dogs. More than 900 settlements in Karabakh, which were under occupation 8 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION Demining today for a better tomorrow ANAMA - Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan has 25 years of international experience in humanitarian mine action.
of the Armenian armed forces for about 30 years, were completely destroyed, and the territories were mined. During the post-war period, more than 89,000 mines and other explosive remnants were discovered and neutralized in the territories liberated from occupation. Over 86,000 hectares of land have been cleared of explosive ordnance. In the territories liberated from occupation, the majority of the discovered mines are PMN-Э mines, which are of Armenian origin. Additionally, mines similar to OZM-72 are also being found. With regards to antitank mines, mainly TM-57 and TM-62 mines are being discovered. Most of the discovered mines have plastic bodies. It makes their detection more challenging due to the minimum metal content. It should be noted that in some areas, we are facing with a high density of mine placement without adhering to any standard. Tilt-rod mines and improvised explosive devices are also encountered in day to day operations. Instances of explosive devices with tripwire fuses installed at the entrances of houses and courtyards in the villages of Zabukh and Sus in the Lachin region have been reported. Additionally, during operations, remotely controlled command wire initiation type of mines of the MON-100 and other handmade explosives have been found. During mine action operations in the liberated areas of Aghdam region, improvised explosive devices with significant explosive power have been discovered. There have been instances where more than 30 compactly arranged 120 mm mortars and 240 mm 9M24F turbojet-propelled rockets were found hidden inside small hills covered with soil near the roadside. These 120 mm mortars, containing 3-4 kg of explosives, were placed to cause mass casualties among vehicles and people. ANAMA collaborates with the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the relevant units of the State Border Service, local companies and international operators in the mine action operations in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur. The coordination of the assignment of operations by tasks, monitoring of ongoing operations, and controlling their quality have been entrusted to ANAMA by the Decree on “Additional Measures Regarding the Coordination of Mine Action Activities" of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated September 16, 2021. Additional regional bases have been established, and new technical equipment and tools have been acquired in order to carry out extensive mine action operations in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur. New recruits are being gradually trained and deployed to the operations. ANAMA's international experienced instructors conduct courses on "Humanitarian Demining," "Battle Area Clearance", and "First Aid." The training is conducted both theoretically and practically. Furthermore, significant efforts are being made to expand the material and technical capabilities of the Agency. ANAMA operates with the highest quality equipment according to international standards and uses innovative solutions for its humanitarian demining operations. The Agency's specialized trainers have the capacity to conduct trainings in 35 different courses on mine action activities. To improve the capabilities of the operational teams, specialized training courses such as "Section and Group Leader," "Supervisor Training, “and others are also being conducted. ANAMA provides relevant training for representatives of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as well as local companies and non-governmental organizations engaged in mine action. As a result of continuous non-technical and technical survey operations carried out by the Agency in the territories liberated from occupation, it has been determined that civilian areas, abandoned residential buildings, agricultural fields, cemeteries, SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 9
gardens, and other socially and economically significant areas are highly contaminated with landmines. Former line of contact and their surrounding areas are considered to be the most contaminated areas. However, beyond of these territories are also heavily mined. 217 of our citizens have been killed or injured as a result of explosions in such areas. Mines are mostly found near riverbanks, canals, roads, agricultural areas, forests, hills, gardens, courtyards, and cemeteries. According to statistics, the number of mine victims in Azerbaijan over 30 years is 3382 individuals. Among them, 357 are children, and 38 are women. There have been 303 mine explosion victims from the period of signing the Trilateral Statement until July 21, 2023. Among them, 55 people were killed, and 248 were injured. One of the key components of ANAMA's fight against mine threats is Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) activities. Within the framework of these risk education activities, ANAMA works to enhance safe behavior and increase awareness among the population about the risks of landmines and explosive remnants of war. Collaboration is established with both government agencies and international organizations in the field of risk education. UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, ICRC are among ANAMA's main partners in the fight against mine threats. As of today, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Japan, and Hungary have provided support to Azerbaijan in its efforts to combat mine threats. In addition to the mentioned activities, Azerbaijan has hosted several international conferences focusing on finding solutions for important challenges on the global agenda related to the landmine problem, turning the conference into a leading platform. By the initiative of the President of the country, appropriate measures are being taken to promote the 18th Sustainable Development Goal in the field of mine action, as well as the gathering of mineaffected countries around the new Sustainable Development Goal. Azerbaijan has identified a special national Sustainable Development Goal on humanitarian mine action. Its adoption is planned from the next year. At the same time, our country supports humanitarian mine action efforts at the global level. Furthermore, on March 2, 2023, during the Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement's Contact Group on the fight against COVID-19, held in Baku, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev proposed the creation of a Group of LikeMinded Countries on Countries Affected by Mines and Unexploded Ordnance. Taking into account that many member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement are affected by mines and explosive remnants of war. ANAMA is actively involved in the realization of this initiative through collaboration with both the international community and local state and civil society organizations. 10 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION
For detection, all sensor units are not effective according to specific threats. For example, RF Detection Systems cannot detect programmed/autonomous drones or cannot detect swarm drone attacks if there is just one drone emitting and it directs other drones. In addition, electro optic systems are not suitable for 360 degrees air surveillance due to limited field of view, and they need to be merged with other sensor units to cover wider air space. Radar Sensor is a device using radio energy to detect an object. Radar sends out a signal and receives the reflection, measuring direction and distance (position). Radar provides long range, constant tracking, and highly accurate localization. Radar can handle multiple targets simultaneously and can track all drones regardless of autonomous flight, independent of visual conditions (day, night, fog, etc.). Radar sensors can detect autonomous drones, swarm drone attacks while providing 360-degree coverage. Radar detects the presence of smallunmanned aircraft by their radar signature. Radar employ algorithms to distinguish between drones and other small, lowflying objects, such as birds. Therefore, it can overcome many disadvantages of other sensor units as just one sensor unit, which is cost effective. For interception, determining the most applicable methodology is crucial in an area such as residential areas, airports, and military bases. Laser systems and weapon systems are very effective interception method (hard-kill) for battlefield but it is hard to use such kind of systems in residential areas, airports, or in military bases because there are potential threats against people, airport devices, and ammunitions. Jammer disrupts the radio frequency link between the drone and its operator by generating large volumes of RF interference. Once the RF link, which can include Wi-Fi links, is severed, a drone will usually either descend to the ground or initiate a “return to home” maneuverer. Jammer also disrupts the GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO and BEIDOU) signals and it yield to drone to lose its position. Therefore, RF jammers appear as the most applicable neutralization solution in those areas which is named as soft-kill. However, RF jammers might also be harmful against ammunitions and airport devices. Hence, it is important to use the most applicable jammer for airport 12 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION Kapan Doesn’t Allow Drones to Enter Protected Areas Nowadays, the use of drones for intelligence or assault by enemies or terrorists are spreading rapidly and it is very difficult to detect them by traditional security measures. A small drone can harass a target or even drop an explosive payload that can make catastrophic damages on critical facilities or military bases. Therefore, complete and reliable protection solution is a necessity against drone threats. There are several solution methodologies against drone threats. The most important function of those methodologies is detection and interception. KAPAN System
and military base environments. For this purpose, directional jammers are the most suitable solution because operator can choose jamming areas and angles to prevent any effects to own airport devices or ammunitions. On the other hand, omnidirectional jammers are more effective against swarm attack. With considering all these requirements, advantages and disadvantages, Meteksan Savunma Sanayii A.Ş. (Meteksan Defence) of Turkey developed “KAPAN CounterDrone System (KAPAN)” for military and security officers to help them fight with drone threats. KAPAN, which is developed by Meteksan Defence, offers a superior drone detection, tracking and neutralization performance for border and critical infrastructure security and offers precise drone detection and tracking performance with Radar and Electro-Optic system combinations. Additionally, KAPAN allows neutralization of drones with RF Jammer. KAPAN consists of following subsystems in standard configuration: a. Retinar FAR-AD Drone Detection Radar b. Electro-Optic System c. RF Jammer d. Command and Control System e. RF/DF System (Optional) Retinar FAR-AD Drone Detection Radar is able to detect drones in all weather conditions. Electro-Optic System provides a long range Daylight Camera, a long range & high sensitivity Thermal Camera and state-of-the-art video processing and tracking software. This Artificial Intelligence based tracking software is able to track the drone and, combined with radar target information, classify the target. Command and Control System is able to activate the RF Jammer automatically or manually according to the user needs. Jamming signal interfere with the telemetry and GNSS channels of drone allowing KAPAN to defeat drone. KAPAN is used for: ■ Base Protection ■ Force Protection ■ Critical Infrastructure Security ■ Airport Security ■ Patrolling personnel security ■ Maritime surveillance & security KAPAN incorporates Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning techniques with 3D radar, EO and IR tracking to increase the effectiveness of the system. With increasing speed and confidence of the system, KAPAN Command and Control Software ensures fully automated operation including detection, classification, tracking and reacting process. KAPAN can be used either in stationary areas or on mobile systems such as vehicles or trailers. SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 13
14 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION Project Power of National Defense Sector ASFAT “ASFAT and Air Maintenance Factory Directorates Capabilities” ASFAT is administrated by the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Türkiye and has a capital that is 100% public. Being entitled to sign “Governmentto-Government Agreements”, ASFAT not only aims to export its various capabilities, but also aims to plays an active role to ease export processes of products designed, developed and manufactured by Turkish defence industry companies and hence serving as a bridge between the public and private sector. ASFAT is a project management company in defense industry that is highly capable of rapidly generating result-oriented solutions based on specific operational requirements, via its wide range of capabilities on air, land and naval platforms as well as infrastructure solutions. With the products, services and added values, ASFAT provides innovative solutions not only for the Turkish Armed Forces, but also for the national security of friendly and allied countries. ASFAT has set out with the mission of bringing the capabilities, experience and excellence of 27 Military Factories and 9 Naval Shipyards in the fields of production, maintenance and repair as well as modernization and sustainability to the national economy through export. Air Maintenance Factory Directorates (AMFD) are some of these military factories and ASFAT is authorized to use their capabilities and capacities by MoND The Service ranges of the Air Maintenance Factory Directorates are vThe primary purpose of the AMFD’s is to support safe, effective and economical flight activities of Turkish Air Force by using it’s resources, vCarrying out depot level maintenance, repair, replacement, modification and upgrade of aircrafts and rotary wings. (product spectrum: F-16, F-4, F-5, NF-5 A/B, T-38, KT-1T, T-41, SF-260, E-7T, ANKA, GULF-IV, CITATION II/VII, GULF 550, ** A400M, C-130, CN-235, KC-135, UH-1-1H, AH-1P/W, S-70, AS532, AB-212/412, AB-206 **A400M RETROFIT: With the initial investments made by ASFAT, the A400M aircraft maintenance activities of the 2nd Air Maintenance Factory Directorate have been upgraded to the international military aviation standard EMAR-145 and approved by the Airbus Company. Thus, the 2nd Air Maintenance Factory Directorate became the first MRO center outside of Airbus' existing facilities, where A400M "Retrofit" operations can be carried out. We reaffirm our commitment that we are ready to dedicate our all solutions and capabilities to the manufacturing, procurement and modernizations projects not as an eager supplier but as an commited solutions partner. Military Factory and Shipyard Management Inc. Türkiye's 1st Aircraft Factory Set For Multimillion-Dollar Revival Factory to produce aircraft parts such as fuselage, wings, doors, control surfaces, and helicopter rotors Türkiye's first aircraft factory, TOMTAS Aviation and Technology, will be revived in the country's central Anatolian province Kayseri with an investment of some 205 million liras ($8.6 million) to produce aircraft and helicopter parts. According to information obtained by Anadolu, TOMTAS’s revived factory is set to make a major contribution to the country's aviation sector. Main assembly parts such as the fuselage, wings, doors, control surfaces, landing gear, propellers, helicopter rotors and engine parts will be produced at TOMTAS Aerospace, which was established by defense firm ASFAT, Erciyes Technopark, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), and the TOMTAS Investment Partnership. The new facility will have an annual production capacity of 420,000 kilograms (about 926,000 pounds). For the facility, machinery, and equipment worth $10.2 million will be imported. When the factory goes live, 50 people are expected to be employed. Milestone in Turkish aviation industry The history of TOMTAS Aviation and Technology dates back to the 1920s. After the establishment of the Turkish Aircraft Society in 1925, action was taken to establish an aircraft factory. In light of the needs in terms of capital and technical personnel, a partnership was established with the German company Junkers. The official opening of Tayyare (Plane) and Motor (Engine) Turk AS (TOMTAS) was held in 1926. Some of the equipment and personnel of the factory were brought in from Germany. The factory did assembly and production of some parts of aircraft patented by Junkers. The partnership was cut short in 1928 due to the wage difference between the German and Turkish workers and the German company's failure to fulfill its obligations under the agreement. The shares of Junkers were transferred to the Turkish Aircraft Society. TOMTAS was reopened in 1931 under the name the Kayseri Aircraft Factory. This factory, after going through various changes, has turned into today's Kayseri Air Supply and Maintenance Center Command. Türkiye's 1st Aircraft Factory Set for Multimillion-Dollar Revival HAVACILIK
SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 15 qualification and certification of the guidance kits. The kits will include the KÂŞİF global positioning system [GPS] and ATLAS inertial measurement unit [IMU], both developed in Türkiye by SAGE. Final assembly, production and testing will be the province of the 3rd Air Maintenance Factory Directorate, affiliated with the Military Factories General Directorate [AFGM]. Initial deliveries are scheduled for March 2024 and completion of the project is anticipated for March 2025. ASFAT previously produced 1,000 HGK-82 [with the 500lb bomb] guidance kits for the Turkish Air Force Command, completing deliveries within the required timeline in August last year. Having successfully completed acceptance trials and testing in June, the Turkish Naval Forces Command [TNFC] has formally accepted a unique 3,000-ton submarine Floating Dock, which has been delivered to the Naval Shipyards Directorate. With ASFAT as prime contractor, the submarine floating Dock was developed to enhance the submarine construction, maintenance and repair infrastructure as well as capabilities of the Gölcük Naval Shipyard Command, during a period of intensive and rapid maintenance, repair, and modernisation activities for existing submarines, as well as the production of indigenous submarines. Considering its contribution to the development of national technology, it holds significant strategic importance for Türkiye. Established in 2018 under a Presidential Directorate, ASFAT continues to contribute to the development of the Turkish defence industry – particularly in the export sphere – with its effectively organized and competent personnel possessing international experience. Operating on the principle of delivering the highest quality, at the most affordable cost, in the shortest time, and with the highest domestic content, ASFAT successfully launched the unique submarine floating dock. The structure stands out from conventional dock construction projects by virtue of its design, mission definition, and the requirements it will satisfy. Successfully launched despite the constraints imposed by the pandemic, which affected supply chains and costs, the submarine dock project embodies the determined, constructive approaches adopted by all those involved. Over 30 subcontractors worked on the project, which continues to set a shining example in terms of maximizing domestic content. The experience gained in this significant project contributes to the continuing professional development of all stakeholders, including ASFAT, the Naval Shipyards Directorate, contractors, and suppliers, while creating considerable experience for similar projects. The 3,000-ton submarine floating dock will accommodate the planned maintenance of TNCC – current and future. It will also facilitate impromptu docking in the event of malfunctions, accidents, and emergency situations. The platform can be used for docking other dock's pontoons and can be transported to alternative locations thanks to its four diesel generators, enabling the conduct of submarine maintenance and repair activities anywhere, without being tied to a port. Constructed to naval vessel standards, the dock's roof is engineered to withstand extremely unlikely 100-knot winds and is built to stability requirements not possessed by civilian systems. This indispensable feature is crucial for docking highly valuable submarines. The platform has the capacity to accommodate 28 dock personnel and 14 submarine watch personnel for five days without resupply. With an empty weight of 4,000 tons, the pool has a lifting capacity of 3000 tons and an overall length of 105m, including bow and stern protrusions. With an external width of 25.1m and an internal width of 17.05m, dock is 19.95m high and offers a diving depth of 16.5m, which can be reached within 75 minutes. The Dock Closure System consists of a roof composed of three automaticallycontrolled sections and two automaticallycontrolled guillotine doors located at the bow and stern. With this feature, unique in its class worldwide, submarine maintenance, repair, and modernisation activities can be conducted uninterrupted, preventing any vulnerabilities in terms of secrecy and security, especially during adverse weather conditions. Quality control and classification of the submarine pool were carried out by Turkish Lloyd, which possesses appropriate military ship survey and classification competence. Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defence [MND] has awarded a contract to ASFAT – a subsidiary of the Ministry – for the supply of 3,400 HGK-84 [with the 2000lb bomb] Precision Guidance Kits required by the Turkish Air Force. ASFAT, which specializes in high quality, cost-effective and rapidly delivered solutions for the Turkish Armed Forces and those of allies and friendly nations, is once more collaborating with the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council Defence Research and Development Institute [TÜBITAK SAGE], which will act as solution partner in the project, undertaking the development, TNFC Commissions ASFAT Submarine Floating Dock: a First for Türkiye ASFAT HGK-84 Guidance Kits for the Turkish Air Force
Organized under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, hosted by the Ministry of National Defence and managed by the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, IDEF'23 opened its doors to the world today. IDEF'23, being held for the 16th time this year, will run from July 25 to July 28, and will host the most powerful players in the Turkish and global defence sectors at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center in Istanbul. Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year as Türkiye's rocket, missile and ammunition manufacturer, Roketsan is participating at IDEF'23 with 30 products, seven of which are being exhibited for the first time at one of the largest stands at the fair. IDEF is the largest defence and aviation exhibition in Türkiye, and has become a centre of important meetings between market players. Participating at the fair with its traditionally strong team, Roketsan is ready to host domestic and foreign professionals, government officials and military delegations at its stand, while company officials have a busy meeting schedule during the fair, during which a number of important agreements and collaborations will be signed. 7 Products Exhibited for the First Time The seven products that will be exhibited for the first time by Roketsan 16 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION Roketsan Joins the Sectoral Giants on the Stage of IDEF'23 with New Products Being Exhibited for the First Time Roketsan, a strong global player in the Turkish defence sector, is exhibiting its UMTAS GM, MAM-L IIR, MAM-T IIR, SİPER, UAV-230, Mobile Air Defence System and KMC-U products for the first time at IDEF'23 – the International Defence Industry Fair – being held in Istanbul. Burch MHSS
are the latest additions to the company’s product line, which regularly attracts attention in terms of price and performance over the products of its competitors around the world, and has gained a strong reputation and is much appreciated around the world. The new products on display at IDEF’23 include UMTAS GM, the extended‐range version of the UMTAS Long‐Range Anti‐Tank Missile System; MAM‐L IIR and MAM‐T IIR – the Infrared Imaging Seeker (IIR) versions of the Mini Smart Munition product family that has gained a global reputation for use aboard UCAVs; SİPER, the Long‐ Range Air Defence System that meets an important need of Türkiye; the UAV‐ 230 Air‐to‐Surface Ballistic Supersonic Missile, featuring a number of groundbreaking technologies; the Mobile Air Defence System, which has been developed in accordance with contemporary battlefield conditions; and the newly developed version of the Tactical Missile Launch System KMC, KMC‐U. SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 17 KMC-U TAYFUN IHA-230 CHAKIR MAM-L IIR
New Product Launch from Cukurova Defence at IDEF 2023 With its innovative solutions such as Fast Armored Backhoe Loader FABHL, 8/9 Ton, 14 Ton 4x4 Multipurpose Wheeled Chassis Platform, Armored Wheeled Loader which meet the needs of the armed forces and security forces both domestically and foreign , Cukurova Defence will launch four new products at IDEF 2023. The first of these is the Fast Armored Backhoe Loader FABHL; the second is the 8/9 Ton 4x4 MPP Multipurpose Wheeled Chassis Platform, the third is the 14 Ton 4x4 MPP Multipurpose Wheeled Chassis Platform, and the fourth is the Armored Wheeled Loader. Cukurova Defence is looking forward to welcoming esteemed guests at Open Area A-107 stand at IDEF 2023 in Istanbul. The Operation Field's Construction Machine FABHL The Fast Armored Backhoe Loader FABHL a vehicle of the 16-ton class with 4x4x4 (all wheels driven and with steering system on both axles), has a series of technical features that make a difference in field operations. Among these are; a 220 horsepower engine, 6/3 gear ErgoPowershift electronic transmission, maximum speed of 80 km/h, HPSS suspension, run-flat tires, BR7 ballistic protection level, and STANAG 4569 2a/2b (simulation) mine protection. Thanks to these features, FABHL provides high protection in operation areas with a high threat level and meets the needs by performing its duty reliably. Operators know that they can rely on FABHL when other construction machines are inadequate. FABHL can meet different needs of endusers with a series of optional features, in addition to its standard features that stand in front of the competition. Optional features include; cameras, communication equipment, automatic fire extinguishing system, central lubrication, carbon filters, and capabilities including remote control and drone- supported surveillance and reporting. The Wheeled Chassis Platform of Innovative Vehicles Gukurova Defence, which also develops chassis platforms that provide effective solutions for armed forces and security forces when combined with different superstructures, will exhibit its new 8/9 ton and 14 ton 4x4 MPP-ISAS front axle, Rigid rear axle system chassis vehicle for the first time at IDEF 2023. This new cchassis combines a 285 horsepower engine, 6-speed fully automatic transmission, a maximum speed of 120 km/h, and 60% gradient climbing capability in a way that is compatible with military and NATO standards. With its approach and departure angles and the ability to cross deep waters up to 700 mm, this chassis, which continues its path uninterrupted by overcoming tactical field obstacles, aims to provide a significant increase in mobility compared to other 4x4 platform chassis. The Armored Wheeled Loader with Updated Technology The Armored Wheeled Loader continues to make a difference in its class with updated cabin technology. The Armored Wheeled Loader is designed to be armored against mines, improvised explosive devices, and high- strength trenches or barricades. With the BR7 protection level, it prevents damage to the cabin, engine compartment, fuel tank, and battery box compartments, thereby reducing casualties in critical areas. This is particularly important against RPG and ATGM threats. In addition, the vehicle's optional features include run flat tires, cameras, communication equipment, automatic fire extinguishing system, central lubrication, carbon filters, and capabilities including remote control and dronesupported surveillance and reporting. 18 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION Cukurova Defence at IDEF 2023 Defence Fair! Cukurova Defence, a brand of Cukurova Makina, will participate for the third time in IDEF 2023, one of the world's leading Defence and 2023, Cukurova Defence will present their 4x4 Fast Armored Backhoe Loader, 8/9 ton, 14 ton 4x4 MPP Chassis Platform, and Armored Wheeled Loader vehicles. The vehicles are developed and produced under the umbrella of Cukurova Defence (www.cukurovadefence.com), with a hundred percent domestic capital and labor, offer superstructure capabilities of different features suitable for all field conditions. 4x4 Fast Armored Backhoe Loader
© IRS
A retrospective look at history shows that the production of armoured vehicles in Türkiye started in the 1990s. As in many other areas, the main goal here was to reduce the country’s external dependence and meet domestic demand, before ending up with success in exporting to foreign markets. Practically, from its start and up until the early 2000s, this sector was more focused on meeting domestic needs in Türkiye. However, export-related work gained particular attention in the ensuing years. It is for this reason that armoured vehicles currently produced by Turkish companies are used in other continents, mainly in European, Asian and African countries. Today, the main land vehicles manufacturers in Türkiye include Otokar, FNSS, Nurol Makina, Katmerciler and BMC. Otokar and FNSS vehicles make up the lion’s share of the armoured vehicles exported until 2015. BMC, Nurol Makina and Katmerciler swell the ranks of armoured vehicles manufacturers in 2015. Otokar armoured vehicles Otokar, a leader in the production and export of armoured military equipment, is the largest privately-owned defence industry company in Türkiye. Currently, nearly 33000 armoured vehicles produced by Otokar are used in the armed forces and security agencies of more than 40 countries worldwide, including Türkiye. Otokar military vehicles are now being operated by more than 60 end users under different climatic conditions and geographical areas worldwide. Being among the world’s leading vehicles in their class, Otokar armoured vehicles are recognized for their mobility, protection level and survivability. Both wheeled and tracked armoured combat vehicles manifactured by Otokar have been recognized and praised by end users; among its products are the wheeled series COBRA, ARMA and AKREP, armoured vehicles KAYA and URAL, and Infantry Fighting Vehicles TULPAR. Otokar’s COBRA is a relatively more demanded segment in the global market. The COBRA series include the 4x4 COBRA, COBRA II and COBRA II MRAP armoured fighting vehicles. The first representative of its class, COBRA has been produced since 1997. The combat and anti-terrorist operations carried out since then have played an important role in the evolution of COBRAs. In addition to Türkiye, postSoviet states have joined the ranks of COBRA users since 2005, and Georgia was the first user of these armoured vehicles in the region. Azerbaijan joined the ranks of COBRA users in 2011, and Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in the following years. The company received and fulfilled main orders for the supply of COBRA between 2008 and 2015. According to open sources, the company has supplied more than 700 COBRAS to more than 15 countries over the years. COBRA armoured personnel carriers were tested in combat operations in various terrain conditions during the 44- day Second Garabagh War, and have 20 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION The Turkish Defence Industry’s Market at a Glance: Armoured Vehicles ?Elshan Abdulkarimov Türkiye’s armoured vehicle production is becoming the brightest spot in the country’s rapidly developing defence industry sector; local land vehicle manufacturers have earned worldwide fame with their reliable, enduring and superior performance armoured vehicles, which have demonstrated high combat stability in different hotspots around the globe. COBRA II
proven their reliability in actual hostilities. During the Patriotic War, the COBRA demonstrated high performance by protecting from mine explosions and shrapnel. COBRA II armoured vehicle is a modular platform with modern technological and tactical features, which was created based on the requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces and allied countries, with the aim of meeting future needs. Thanks to a wide range of weapon integration and equipped systems, COBRA II can take part in many tasks from border protection, internal security operations to peacekeeping missions. COBRA II, which is currently being exported to various countries, has been accepted into the inventory of the Armed Forces of a number of countries, including the Armed Forces of Ghana, Azerbaijan and Bangladesh, along with the army and security forces of Türkiye. Otokar's Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) version of the COBRA II stands out from its predecessors with high ballistic protection and protection of the crew from mine explosions. The COBRA II MRAP, which provides superior protection, is expected to achieve significant export success in the coming years. Otokar’s armoured vehicle ARMA has been produced for more than 10 years and has achieved important export success. The ARMA transporter series include both 6x6 and 8x8 armoured vehicles. Otokar has expanded these series and presented its new representative ARMA II for the first time in January of this year. Unlike its predecessor, ARMA II has more personnel seats, high load-carrying capacity and protection capabilities. Although ARMA II is structurally very similar to ARMA, it is capable of carrying up to 40 tons (ARMA 30T). ARMA II has successfully completed all tests and is ready for serial production. The ARMA 8x8 model, which has achieved significant export success in the global market, is distinguished from other competitors by its superior performance, high protection, firepower and endurance. The biggest export success of ARMA 8x8 was achieved by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A $661 million agreement was signed between Otokar and the UAE Tawazun Council for the purchase and sale of more than 700 ARMA 8x8 models at the UAE IDEX-2017 Exhibition in 2017. According to the agreement, the production works are currently carried out by Al Jasoor, a joint venture of the parties. ARMA 6x6, a member of the 6x6 series, was presented for the first time in 2010. In the same year, the platform managed to achieve its first $10.6 million export success. Later, Otokar signed a second $63.2 million contract for the supply of ARMA 6x6 with an unnamed customer in 2011. Thus, armoured vehicles achieved two export successes within one year. ARMA 6×6 is distinguished from its competitors by its special load-carrying capacity and larger internal space. ARMA 6×6 with high tactical and technical characteristics is available in various configurations for peacekeeping and humanitarian aid operations in the most difficult terrain and climatic conditions. SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 21 Otokar Military Vehicles Tulpar Tulpar-S Akrep II Cobra II Cobra I Arma 6x6 Arma 8x8 ARMA 6x6
The URAL armoured personnel carrier, the first model of which was presented by Otokar in 2013, can boast of various configurations as is the case with COBRA. The 4x4 URAL armoured vehicle was stocked as part of the Light Armoured Vehicle Project of the General Directorate of Security of Türkiye in 2014-2016. 126 units of URAL personnel carriers bought by the General Security Department are widely used in operations conducted by security forces in different regions of Türkiye. Also, the URAL armoured vehicle was exported for the Border Service of Turkmenistan in 2015- 2016. The 4x4 GAYA MRAP vehicle developed by Otokar in 2009 is capable of carrying 12 fully equipped soldiers. GAYA is also used as a cargo transport vehicle. GAYA II, which is considered the new generation of this machine, also provides superior protection against kinetic energy ammunition. Otokar first introduced the AKREP IIe version of the AKREP II armoured vehicle series in 2019, and the AKREP IId diesel version in 2021. The company has a plan to introduce the hybrid version of AKREP II in the near future. AKREP II is designed to meet the needs of users for a small silhouette, high ballistic protection armoured vehicle, which allows the integration of a large number of weapon systems, including all kinds of intelligence and surveillance operations. In AKREP II, the main mechanical components of systems such as steering, acceleration and braking are electrically controlled (driveby-wire). This function also allows remote and autonomous control of the vehicle. The TULPAR medium tank and the TULPAR infantry fighting vehicle of the TULPAR series are distinguished by their mobility, high firepower and endurance. TULPAR armoured fighting vehicles are designed as multi-purpose vehicles with variants ranging from 28,000 kg to 45,000 kg to fully meet future global requirements. According to company experts, due to the future-oriented perspective of modularity, operational flexibility will be increased by using a common chassis and components in a wide range of armoured vehicle variants. Tested by various users around the world in the most challenging climates and terrains, TULPAR has best-in-class ballistic and mine protection with an armour structure that can be configured and scaled according to threats. FNSS armoured vehicles FNSS is a company that holds a unique place among the manufacturers of land platforms in Türkiye; it produces both wheeled and tracked armoured vehicles in this field. The number of customers using the company's armoured vehicles is quite wide. Both the Turkish Armed Forces and foreign customers from different regions are located here. According to the information released by the company in 2021, FNSS delivered more than 4,000 armoured combat vehicles to customers. Today more than 2000 FNSS tracked armoured fighting vehicles, mobile floating assault bridge, armoured amphibious engineering vehicle, tracked and 4×4 armoured weapons carriers are in service in the Turkish Armed Forces. Alongside technology transfer, the company has so far exported vehicles, subsystems, parts and services to many countries. The segment of armoured combat vehicles produced by FNSS with different wheel chassis is entirely made up of the PARS series, which includes PARS III 8x8, PARS IV 8x8, PARS III 6x6, PARS IV 6x6, PARS Scout and PARS 4x4. Currently, the company is working on PARS V, a new member of the PARS family, and plans to introduce it to the general public in the near future. Pars V, the 5th generation of the family, will have better capabilities and features than its predecessor, Pars IV. In last April, FNSS signed a cooperation agreement with Malaysia's DEFTECH on PARS tactical wheeled armoured vehicles. After the AV-8 project with Malaysia, the company FNSS earned more than $1 billion in total sales of tactical wheeled armoured vehicles under the PARS III 8×8 project developed for the Omani Ground Forces. PARS III 8×8, which has achieved many export successes, including PARS III 6×6, has also been selected by the Turkish Armed Forces. The company’s PARS IV 6×6 MKKA (MRAP) Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle is currently used by the Turkish Special Forces. The process of handing over the FNSS’s 4×4 PARS weapon carrying vehicle (STA) to the Turkish Armed Forces continues. PARS anti-tank vehicles can destroy enemy tanks and other armoured vehicles from a long distance thanks to its firepower, speed and high manoeuvrability in any terrain conditions; it also can fire the second target by quickly changing its position. Within the framework of the project, SSB initially ordered 76 units of PARS STA to FNSS; later this number was increased to 136 units. Like PARS STA, KAPLAN weapon carrying vehicle (STA) is an anti-tank vehicle developed based on the needs of the Turkish Land Forces Command. The tracked KAPLAN STA machine has the same high performance and accuracy as the PARS STA. Regarding KAPLAN STA armoured vehicle, the company received an order of 184 units from SSB at first, but later this number was increased to 208 units. 22 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION PARS STA KAPLAN STA PARS III 8x8
The ZAHA armoured amphibious assault vehicle, designed to meet the amphibious transport needs of the Turkish Armed Forces, will satisfy the technical needs of the TCG ANADOLU amphibious assault shp, which entered the service of the Turkish Armed Forces in April 2023. KATMERCILER armoured vehicles The portfolio of KATMERCILER armoured vehicles, which has been operating in the field of defence industry in Türkiye since 2010, consists of 4x4 vehicles and includes 4x4HIZIR, 4x4 HIZIR II, 4x4 ATESH, 4x4 EREN and 4x4 KHAN armoured vehicles. Among them, 4x4 HIZIR is an armoured vehicle that has achieved major export success in both the local and global markets. According to the information disclosed by the company, 4x4 HIZIR is the most powerful armoured vehicle in its segment. In 2017, this platform was chosen by the company ASELSAN as an armoured vehicle to be used in the border security project. ASELSAN’s new version of the armoured vehicle equipped with intelligence and surveillance systems is called ATESH. At present, 57 ATESH armoured border security vehicles are used in missions on the border line between Türkiye and the countries of the European Union (EU). The company KATMERCILER signed the first export success of the 4x4 HIZIR armoured vehicle in 2019. In the meantime, the company received a $20.7 million order for HIZIR vehicles from an unnamed African country. In January 2021, KATMERCILER signed a 39.4 million Euro (€) agreement with an unnamed friendly country on the purchase and sale of HIZIR, ATESH and KHAN (XAN) armoured vehicles. With this contract, the company also exported the 4x4 KHAN armoured vehicle for the first time. KATMERCILER received the largest order for 4x4 HIZIR from the Kenyan Army in July 2021. Meanwhile, KATMERCILER has signed a $91.4 million contract for the supply of 118 armoured vehicles. In October of the same year, the company released information about the export of HIZIR armoured vehicles to the Latin American country of Uruguay. Nurol Makina armoured vehicles Nurol Makina took its first step in the field of armoured vehicles in 1995 with RN-94 6x6. At that time, Nurol Makina carried out the design, production and all other works of this armoured vehicle together with the Romanian company Romarm. In 2006, the company started developing the mine-resistant 6x6 EJDER armoured vehicle. 4x4 EJDER YALCHIN is the most successful and supplied project of the company in the field of land platforms. These vehicles were selected by the Turkish Armed Forces and European and African countries. According to the company's specialists, the unique design and superior protection, performance and combat capabilities of EJDER YALCHIN play a key role in its selection by customers. The company achieved its first export success with EJDER YALCHIN in 2017. In the same year, Tunisia ordered EJDER SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 23 4x4 EJDER YALCHIN 4x4 HIZIR
YALCHIN armoured vehicles from Nurol Makina. Later, such countries as Georgia, Uzbekistan, Chad and Senegal also bought EJDER YALCHIN vehicles from Nurol Makina. In 2018-2020, an agreement on the supply of EJDER YALCHIN was signed between the Armed Forces of Qatar and Hungary and Nurol Makina. In a number of reports in the foreign media, it is claimed that Burkina Faso, Uruguay, Morocco and Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) use the EJDER YALCHIN armoured vehicles in addition to the abovementioned countries. In total, during 2017-2022 the company received more than 1000 EJDER YALCHIN orders from foreign customers alone. 4x4 YORUK armoured vehicles is the second platform that the company achieved export success after EJDER YALÇIN. In 2018-2020, Nurol Makina exported 4x4 YORUK armoured vehicles to Qatar and then to Chad. In 2022, according to company officials, YORUK vehicles were supplied to a total of 4 countries. Nurol Makina has signed contracts with 9 countries for the supply of armoured vehicles. In this context, more than 1,200 armoured vehicles were delivered to customers. BMC armoured vehicles BMC has been producing military vehicles since 1999, and today the company ranks 5th among Turkish defence industry producers. Currently, the armoured vehicles produced by BMC are used by both domestic and foreign customers. The biggest user of BMC armoured vehicles is the Turkish Armed Forces. According to some open sources, today more than 2000 BMC armoured vehicles are in the fleet of the Turkish Armed Forces. The list of armoured vehicles produced by the company includes 4x4 KIRPI, 4x4KIRPI II, 6x6 KIRPI, 4x4 VURAN, 4X4 AMAZON and 8x8ALTUĞ. In 2009, BMC started the production of the 4x4 KIRPI MRAP mine-resistant vehicles and received its first order for the supply of 468 units of KIRPI to the Turkish Armed Forces. The second operator of KIRPI after Türkiye, which was chosen by a number of foreign customers as well as local users, was Tunisia, followed by the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan and Somalia. From August 2022, BMC will supply KIRPI armoured vehicles to the Ukrainian Army. Currently, these armoured vehicles are actively used by the Ukrainian Army in the UkrainianRussian war. Compared to its predecessor, BMC’s KIRPI II armoured vehicle has superior protection and manoeuvrability, as well as high transport and combat capabilities. As with KIRPI, the largest user of the KIRPI II vehicles is the Turkish Armed Forces, which ordered 529 units of KIRPI II. Following Türkiye, Qatar, Libya, Kosovo and the United Arab Emirates acquired KIRPI II armoured vehicles. The company’s 4x4 VURAN armoured vehicles are distinguished by their anti-mine protection and ballistic protection. The biggest user of VURAN is Türkiye, as is the case with KIRPI. Currently, the company continues to supply VURAN in various modifications to the Turkish Armed Forces. The first foreign customers and users of VURAN vehicles were Qatar and Kosovo. The first version of the 4x4 AMAZON armoured vehicle of BMC has been in service in the Turkish Armed Forces since 2017. Various improvements have been made to AMAZON according to the demands and the carrying capacity of the vehicle has been increased. At the IDEX-2023 exhibition held in the United Arab Emirates in February 2023, BMC presented a new version of the 4x4 AMAZON MPAV. The ALTUG armoured fighting vehicle (ZDM) and ALTUG armoured personnel carrier (ZTR) developed by BMC with 8×8 wheel formula are designed to meet all needs in conventional and asymmetric combat conditions. To date, the company BMC has produced 5 8×8 ALTUG armoured vehicles. At the moment, work is being done to get these machines to the Turkish Armed Forces. Finally, note that the analysis of the reports submitted by Türkiye to the UN Ordinary Register shows that armoured vehicles have taken the main place in the country’s export of military products during the past 25 years. In recent years, the vehicles that are widely used in antiterrorist operations of the Turkish Armed Forces have seen great interest from foreign users. PJ 24 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION 4x4 VURAN
Drone threats Drone attacks in different parts of the world highlight the importance of protecting not only military facilities but also administrative buildings, crowded squares and stadiums against drones. Although drone threats are currently carried out mostly by means of inexpensive aircraft, experts suggest that remote-controlled ground mini-platforms may also be widely used in these processes in the upcoming years. At the beginning, multicopter (multirotor) drones, intended for film and photo shoots, later began to be configured for military and special purposes. In the middle of the 2000s, multicopters, which are widely used in the world, are used in a wide range from amateur filming to reconnaissance missions and search and rescue operations. Ease of production and cheap sales prices have led to the popularity of these devices. This, in turn, played an important role in becoming a tool for terrorist groups that continuously apply ‘technological innovations’ in their activities. The emergence of drones as a serious threat element worldwide began in 2014. In January 2015, the DJI Phantom drone that landed in the White House courtyard in Washington drew attention to the fact that these devices can be used for different purposes, and after that the US government pressed the button for the 26 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION Anti-UAV Defence System ?Zaur Babashov Today unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become an increasingly large threat; drone attacks are now more likely to be carried out not only against soldiers in a combat zone, but against individuals and strategic objects both in and beyond the combat zones. Therefore, it is important to take drone control seriously. In particular, ammunition depots, factories producing explosives and munitions, military airfields, communications and power plants can be the main targets. Drones can be widely used not only for kamikaze purposes, but also by criminal groups and foreign special services for obtaining personal and state-important secrets. IHTAR
creation of anti-drone technologies. Starting from the same year, it is noteworthy that security guards armed with anti-drone systems were used to protect the heads of state in countries under the threat of terrorism. Meanwhile, drone threat research firm DroneSec reported 2554 illegal drone incidents in 2022, a 60% year-over-year increase. Drones are usually capable of carrying 500-1000 grams of explosives. In this case, the flight radius of the UAV is 300-500 metres. The small size of multicopter type UAVs, their vertical takeoff, and the use of nanotechnologies and non-metallic materials during production make it difficult to detect and neutralize these systems during flight. In contrast to multirotor UAVs, neutralization of tactical UAVs is one of the urgent issues currently occupying the agenda of military armies worldwide. The application of specially developed control programmes, wide-band control channels, GPS navigation with anti-jamming features and other components developed according to military standards reduce the possibility of radio-electronic countermeasures’ interference with these UAVs, thus requiring more powerful and expensive REM systems. The necessity and disadvantages of using anti-drone technologies It is against the backdrop of these growing threats that the need to use new anti-drone technologies emerges. Antidrone systems combine multisensors such as the radar, RF, acoustic, infrared and wireless fidelity (WiFi) detectors, including jammers, lasers and other countermeasures. Since the application of RF receivers, radars and jammers contained in antidrone complexes in urban environments leads to problems in smart city systems, mobile communication stations, airports and industrial devices, and requirements such as replacing them with acoustic and optical sensors appear. In military operational zones, detection of radars by means of radio-electronic reconnaissance of the enemy and the possibility of interference with them remains a challenging problem. Detection of drones in fixed and mobile anti-drone complexes is usually carried out by means of radars and RF receivers. However, RF receivers cannot detect autonomous drones with the control channel turned off. Most manufacturers working in the field of creating anti-drone solutions prefer radars operating in the Ku-and X-frequency bands. According to experts, radars operating in the X frequency range (8.0 to 12.0 GHz) have the ability to detect small targets with high accuracy. The doppler pulse radars used in some complexes such as AUDS allow to detect the target at a closer distance and to estimate the distance, speed and characteristics of the object. However, pulsed doppler radars have disadvantages such as high operating costs, false signals due to birds in the coverage area, and unplanned interference with local broadcasts operating on the frequencies used. Growing demands and purchases of anti-drone solutions In 2019, drone attacks on the facilities of the Persian Gulf countries increased the attention on the means of combating unmanned systems in the global arms market, and formed a large demand and supply in this segment of military equipment. The Pentagon spent $900 million on anti-drone solutions in 2019, according to the Defence Department’s C-UAS Strategy Report by the Institute for Defence and Government Development (USA). In 2020, $500 million was requested to fund C-UAS programmes. The Pentagon focused on acquisitions in the fiscal year of 2020. Currently, the US Army is working with both domestic and foreign companies to develop and purchase more effective anti-drone systems. As part of the procurement programme, the US Army and the Homeland Security Agency have purchased 200 portable antidrone systems called Drone Defender from Battelle, and these systems are currently being used in various areas. Battelle has announced that it has developed a new solution package within the framework of cooperation with Dedrone for the protection of special objects. Protection of the Pentagon from drones is provided by the DroneTracker system of the company Dedrone. In 2018, Liteye Systems, which sells and services AUDS (Anti-UAV Defence Systems) of Blighter Surveillance Systems in the USA and Canada, signed a $18 million contract with the US Air Force for the delivery of a containerized anti-drone system called C-AUDS. In April 2019, the company signed a contract for an undisclosed amount, and in January 2020, they received an order worth $10 million. AUDS, developed with the joint participation of Blighter Surveillance Systems, Chess Dynamics and Enterprise Control Systems, is currently used by the security structures of Great Britain, Canada and Spain in addition to the United States. SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 27 X-Madis
The US Air Force received an undisclosed number of eXpeditionary Mobile Air Defence Integrated System (X-MADIS) complexes from AVT (Ascent Vision Technologies) within the framework of a $23 million contract signed in August 2019 (the first batch was received in December 2019). In August 2019, the company Raytheon announced in a press release that it had signed a contract with the US Air Force to deliver two high-energy laser-armed anti-drone system prototypes to foreign troops. The radar-integrated laser-armed C-UAS system mounted on the high-manoeuvrability MRZR tactical vehicle of Polaris proved itself in tests conducted in mid-2020. Moreover, the Pentagon signed a $108 million contract with SRC Inc. for the delivery of the Silent Archer anti-UAV system in the same year. In January 2019, the US Special Operations Command (US SOCOM) announced that it had signed a large-scale contract with Verus Technology Group (VERUS) for the supply of the SkyView-MP mobile antidrone system. Note that VERUS supplied more than 60 SkyView systems to US government organisations in 2017-2019. In December 2019, the company signed another $10 million contract with the Pentagon for the delivery of the SkyViewMPV2 mobile anti-drone system. Also, the United States Marine Corps (USMC) signed an agreement with Kongsberg Protech Systems, a subsidiary of the Norwegian company Kongsberg in the United States, for the purchase of remotely controlled anti-drone weapon systems in October 2021. The total value of the contract is $94 million. Under the contract, Kongsberg Protech Systems will supply a remotely controlled combat module and a MADIS radar system for integration into the USMC's JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicles) light tactical vehicles. Also, the US Navy (US Navy) launched the arming of surface ships with the DRAKE anti-AUV system in September 2021. Overview: European anti-drone market MyDefence North America, the American branch of MyDefence, which specializes in the development of antiUAV systems in Europe, signed an agreement with the US Army for the delivery of Wingman portable anti-UAV detection systems in September 2020, while DroneShield announced that it had signed a contract worth 700000 Australian dollars with the Australian Department of Defence for the delivery of RfPatrol portable anti-drone detection systems in October of the same year. DroneShield supplied DroneGun Tactical anti-drone systems to the police forces of the European Union in 2020. The company has announced that in the near future, along with the DroneGun Tactical anti-UAV weapon, it will be able to sell the RfPatrol portable drone detector and other products to European law enforcement agencies. In December 2019, Kongsberg announced the signing of a $28.3 million (250 million kroner) contract with the German Armed Forces for the delivery of the Counter Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) based on the PROTECTOR Remote Weapon Station. Türkiye’s new anti-drone systems In December 2016, the Australian company Drone Shield announced that it sold an anti-drone system to Türkiye's law enforcement agencies for the purpose of protecting government buildings from drones. At the same time, there are information and photographs about the application of the IHTAR and IHASAVAR complex produced by ASELSAN in the protection of state institutions and strategic objects. In 2018, a contract was signed between the Turkish Defence Industry Directorate (SSB) and the company ASELSAN for the supply of the KANGAL mixing and jamming system. According to the contract, ASELSAN started serial production of the portable KANGAL anti-drone system to meet the needs of the Turkish General Security Directorate and the Air Force, and it was delivered to the customer in the first half of 2020. The KANGAL mixing and IHASAVAR Harp Arge ES-60
jamming system is used against radiocontrolled improvised explosive devices and protection of infrastructures from IEDs. The first batch of the 40 mm SHAHIN anti-drone (physical destruction) system locally developed by ASELSAN to meet the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces was included in the inventory in July 2022. Azerbaijan's anti-drone range Azerbaijan mainly uses the method of physical destruction to neutralize enemy UAVs on the conventional border with Armenia, which is not considered very effective. At the same time, in some cases, the ammunition used to destruct a drone worth the actual cost of the drone. Along with the existing threat of drones, the possibility of using flying munitions by foreign special services and terrorist groups against strategic objects - especially military facilities, warehouses, state institutions - creates a demand for anti-drone technologies. At the beginning of 2017, the radio electronic gun called Drone Savar was purchased from the Turkish Harp Arge and the IHTAR and IHASAVAR anti-drone systems from ASELSAN for this purpose. Although both systems are in practical use, it is not excluded that in the near future, against the background of probable threats, it will be necessary to apply different configurations of similar systems in the protection of some objects. Anti-drones acquired by Asian nations Nowadays, the armies of South-West and South-East Asian countries, where the drone threats are increasingly high, acquire anti-drone systems. In April 2017, the Iraqi Armed Forces acquired Taiwanmade Raysun MD1 anti-UAV systems to combat ISIS kamikaze drones. The army has announced that it shot down more than 20 kamikaze drones with the help of this device during April-August 2017 alone. In January 2018, the Thai Air Force acquired a short-range anti-drone system developed by the Israeli company IMI Systems. In November 2019, Thailand’s HDQ signed a $4.29 million contract with Israel’s Avnon Group to purchase the Skylock anti-drone system. On the 11th of February 2020, within the framework of the air show held in Singapore, Hensoldt and MyDefence signed an agreement on the delivery of the Xpeller anti-UAV system with a country in Southeast Asia. A $1 billion purchase from Qatar The US State Department approved circa $1 billion military sale of the Fixed Site-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS) and its equipment to Qatar in 2022. According to the information obtained, the sale included 10 FS-LIDS anti-drone systems, two hundred (200) Coyote Block 2 interceptors, Counter Unmanned Electronic Warfare System (CUAEWS), Coyote launchers, Ku Band Multi-function Radio Frequency System (KuMRFS) radars, Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2), EO/IR cameras, support and test equipment. The main contractors will be Raytheon and Northrop Grumman from the USA. Proposed anti-drone systems In May 2020, the company AVT presented the latest version of the new generation mobile X-MADIS (eXpeditionary Mobile Air Defence Integrated System) anti-drone system. The new X-MADIS, developed on the basis of the CUAS Suite programme, can be used not only for drones, but also for detecting the location of mortars and missiles. The target drone detected by radar is identified and tracked automatically thanks to thermal and daylight cameras. The direction and position data of the tracked drone are neutralized by the RF jammer, another element of the system. In 2021, the company Lockheed Martin introduced the MoRFIUS antiUAV system. The system MORFIUS is a small drone equipped with microwave emitters. The drone destroys the electronics of other drones thanks to its microwave emitters. In 2021, the THOR anti-UAV system was created in the United States to combat UAVs. As can be seen from the video released by the US HHQ Research Laboratory, the THOR anti-UAV system SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 29 Skylock anti-drone system
provides non-kinetic neutralization of multiple targets. It is powered by electricity and uses powerful energy to “defuse” UAVs. The MFP anti-drone system was created by the US DARPA agency in 2021. The MFP anti-drone system is an autonomous and compact complex mounted on the chassis of an Army off-road vehicle. X-band radar detects UAVs, while a computerized system automatically identifies the type of threat and releases the interceptor. The capture device can be a small propeller-driven vehicle or an aircraft-type drone. Enemy’s attacking drones are captured within 1-kilometre radius. The open-architecture DroneSentry anti-drone solution from the Australian company Drone Shield integrates various sensors and countermeasures. The DroneSentry complex, which can be deployed on fixed and mobile platforms, includes the RadarOne radar, RFOne RF detectors and the DroneOpt EO system (1 km detection range (380 m with an infrared camera)). Multiple sensors can be networked to cover more areas. Russian anti-drone systems Russia’s Ataka-DBS anti-drone system was developed by Roselektronika, a subsidiary of Rostex State Corporation. The tests of the improved Ataka-DBS anti-drone system using new type antennas were conducted in August 2020 and were reported to have been successful. The Serp-VS anti-drone system, developed by the Vector Scientific Research Institute of the Russian Roselektronika Holding, is capable of blocking the communication channels, control and navigation systems of UAVs. The new Serp-VS5 version of the Serp anti-drone family, introduced by the Roselektronika holding in March 2023, is designed to combat drone swarms. Kaspersky Lab, developer of the famous antivirus software, created the Kaspersky Antidrone system in 2021, which detects and combats UAVs. Portable anti-drone systems Since 2016, studies have been conducted in the armies of leading countries to include drone detection and jammer systems in the personal equipment of soldiers. The main focus of the programmes announced by the US Army and Air Force to combat small commercial and military drones is the miniaturization of portable anti-drone systems. Several creation projects are being funded by the Pentagon. The LR-MUDS weapon-mounted small anti-drone system project by Invisible Interdiction is the world’s smallest WiFi and GPS jammer. The first tests of the LR-MUDS system, which was sponsored in 2018 under the Phase III SBIR programme of HHQ, were held in Florida. The device attaches to M4 rifles or existing shotguns via a picatinny rail and is no different from a tactical laser. 30 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION MORFIUS Coyote Block 3
In April 2020, MyDefence introduced the improved RfPatrol Mk II version of the RfPatrol drone detection device that can be carried on soldiers. According to Oleg Vornik, CEO of DroneShield, the device is completely passive and undetectable by enemy radio-electronic intelligence systems. RfPatrol Mk II carried on a soldier detects unmanned aerial vehicles in a short period of time and makes it possible to take appropriate measures against them. In April 2023, the new DroneGun Mk4 portable anti-drone system was introduced by DroneShield. The DroneGun Mk4 is not designed to replace the long-range DroneGun Tactical and the ultra-lightweight DroneGun MK3, but as a new addition to the DroneGun product family. According to the manufacturer, the DroneGun Mk4 strikes the perfect balance between size and capability. The antidrone system has the ability to simultaneously disrupt the signals of more than one UAV. Wingman 101 personal drone detector, developed by MyDefence for Special Forces and security services, is designed to be included in a soldier’s combat equipment. In addition to standalone use, Wingman can also be connected to C2 systems and other drone detection systems through other communication devices such as peripherals. The clip size of Wingman 103, a new example of the Wingman series of drone detectors, allows the device to be carried in a pocket intended for an automatic comb or in a sling. Operating in the 433Mhz, 1.2Ghz, 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz bands, the Wingman 103 detector is offered together with the company’s AA100 series active antennas and Pitbull mini smart jammers. The Zala ZONT portable anti-drone system of Russia’s ZALA Aero is similarly designed to protect personnel from attacks by kamikaze drones and reconnaissance drones. It is reported that this system suppresses signals of satellite navigation systems (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, GALILEO) within a radius of 2 kilometres, as well as 1570-1610 MHs SRNS, 2400-2480 MHs and 5725-5850 MHs frequency bands. The weight of the equipment part of the system is 800 grams and is located in the bag of a standard weapon comb. Antidrone upgrade projects The expansion of the distribution area of nano-and micro-drones, the emergence of new technologies, as well as the different performances of classic antidrone devices in different environments force manufacturers to improve their products and look for new technologies. The improvement of existing anti-drone systems is carried out mainly by adding additional detection equipment, kinetic, optical and radio-electronic combat systems and other components to the complex. The combination of multiple systems allows for timely preventive measures, while reducing the risks of threat detection. New approaches are calculated to bring C-RAM capability to drone systems as well. Finally, note that the expansion of the application of drones in various fields outside of the military, the emergence of nano-drones and other new technologies, the opportunities opened up by the sale on the open market to terrorists and other interested forces, bring forth urgent and serious requirements in the market of anti-drone systems. According to the Frost & Sullivan analytical centre, the volume of the global anti-drone technologies market will exceed $2 billion by 2024. Grand View Research analysts predict an average annual growth rate of 24% in the anti-drone systems market until 2024. PJ SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 31 RfPatrol Mk III
Concentrating all its processes – including R&D, design and production – in-house, KAREL operates in a number of high-tech fields, as well as in the defence and security industry. The Head of the company’s Defence Industry Solutions Group, Senih Başol, explains that the ability “to offer cost-effective solutions [is] a result of experience in the civilian sector”. The company deploys its own patented solutions in support of its growing customer base, meeting customer needs with a wide range of products. Among Karel’s range of solutions for defence and security communications, it will highlight: ■ Switching Systems: “We have a wide product range for networking in the military field, including IP-based switchboards, IP/radio gateways and routers as intermediate products. Thanks to this diversity, we are able to offer widerange turnkey solutions that meet all the requirements of contemporary communications environment for wired/non-wired long-range voice, video and data transmission,” explains Başol. ■ The DS200T IP Based Tactical Field Switch is Karel’s portable military field exchange, designed to include today's IP technology and already successful in the export market. Developed to establish a network for wired/wireless communication, the switching system has interfaces compatible with all stationary devices in military service, switching “everything into anything”. It can also create a wireless network using third party radio links, as well as connecting field phones and high-tech IP phones with no need for additional hardware. The company has won two batch orders to supply the DS200T, the second of which will be delivered by the end of this year. Two orders from Bangaldesh have also been received for the DS200T Exchange, and Başol believes “this product will receive additional orders both at home and abroad”. ■ The AG102 Military Gateway is a sealed, durable VoIP solution developed for tactical use. Deployed in user terminals to transform data received from analogue, CO and ISDN PRI interfaces into ethernet/IP data and transmit it through the IP port and, similarly, to distribute data coming from a single port in the opposite direction, to other interfaces (analogue, CO and ISDN PRI). The device establishes an SIP trunk connection with the central sound server and can be registered to the sound server. ■ The TAG102 Military Radio IP Gateway converts the radios connected to it into Ethernet/IP data and transmits them to ethernet networks over IP ports. In this way, it provides connectivity for analogue radios to satellite or ethernet networks, creating a complementary element for IP communications in the field. In addition to its radio connection, the device offers analogue/IP conversion capacity for 14 FXS subscribers. Addressing the Gateway solutions family, Başol states that, having developed “[the] country's first national Gateway product family with our unique 32 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION Karel Offers Effective Communications Solutions for Land Forces A 100% Turkish technology company and the largest company in Türkiye’s communications technology sector, Karel is exhibiting its communications solutions for ground forces at IDEF-2023. Karel Defence Industry Solutions Group Manager Senih Başol
technology […] we can also offer tailormade, cost-efficient solutions”. ■ Intercom/Radio Communication Systems ■ The IKT102 Intercom Systems is designed for use in military vehicles, providing in-vehicle communication for up to nine users, and capable of connecting with the outside world via its radio interface. The base model comprises a centre unit, helmets and an external speaker unit, and in this configuration has been widely exported through the company’s collaboration with OEMs such as Otokar, BMC and Nurol Makina. ■ The IKT110 Intercom System also provides internal and external (wireless) voice communication with modular, easyto-use, expandable user units specifically designed for ground platforms. It offers digital voice communication, full duplex intercommunication capability, digital switching infrastructure, expansion infrastructure for up to nine users, two radio connections (HF/VHF/UHF), and radio communication control over user stations. More recently, the ability to connect three separate radios has been added, as have advanced headset functionalities. “Our internal speech/radio external communication devices that we have developed for land platforms are fully qualified to meet the needs in markets where simple and effective solutions are prominent. This product family has been developed to meet all military environmental and electromagnetic compatibility standards while meeting the internal and radio communication needs of the vehicle crew,” Başol explains. • Headsets Başol points out that the most critical competence in developing effective headsets “is to filter out the unwanted noise in the environment and highlight the desired sounds, known as Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). In this context, we produce different solutions in our acoustic laboratory that we have established. We can offer different solutions to users, including bone conduction headsets”. Last year was marked for the company by the first shipment of a brand new product – the KBRNUB Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Warning Unit. Employing new sensors and providing visual and audible warnings, the KBRNUB has been deployed as a critical component of the Turkish Army’s air defence capabilities. SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 33 Otokar unveiled its Alpar heavy tracked unmanned armoured vehicle in Arifiye, Sakarya, on 13 July. The vehicle is designed to meet the robotic and unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces and be capable of operating on the battlefield with both manned and unmanned systems. Otokar expects Alpar to reduce the number of personnel, especially those performing routine tasks, on the battlefield and the risk they face while using artificial intelligence and data analytics to increase mission success and enhance effectiveness by communicating with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other systems. Alpar's capabilities are increased by a mini UGV it can carry. The vehicle's base weight is 12 tonnes, leaving three tonnes for various payloads, according to Otokar. The company did not disclose the vehicle's dimensions but said it can be transported by cargo aircraft. The Alpar family of vehicles has the following versions: armoured fighting vehicle (AFV), anti-tank, counter-UAV, reconnaissance, logistics carrier, and communications relay vehicle for UAVs. The vehicle has a hybrid electric propulsion system and can operate completely silently. The maximum speed of the Alpar is 70 km/h and it has a range of 500 km. It has a low thermal signature and its battery can be replaced quickly, according to Otokar. The vehicle can operate autonomously or be remotely controlled up to a range of 5 km by a crew of two – the driver and the commander/gunner. All situational awareness and decision making algorithms used in Alpar were developed domestically, and the vehicle is equipped with adaptive driving assistance systems developed by Otokar. Otokar unveils Alpar unmanned armoured vehicle
Military helicopters, like other aerial vehicles, differ from each other in terms of design, combat and cargo capabilities, and operational features. While helicopters may still be effective on the battlefield today, they are an easy target for modern radar and air defence systems, just like jet fighters of 4, 4+ and 4++ generations. Therefore, their application in the field of operation is slowly changing. In this article, we will inform you about the military helicopter fleet of the armed forces of the region and its neighbouring countries, and will talk about the recent purchases and industrial and production enterprises in the region. The countries of the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, and Russia and Türkiye from the neighbouring countries, as well as Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan from the Central Asia have all started the Air Force renewal programmes, which are the main directions of army building, since 2000- 2007. Since 2010, almost all the states of the region have seen the introduction of new aerial vehicles into the fleet of the Air Force Base, especially attack and military transport helicopters. At the same time, projects are being implemented with the participation of local and foreign companies in order to upgrade the existing helicopters of the military air fleet. Azerbaijan The main part of the fleet of military helicopters of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces is made up of aerial vehicles purchased from Russia and Ukraine. Among them, there are helicopters intended for carrying out the transport, combat and search-and-rescue operations. The process of purchasing military helicopters and other aviation equipment in Azerbaijan was widely started after 2003. According to the reports of the UN Conventional Weapons Registry, 12 Mi-24s (1 Mi-24R) from Ukraine, 24 Mi-35Ms from Russia, 40 Mi-8/Mi-17-1V/Mi-171s and 4 Ka-32, as well as 4 Bell 412 from an undisclosed country were purchased after 2003. In addition, Azerbaijan bought 10 helicopters worth 115 million euros (8 AW-139s and 2 AW-189s) from the Italian company Leonardo in 2012. These helicopters are used for offshore transport, emergency medical services, search and rescue operations and VIP services. Mi-24 and Mi-35M attack helicopters are currently used by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. These helicopters provide aerial fire support to infantry units, and can destroy both mobile and fixed enemy targets. Mi-24s have proven themselves Military Helicopter Fleet of the Countries of the Region: Current Situation and Development Plans ?Elshan Abdulkarimov Military helicopters have been actively used by the armed forces of world countries for many years. Depending on the destination and tasks, these helicopters can provide superior capabilities to the user, mainly in mountainous areas with difficult terrain. They are used in carrying out onshore and offshore search-and-rescue operations, airborne insert and transporting of cargos from one place to another, and providing close combat support to infantry units on land.
on various battlefields. Although there are many modifications of this helicopter, which has the NATO name Hind, Azerbaijan mainly uses the Mi-24G version, which is equipped with night vision devices. Mi-35M helicopters located in the aviation park of the Air Force of Azerbaijan and the State Border Service were created on the basis of Mi-24V and Mi-24VP attack helicopters. However, the Mi-35M differs from its predecessor in a number of tactical and technical features. Note that during the 44-day Patriotic War, strike helicopters used by the Azerbaijan Air Force, like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and warplanes, were effectively used to destroy enemy targets. Mi-8/Mi-17-1V/Mi-171 military transport helicopters in the arsenal of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces are mainly designed for landing and cargo transportation. There are different versions of the Mi-8 helicopter, one of which is the Mi-17. These helicopters are located in the aviation fleet of the Defence Forces and the Internal Troops, along with the Azerbaijani Air Force. The Ka-32s are mainly designed for landing in water bodies, search and rescue operations. One of the most noticeable helicopters in the inventory of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces is the Bell 412 helicopter produced by Bell Textron (USA). It has options for civilian, search-and-rescue, and military personnel transportation. These helicopters were first shown to the general public at the military parade held on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces in 2018. Along with the purchase of helicopters, work is being done on their repair and upgrade. Ganja Aviation Repair Plant is involved in the repair of engines and fuselage parts of Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters. Azairtechservice, which operates in the field of aviation industry in Azerbaijan, closely participates in the improvement and repair of military helicopters in the country, as well as in the creation of cooperation with both local and foreign companies in this sector, and in the implementation of new projects. Apart from these, the Azerbaijani side is currently interested in various types of helicopters. One of them is the T129 ATAK helicopters produced by the Turkish TUSAŞ company. The ATAK helicopter has been repeatedly tested in Azerbaijani conditions in joint military exercises of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and Türkiye and has had the opportunity to demonstrate its superior capabilities. Also, Azerbaijan is interested in the Ka-226 light transport helicopter, the Mi17V-5 military transport helicopter and the emergency medical configuration of the ANSAT helicopter of the Russian company Helicopter Rossii. Georgia Since the late 1990s, Georgia has started renovating the Air Force base with old Soviet air platforms. In this framework, in addition to the repair and upgrade of the obsolete equipment of the aviation fleet, the purchase of repaired airplanes and helicopters from other postSoviet republics was carried out. In the early 2000s, Georgia, which started a new phase of armament and was faced with the embargoes of the Western countries, had to turn to the post-Soviet and Eastern European space again to meet its current needs. But then was another challenge - demands for the upgrade of old Soviet aviation equipment supplied from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Belarus at additional costs. The development of the Air Force in Georgia began in 1997. In 1999-2001, the Georgian Air Force overhauled 2 Mi-14, 3 Mi-24 and 2 Mi-2 helicopters in Ukraine. In 1999-2003, the USA donated ten (10) UH-1H HUEY helicopters to Georgia as military aid. According to the information contained in the UN Conventional Weapons Register, Georgia bought two (2) Mi-8 MTV and 8 Mi-8MT transport helicopters from Ukraine in 2005. As a result of changes in the organisational structure of the Georgian Armed Forces in 2010, the HHG was abolished and transferred to the Ground Forces in the form of air and air defence brigades. In 2016, the HHG was restored as an independent type of armed forces. In 2010, Georgia, which came out of the war with Russia with heavy losses, upgraded the Mi series helicopters with the support of Ukraine and the United States. In June 2010, 2 AS-332 Super Puma helicopters were purchased within the framework of the contract concluded between the Ministry of Defence of Georgia and the French company Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopter). In 2011, Türkiye donated 2 used UH-1H helicopters to Georgia as part of the military aid programme. Currently, the aviation fleet of the Georgian Air Force includes 2 AS-332 Super Puma, 12 UH-1H HUEY, 17 Mi-8T military transports, 18 Mi-14 search and SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 35 UH-1H HUEY
rescue and 6 Mi-24B combat helicopters (according to some reports, the Georgian Air Force includes 5 units). In 2020, within the framework of the programme approved by the Ministry of Defence of Georgia, JS TAM Tbilaviamsheni and Delta State Military Scientific Technical Centre have started to upgrade the aviation fleet of the armed forces. From the end of September 2020, the upgrade of the first 5 Mi-24 helicopters was carried out at the JS TAM Tbilaviamsheni plant. In addition, Mi8MTV and UH-1 helicopters will be repaired and upgraded at the facility. Armenia The combat helicopter fleet of the Armenian Armed Forces, which inherited 13 helicopters from the Soviet Army in 1992, was formed in 1991 on the basis of the separate helicopter squadron No. 382 of the former Guards Helicopter Regiment No. 7. Until 1994, Russia supplied 2 Mi-2, 7 Mi-8/Mi-17, and 15 Mi-24 helicopters to Armenia. In the following years, Russia and Armenia agreed on the establishment of Russian military bases in the cities of Gyumri and Yerevan (Erebuni Military Airfield). According to the information released by the Ministry of Defence of Russia, 14 units of Mi-24P and 2 units of Mi-8MT transport helicopters were placed at Erebuni Military Airfield in 2015. In 2016, several Mi-8MT helicopters were additionally deployed. In the mid-2000s, the Armed Forces of Armenia, which began work on the renewal of the aviation fleet of the Air Force Base, approached Russia to receive 1 Mi-24P helicopter in 2001, 7 Mi-8 military transport helicopters in 2003 and 2 Mi-24 attack helicopters in 2011. According to open sources, there are currently 3 Mi-2, 16 multifunctional Mi-8T/MT/17, 2 Mi-9, 20 Mi-24 helicopters in the service of the Armenian Armed Forces. According to information published in the Armenian media in 2018-2019, but not confirmed by official sources, an agreement was reached between Russia and Armenia on the purchase of an undisclosed number of Mi-35M combat helicopters. The helicopters to be purchased will be equipped with electrooptical surveillance systems manufactured in Armenian enterprises. At the same time, there have been plans to establish a service centre on the territory of Armenia in cooperation with Helicopter Rossii since 2020. At the Dubai Airshow-2021 Exhibition held in the United Arab Emirates in 2021, Andrey Boginsky, CEO of Helicopter Rossii, said that the Armenian delegation is closely interested in Ka-52M and Mi-28NE attack helicopters. Note that during the First and Second Garabagh Wars, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan shot down several Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters of the Armenian Air Force. Russia Russia is one of the countries with strong helicopter fleet and production both in the region and worldwide. The reason why Russia is sufficiently developed and strong in this field is the arms race with the United States, which has been going on since the last century, from the time of the USSR, until today. After the collapse of the USSR, Russia began to continue this race. 36 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION Mi-24 KA-52
It is not surprising that Mi-8/Mi-17 and Mi-24 helicopters, which are currently among the most used and exported helicopters in the world, were designed and produced during this period. Nowadays, modern versions of these helicopters are produced. After the United States, Russia has the largest number of military helicopters in the world. It is difficult to say the exact number because different sources say different numbers about it. However, it is reported that there are more than 1500 helicopters in the aviation fleet of the Russian Armed Forces. In the aviation fleet of the Russian Armed Forces (before the Ukraine-Russia war) there are 5 AS355/AS350, 96 KA27, 119 KA-52 (it is claimed that more than 25 were destroyed in the UkraineRussia war), 36 KA-36, 4 Mi-2, 800 Mi-8/Mi-17/Mi-171, 330 Mi-24/Mi-35, 44 Mi-26, 95 Mi-28, 2 Mi-38, 2 KA-28 and 10 KA-2 helicopters. The helicopters listed above are mostly used for patrol, transport and combat purposes. Surely, the Russian Armed Forces also have multipurpose, search-and-rescue and other types of helicopters. KA-52 combat helicopters stand out among the helicopters of the Russian Armed Forces. Currently, the KA-52M land and KA-52K sea versions of the helicopter are produced. The Russian Armed Forces also have 32 KA-52M helicopters in its fleet. Kazakhstan The renewal of the helicopter fleet of the Air Force of Kazakhstan coincides with the year 2000. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Kazakhstan has paid special attention to the purchase of modern military helicopters. Although the advantage in this field is foreign purchases, the cooperation gained since 2010 has also created conditions for the development of the country’s domestic industry. At present, the armament of the Kazakhstan Air Force includes European, American and Russian helicopters. For the first time, an agreement on the purchase and sale of military helicopters was reached between Kazakhstan and the United States in 2003. According to this agreement, Kazakhstan purchased a total of 10 used UH-1H Huey-2 military transport helicopters from the United States during 2003-2017. Kazakhstan has supplied a large number of helicopters of various types from the USA as well as from Russia. Thus, Kazakhstan bought 42 Mi-8MT/Mi-17 transport helicopters, 3 ANSAT 12 Mi-35M and Ka-32A11VS combat helicopters from Russia in 2002- 2020. In addition to these purchases, Kazakhstan also attached great importance to the development of the local helicopter industry. In 2010, an agreement was signed between Kazakhstan and Airbus (then Eurocopter) on the purchase of 26 EC-145 helicopters, and in May 2012, 20 EC-725 military transport helicopters. According to the contract, a part of these works was carried out by Eurocopter Kazakhstan Engineering (EKE) enterprise of Airbus operating in Kazakhstan. Parts of the helicopters were brought to Kazakhstan, assembled at the EKE enterprise and handed over to the Air Forces of Kazakhstan. It should also be noted that according to the contract signed between EKE and the Turkish company ASELSAN, the supply and integration of electronic devices and systems to the EC-145 helicopters produced in Kazakhstan is provided by Kazakhstan ASELSAN Engineering. In addition, the licensed assembly of Mi-8AMT/Mi-171 helicopters has also started in Kazakhstan since 2020. In November 2020, the Ulan-Ude aviation plant of Helicopter Rossii sent two sets of Mi-8AMT helicopters for assembly in Kazakhstan. According to the contract, 17 units of Mi-8AMT/Mi-171E type helicopters were to be assembled at the enterprise during 2020-2022. Regarding the future armament of Kazakhstan in this field, it is possible to say that the EKE enterprise of Airbus will allow Kazakhstan to purchase H145M, H125M, H160M, H175M military helicopters in the coming years. Kazakhstan is also likely to acquire Turkish-made T129 ATAK/FAZA-2 combat helicopters. Turkmenistan After Turkmenistan gained independence, the country’s Air Force SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 37 EC-145 AW 139
inherited Mi-24 combat and Mi-8 transport helicopters from the USSR. Against this backdrop, we can say that the main advantage of the Turkmen Air Force was Soviet and Russian-made military helicopters in the 90s and early 2000s. Since 2006, Turkmenistan has begun to extensively update its weapons and equipment stock, it has already started buying military helicopters from Western countries along with Russia. Thus, a certain balance has been created in this area with helicopters supplied from European countries. At present, helicopters manufactured by Russia, Italy, and France are in operation of the Air Force and Border Guards of Turkmenistan. Note that Turkmenistan, like most countries in the region, strengthens its Air Force mainly through foreign purchases. If we look at the country’s purchases of foreign helicopters from 2010 until now, it is possible to see that Italy and Russia have come to the fore here. Thus, Turkmenistan bought 4 units of AW139 from Italy in 2011, 6 units of A109K in 2016-2017, and a total of 4 units of Mi-8MT/Mi-17 type military transport helicopters from Russia in 2010-2015. In addition, Turkmenistan bought AW101 multi-purpose helicopters from Italian Leonardo in 2010. According to open sources, there are currently 6 A-109K and 4 AW139 multirole helicopters, as well as 15 Mi-8MT/Mi-17 transport and 10 Mi-24 combat helicopters in use by the Turkmenistan Air Force. Also, although the exact number is not known, the country's armament includes Eurocopter-145 and Eurocopter-365 multi-purpose/transport helicopters produced by Airbus (they are used by the army and government officials, and are used for search and rescue operations). In May 2020, Turkmenistan signed an agreement on the purchase of an additional (8 according to some sources) AW139 multi-purpose helicopter from the Italian company Leonardo. It can be seen that the Air Force of Turkmenistan gives the main priority in its armament to multipurpose and transport helicopters rather than combat ones. Türkiye The Turkish Armed Forces also paid the need for military helicopters through foreign purchases for a long time, and this process continued until 2007. However, since 2007, the reforms, work and projects carried out in the helicopter industry sector have all played a significant role in changing this situation. Despite this, even after 2007, Türkiye continued to supply helicopters from foreign countries. Thus, according to the reports of the UN Conventional Weapons Registry, Türkiye received a total of 6 AH-1W combat aircraft from the United States in 2012 and 2013, 11 CH-47F Chinook transports from 2016-2019, and 2014 from Poland. In 2017, it bought 4 S-70i transport/multipurpose helicopters, and 2 S-70i transport/multipurpose helicopters from Russia in 2019, and 3 Ka-32A11BC multipurpose helicopters from Russia in 2019. According to open sources, there are currently a total of 48 units of H215M/ AS 532 Cougar, 80 units of S-70i/UH-60 Black Hawk, 5 units of T-70, 143 UH-1H, 69 Bell 205, 11 CH-47F Chinook, and 13 Bell 212 transport/multipurpose helicopters, as well as 53 AH-1P/W (some sources indicate that the AH-1P variant was decommissioned reported), 3 OH-58 and 60 T129 ATAK/FAZA-2 combat helicopters (1 crashed) in the fleets of the Turkish Armed Forces, Gendarmerie General Command and security forces. Türkiye took one of its first big steps in the field of helicopter industry with the T129 ATAK project. Thus, in March 2007, the Turkish Defence Industry Executive Committee chose the Italian company 38 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION ATAK
Agusta Westland as the winner of the long-running ATAK programme. The local company TUSAŞ acted as the main contractor of this programme. In the subsequent process, under the leadership of SSB, work was started on increasing the share of locality in the T129 ATAK helicopter, and its T129 ATAK FAZA-2 version was created. Currently, TUSAŞ has handed over a total of 73 T129 ATAK helicopters to the Turkish Ground Forces and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Within the framework of the programme, it is planned to hand over 91 (59+32) T129 ATAK/FAZA-2 helicopters to the Turkish Ground Forces and 27 (24+3) helicopters to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Currently, the company TUSAŞ is working on the T929 ATAK heavy combat helicopter project, which will be another member of the ATAK family in addition to the T129. Compared to T129, the share of nationality of T929 is significantly higher. Another project carried out by the company TUSAŞ is the T625 light multipurpose helicopter. This helicopter, designed entirely by Turkish engineers, is intended to replace the UH-1Hs operating in the Turkish Armed Forces. In 2021, the head of the SSB announced that an armed version of the T625 helicopter was being developed. One of the large-scale projects carried out by Türkiye in the field of helicopter industry was the development of the T70 index multi-purpose helicopter based on the license of Sikorsky, one of the world’s leading aviation companies, based on the S70i helicopter. As part of the programme, there is a plan to produce 109 T70 helicopters and deliver them to the Armed Forces. In addition, upgrade works of Turkish UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-1 COBRA helicopters were carried out by TUSAŞ. Conclusion Studies show that the states of the region carry out purchases in two directions in the renewal of the military helicopter fleet. The first of them, the main weight falls on the share of Russia. Given the specialization of the current flight and technical staff in Soviet/Russian helicopters, this is taken for granted by experts. Another direction is the acquisition of helicopters from the West - from the USA, France and Italy. In this direction, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Türkiye have managed to move forward enough. On this eve, only Georgia among the states of the region has officially declared that it has given up Russian-origin aviation equipment, especially helicopters, and switched to western technology. However, Kazakhstan, which has established its own production with western companies, is simultaneously implementing projects for the purchase and joint production of aviation equipment from Russia. Forecasts show that, as we mentioned in our previous articles, the increase in alternatives and sales offers to the region on more favourable terms, as well as other influencing factors, will lead to a decrease in the market share of Russian-made combat and military transport helicopters in the near future. In return, the activity of Leonardo from Europe and Chinese companies from Asia will increase in the market. The rapid development of Türkiye’s aviation industry in recent years suggests that the sister country will become one of the main players in the market in the near future. PJ SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 39 S-70i/UH-60 Black Hawk
The creation of guided and nonguided munitions is being carried out by manufacturers of different countries worldwide. Mini-sized guided munitions are considered an ideal solution in urban and residential areas where large air-tosurface missiles or artillery cannot be used. Firstly, UAVs can be loaded with a large number of ammunition instead of one and a few, which makes it possible to fight against different targets during one flight. Another advantage of small guided bombs is their low cost. In 2011, the ineffectiveness of highdestruction and high-cost guided bombs, which were often dropped on small groups and inconsequential targets, led the US Army to look for new options. At the initiative of the Pentagon, leading defence industry companies started work on such projects. US’s first step with Pyros Small Tactical Munition (STM) In this context, one of the first deliveries of the new class was the guided munition for UAVs Pyros developed by Raytheon (USA). At the initial stage, the project was called Small Tactical Munition (STM), and according to the technical task, the maximum weight of the ammunition should not exceed 6-7 kilogrammes, and the maximum length should be limited to 2 feet (about 60 centimetres). In the fall of 2010, specialists of Raytheon conducted tests of STM Phase I ammunition with a length of 56 cm and a weight of about 5.4 kg. All units are equipped with ammunition 40 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION Smart mini-munitions of UAVs ?Zaur Babashov Today, the number of users of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is increasing and this process continues to expand into different geographies. The growth of manufacturers and operators of combat UAVs brings with it new needs. The first and most important solution is the creation of high-precision guided ammunition for UAVs. MAM
X-shaped wings and 4 stabilizers installed in a cylindrical body. The missile is guided to the target by means of a semiactive laser and GPS. Although the general structure and dimensions of the ammunition, which began serial production under the name Pyros, remained the same, its weight increased to 6 kg. It is possible to detonate ammunition carrying a 3.2 kg shrapnel warhead at a specified height above the target by means of programming. In addition to light and medium UAVs, Pyros can be included in the armament of heavy-class vehicles. In this case, the MQ-9 Reaper UAV can carry 7-8 Pyros bombs instead of one AGM-114 Hellfire missile, which makes it possible to use the UAV against a large number of targets in one flight. MBDA Incorporated’s SABER In 2010, at the MBDA subsidiary of MBDA Missile Systems in the USA, laser+GPS/INS-supported guided minimunitions for UAVs were developed with the company’s funding. The SABER munition can be configured as a rocket or cruise missile (kamikaze anti-aircraft missile) according to customer requirements. The Blast-Frag uses a dualmode warhead. The SABER uses a semi-active laser seeker and GPS/INS mid-course navigation that allows the munition to fly off-axis regardless of the direction of the firing platform. SABER can use an alternative seeker that uses a TV/IR sensor with data-link communications that allow it to monitor the ‘human loop’. During the past period, samples of MBDA’s SABER long-range guided aviation missile of different sizes from 4.5 kg to 13.6 kg were prepared and tested. Detailed information on the technical characteristics of the SABER missile with GPS/INS and a semi-active laser warhead, retractable wings is not available. Shadow Hawk anti-aircraft ammunition The deviation from the target of the Shadow Hawk mini-calibre guided aviation ammunition, prepared by the Lockheed Martin Corporation based on the proposal of the Pentagon, does not exceed 1 metre. The laser-guided 69mm Shadow Hawk ammunition weighs 11 pounds (4.9 kg). Intended for arming light and medium-weight UAVs, the missile has X-shaped wings that open at the tail, control wheels on its surface, a selfaiming laser and a control unit at the front. Lockheed Martin, which completed the tests of the Shadow Hawk aviation missile by 2014, is currently supplying its products to the armed forces of the United States and other countries. The presentation materials for the Shadow Hawk project contain the same arguments as Raytheon’s Pyros bomb claim. The new bombs allow light and medium-sized UAVs not only for reconnaissance and strike operations, but also to easily and cheaply solve a wide range of missions. ATK’s Hatchet Smart Munition The new ultra-small aviation bomb called ‘Hatchet’ for UAVs introduced by Alliant Techsystems (ATK) in 2012 differs from its analogues available in America in that it is smaller in size and weight. The weight of ammunition made on the basis of JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) is about 3.2 kg. There are two versions of the bomb; one of them directs to the target by receiving signals from the GPS satellite navigation system. The other uses INS navigation and a front-mounted semiactive laser auto-aiming head. Like other munitions of its class, ATK’s Hatchet is equipped with a lightweight warhead capable of destroying enemy manpower and unarmoured vehicles. Application of Hatchet in urban and residential areas is considered more effective. The accuracy of the new bomb allows it to hit any room in any building. Until the end of 2018, the ammunition was tested on various UAVs, and then it was given to the armament of the US Marine Corps and the Air Force. Instead SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 41 ATK Hatchet STM Phase II
of the AGM-114 Hellfire class AGM-114 Hellfire missile, 24 units of Hatchet can be integrated into the currently operated UAVs. Fury Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) As part of the Pentagon’s Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System programme, the 5.8 kg guided munition FF-LMM (Fury) developed by Textron Defence Systems (USA) together with Thales (France) produced a 1.4 kg warhead, a combined GPS/INS with a self-igniting semi-active laser head. The ammunition, which is 68 cm long and 7.5 cm in diameter, is designed against enemy shelters, unarmoured vehicles, fixed and moving targets, including manpower. In April 2016, the ammunition released from the UAV from a height of 8000 metres showed high accuracy by hitting the target. According to expert calculations, one UAV like MQ-1 Predator can carry 4 Hellfire missiles and 12 Fury missiles. Türkiye’s MAM family MAM ammunition produced by the Turkish company Roketsan is a family of laser-guided smart ammunition. The MAM is designed for use in air-to-ground missions for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), light attack aircraft and low payload aerial platforms. MAM series smart bombs have the ability to hit (engage) both fixed and moving targets with high precision. The MAM munition family is available in 3 different versions, MAM-C, MAM-L and MAM-T, with semi-active laser-guided, GPS and INSbased targeting/manoeuvring capabilities. The length of the 160 mm MAM-L ammunition is 1 metre, the mass is 22.5 kg, and the warhead is 10 kg. MAM-L ammunition is used against light shelter, unarmoured vehicles, radars and manpower. The destruction radius of the warhead of the ammunition is more than 25 metres. Effective firing distance is 8 km. According to company experts, it is possible to integrate this mini-munition into light combat aircraft as well as UAVs. In 2015-2017 shooting tests on various UAVs, a 2×2 metre target was destroyed with high accuracy from a distance of 8 km using MAM-L ammunition. During the tests, the missile was launched from a height of about 5 km. In 2016 Roketsan, which conducts active research and creation of precision ammunition for UAVs, developed MAMC ammunition. MAM-C ammunition, created taking into account the latest technologies and modern requirements, can be equipped with a multi-purpose (armour-piercing, thermobaric, antipersonnel and incendiary) warhead. MAM-C ammunition stands out as a costeffective solution for light attack aircraft as well as UAVs. MAM-C can be effectively used against targets located at a distance of up to 8 kilometres, depending on the firing height. MAM-C munitions are intended against unprotected targets such as manpower, unarmoured and lightly armoured vehicles, radar antennas, open weapon positions. The length of this highprecision ‘air-to-ground’ missile is 80 cm, its weight is 6.5 kg, and the warhead is 2.5 kg. MAM-L integrated into the UAVs of friendly and allied countries, including the Turkish Armed Forces, has been successfully used in operations since 2016, and MAM-C since 2018. MAM-T has breathed new life into UAVs The largest and newest member of the MAM family is the MAM-T ammunition. Roketsan developed MAM-T ammunition to meet the need for higher warhead efficiency and longer range, moving forward from the experience of MAM-L and MAM-C aviation ammunition. Designed to be adaptable to different platforms, the MAM-T has a range of over 30 km. MAM-T smart ammunition has a diameter of 230 mm, a length of 1.4 metres, and a total weight of 94 kilogrammes. The ammunition is equipped with a warhead with a cluster of shrapnel. With MAM-T ammunition, which can be fired from various UAVs, it is possible to destroy water targets, armoured and unarmoured vehicles. The MAM-T Block-1 configuration can be deployed against both moving and stationary targets. The first firing test of MAM-T ammunition was carried out by the Bayraktar Akıncı tactical unmanned aerial vehicle of the company Baykar on the 22nd of April 2021. MAM-C, MAM-L and MAM-T, which were used for the first time, were able to hit the target with high accuracy from a long distance. The highprecision smart munition is equipped with a semi-active laser seeker head (LAB) that can be supported by GPS and INS navigation system. The first batch of MAM-T aviation ammunition, whose mass production was started in the second half of 2021 by Roketsan, was included in the stock of the Turkish Armed Forces at the beginning of 2022. As with other members of the MAM family, the MAM-T is targeted for significant export success. The MAM-T munition, designed for the capabilities of the Akinci attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the company Baykar, will be integrated into other UAVs, including different platforms such as light attack and combat aircraft. The MAM-T ammunition, a new member 42 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION
of the family designed for different platforms, has a range of 30 kilometres on UAVs, 60 kilometres on light attack aircraft and more than 80 kilometres on fighter aircraft. Currently, MAM smart munitions are Bayraktar TB2, Bayraktar TB3, Bayraktar Akıncı, Vestel’s Karayel, as well as Anka, Aksungur tactical UAVs of TUSAŞ and Bayraktar TB3 manufactured by Baykar of Türkiye. HURKUSH is included in the armament of the new generation training and combat aircraft. Roketsan has produced more than 5000 pieces of MAM smart ammunition and delivered them to customers. MAM’s crucial role in the victory of Azerbaijan The MAM family created by Roketsan, taking into account the needs of today’s and future wars, surpasses its competitors with war experience in addition to the technologies it possesses. According to the statement of Roketsan, the MAM family, which increases the efficiency of aerial platforms with light payload carrying capacity, mainly UAVs, is successfully used in the inventory of friendly and allied countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. The MAM family of ammunition played a critical role in the victory of Azerbaijan, which had many Roketsan solutions in its arsenal, in the 44-day Patriotic War and has attracted the attention of European and UN member countries and is now among their priority choices. Today, in addition to Türkiye and Azerbaijan, MAM ammunition is included in the armament of countries such as Qatar, Ukraine, Libya, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Ethiopia. Note that during the Second Garabagh War, MAM was effectively used against tanks and other armoured targets with guided munitions. Previously, the Turkish Armed Forces had the opportunity to test the ammunition mentioned in the Euphrates Shield on the 24th of August 2016, and the Olive Branch in January-March 2018 on the real battlefield in Syria. According to the information published on the official social media account of the Directorate of Defence Industry of Türkiye (SSB), Bayrakdar TB2 UAVs fired from the versions of MAM-L ammunition with an armour-piercing warhead for the first time in the Olive Branch operation. At the same time, MAM-L rockets with warheads were used with an air explosion mechanism. During operations, effective results were achieved against possible targets such as light equipment, armoured vehicles, radar antennas, gun positions, and all targets were hit with high accuracy with the warheads used according to the target type. In addition, MAM smart munitions include the Peace Spring operation targeting the PKK/PYD and Daesh terrorist organisations launched by the Turkish Armed Forces in Syria in 2019, the Spring Shield operation launched against the Syrian army and its allies in the Idlib region of northern Syria in 2020. It was successfully applied in the Claw operation in northern Iraq in 2020. Also, MAM mini smart ammunition has been widely used in the Russian-Ukrainian war since the beginning of 2021. The most popular Chinese ammunition in the world Chinese defence industry companies have created laser and GPS-guided munitions for arming UAVs and light attack-reconnaissance aircraft. These Chinese-made munitions were widely used by the Armed Forces of Pakistan and Nigeria in operations against terrorists, by the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in Yemen, and by the Air Forces of Iraq and Egypt in operations against ISIS in the country. Practically used in wars, Chinese ammunition is considered one of the most popular anti-aircraft ammunition in the world. The AR-1 mini-munition developed by the Chinese corporation NORINCO for UAVs is based on NORINCO’s HJ-10 (“Red Arrow-10”) anti-tank ammunition. AR-1 ammunition, the first of which was shown at the Zhuhai Airshow-2008 International Aviation Exhibition held in SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 43 MAM-C MAM-L MAM-T AR-1
Iranian examples In order to meet the needs of the Armed Forces, Iran’s local defence industry enterprises are implementing serious projects in the direction of developing small-calibre ammunition for UAVs. Iran’s projects, as it appears from the presentations, are not at all made from scratch and, in other words, can be considered adaptation of existing ammunition to UAVs, as in Türkiye and China. There is no extensive information about the tactical and technical characteristics of the light-guided aviation ammunition called Jamarat that Iran demonstrated in 2018 and Akhbar that it presented in early February 2019. The weight of the 125 mm calibre Jamarat guided aviation ammunition, intended for use in unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters and autogyros, is 15 kg and 1 metre in length. The missile has GPS/AHRS (Attitude and Heading Reference System) navigation. Flight is controlled by aerodynamic control and electro-mechanical precision system. According to the Iranian media, during the tests conducted by the Corps of Priests of the Islamic Revolution, Jamarat launched from a height of 500 metres hit the target with high accuracy from a distance of 6 km. The missile misses the target up to 10 meters. It is reported that Akhbar ammunition has a flight distance of up to 30 kilometres. The length of Akhbar with a micro engine is 1.7 meters, calibre 13 mm, weight 27 kg, and warhead 7 kg, maximum speed 600 km/h. Zhuhai, China in 2008, is intended for arming CH-3 and other combat UAVs. The AR-1 looks similar to the HJ/AKD10 anti-aircraft missile with some exceptions. According to the manufacturer’s statement, the AR-1 ammunition can be equipped with a TV camera, IMIR and several seeker heads with semi-active laser guidance. The ammunition has INS/GPS navigation. The weight of ammunition with a speed of Mach 1.1 is 45 kg, and the warhead is 10 kg. The AR-1 can be used against a variety of targets, from enemy personnel to armoured vehicles to small vessels. AR-1 ammunition included in the inventory of the Chinese Armed Forces was also exported to Pakistan, Egypt and Nigeria. There are facts that AR-1 guided munitions were used during operations against terrorists in the northeast of the country with the CASC CH-3 Rainbow UAVs purchased from China by the Nigerian Air Force in 2014. Note that the CH-3 combat UAV, which is included in Pakistan’s armament, can carry two types of guided ammunition; one of them is the AR-1, and the other is the FT-10/25 smallsized guided aerial bomb controlled by satellite navigation. In addition, the Egyptian Air Force armed the ASN-209, CH-5 and Wing Loong UAVs purchased from China in 2015 with AR-1 guided munitions. The AR-2 guided air munition, developed by China’s CAAA organisation on the basis of the AR-1 ammunition, is lighter and closer than its predecessor. The weight of AR-2 ammunition with a semiactive self-ignition laser head is 20 kg, the warhead is 5 kg, the speed is 735 km/h, and the firing distance is 8 km. In addition to the aforementioned missiles, Chinese defence industry organisations have developed a large number of small-calibre munitions for use in UAVs. Among them are KD1, KD2, LMD-002, LMD-003, Sky Arrow, Sky Arrow 90, TBI, and ZD1 guided ammunition. The weight of LMD-002 and LMD-003 (Lei Ming) ammunition is 5 kg, the maximum firing distance is 4.2 km. Having the same aerodynamic design, both models are equipped with a micro turbojet engine. The difference between the models is only in the control system. The LMD-002 is controlled by a television camera, while the LMD-003 is controlled by a semi-active laser. The Sky Arrow munition integrated into the AD200W Blue Eagle UAV is lighter than the LMD-002 and LMD-003. The weight of Sky Arrow controlled by a TV camera is 3 kg, the maximum shooting distance is 3.2 km. Sky Arrow 90, a new modification of Sky Arrow, is completely different from its predecessor in overall dimensions. Sky Arrow 90 manufactured at the Harbin Jiancheng Group plant, which is part of the company NORINCO, can be used in light combat aircraft as well as UAVs. Sky Arrow 90 ammunition with different types of warheads has a maximum speed of Mach 2, a length of 1.25 meters, a calibre of 90 mm, a weight of 17 kilograms, and a maximum firing distance of 8 km. 44 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION X-50 KAB-20
Russia has also started the production of anti-aircraft ammunition The Russian company Kronshtadt produces smart ammunition for UAVs weighing 20-100 kg. The company Kronshtadt demonstrated a new series of minimunitions for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at the Army 2020 Defence Exhibition in Kubinka near Moscow on 23-29 August 2020. Aviation ammunition of 20-100 kg was demonstrated together with Orion tactical reconnaissance UAV. It was reported that the UAV ammunition, which was presented to the general public for the first time, was developed by several companies, including the Russian Tactical Missile Corporation (KTRV) and the Chemical Engineering Research Institute (TsNIIKhM). The mass of TsNIIKhM KB-20 guided aviation ammunition is 21 kg. The KB-20 smart munition, created in 2019, is equipped with a 7 kg HE-FRAG warhead and a satellite receiver or laser homing device. It is 900 mm long, 130 mm in diameter and 350 mm wingspan. Ammunition is designed to hit enemy personnel and unarmoured targets. Director General of KTRV, Boris Obnosov, told reporters that new missiles and bombs for UAVs are being developed and existing ones are being improved. According to him, KTRV is currently working on the development of smart ammunition with a mass of 50-100 kg for the UAV market. Director KTRV said that together with Kronshtadt and Sukhoi Design Bureau, they designed and developed new smart ammunition for UAVs. The 50 kg KH-50 guided munition manufactured by KTRV is 1.8 m long and 180 mm in diameter. The ordnance has a 300 mm wingspan and carries a 10-20 kg HE-FRAG warhead. CAR’s UAV munition South Africa’s Denel Dynamics is expanding its munitions portfolio with new weapon systems, including Impi and Impi-S munitions for UAVs, as well as P2 munitions. Using the experience of both the Ingwe and Mokopa missiles, Denel Dynamics developed the lighter weight Impi and Impi-S munitions at its own expense. They are designed for smaller and lighter aircraft, including helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The 15 kg (33 lb) Impi-S is guided by an inertial/semi-active laser and has a range of 6 km (3.7 mi). It can hit a target moving at 100 km/h (62 mph). The Impi is slightly larger: it weighs 25 kg (55 lb) with the warhead and has a range of more than 6 km (3.7 mi). Denel Dynamics offers this ammunition by integrating it on its Seeker 400 UAVs. Denel Dynamics has also developed a P2 (Project 2) low-cost, medium-range precision-guided munition for use in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces’ Inverter Seeker 200 UAVs under the order of Tawazun Dynamics. P2 ammunition was designed and developed for 18 months based on the contract signed between the UAE and the manufacturing company in September 2015. The P2 ammunition, whose tests were completed in 2017, was integrated into the Seeker 400 UAVs of the UAE. The 14 kg (30 lb) P2 munition has active laser/GPS guidance. Today armed UAV systems with offensive capabilities are more popular than other UAV systems. This can be explained by their relatively low cost compared to jet aircraft and attack helicopters. In particular, the economic burden of jet aircraft fuel, ammunition and maintenance costs are quite high. There are only few countries in the world that can produce both armed UAV systems and ammunition for UAVs. This new type of smart bomb has the potential to revolutionize the aviation weapons industry. However, this technology is still in its early stages, and the proposed systems are currently undergoing development. PJ SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 45
IDEF is among the top five fairs in the world in terms of the number of both countries and participants. This fair, which has been held biannually since 1993 and will be held for the 16th time this year, is one of the most prestigious fairs of the defense industry at the global level. The fact that such a fair is hosted by our country makes a very important contribution to the brand reputation and awareness of the Turkish Defence industry all over the world. The number of domestic and foreign companies participating in the fair and the number of foreign official delegations visiting the fair are increasing every year. The fair reflects the level of technology our country's defense industry has reached, the products, solutions, and systems developed with the latest technologies and already offered to the market, and; the overall capabilities of our industry, the companies of the industry that compete internationally, whose numbers are increasing day by day. At the fair, our companies hold hundreds of meetings, which lays the ground for several collaborations and witness the signing of dozens of contracts. Since HAVELSAN is a subsidiary of the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TAFF), it is naturally among the prominent hosts of the IDEF Fairs. For 30 years, we have been taking our place at IDEF fairs with increasing excitement and impact. For years, we have hosted very important decision-makers from the geographies we have targeted on the occasion of this fair, and we have laid the ground for many projects that we have carried out through productive contacts and meetings held at this fair. In 2021, very fruitful meetings were held at our booth with delegations led by high-level decision-makers, especially Ministers of Defence, Deputy Ministers, and Force Commanders from 74 countries. In addition, Ambassadors, Military Attachés, and representatives of global companies also visited our booth. IDEF 2023 will be again a great platform where foreign official delegations show great interest and participation. As HAVELSAN, we made our appointment requests and official invitations in the context of our preparations before the fair to host these delegations, to introduce our products and solutions more closely, and evaluate cooperation opportunities; which include the highest-level decision-makers from the Ministries of Defence, Force Commands, Military Institutions, and Security Units. We believe that IDEF’23 will be concluded with a record result in terms of both the quality and quantity of these meetings this year. Moreover, we also invited a large number of sectoral press members from abroad who showed interest in the fair to our booth. We also systematically published our announcements and adverts regarding our fair participation in print and digital media platforms that reach our target audience. As HAVELSAN, we are taking part in IDEF 2023 on a wide scale of products/solutions/systems. Especially our Network Enabled Naval Combat Management System ADVENT; BARKAN, KAPGAN, BAHA, and SANCAR, the unmanned autonomous systems as examples of our Digital Troops technologies; and our other autonomous capabilities in air, land, and sea domains; our Anti-Drone Systems; our CBRN (Chemical-Biological-RadiologicalNuclear) products; our products in the field of Information and Communication Technologies such as Eyeminer and Kovan will impress the audience of the IDEF’23 once more. We invite our potential customers and all enthusiasts to our booth to closely examine our technologies, systems, and solutions besides hardware products in the fields of Command Control Defence Technologies, Simulation and Autonomous Platform Management Systems, and more. HAVELSAN will once again cast the attention towards its cutting-edge systems and proven solutions besides groundbreaking innovations and brandnew systems and technologies that will be launched for the first time at IDEF’23. 46 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION HAVELSAN is Ready IDEF’23
SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 47 ADVENT offers a game-changing solution designed to revolutionise naval operations. Advanced features and comprehensive capabilities enable the CMS to enhance situational awareness, decision-making, and operational efficiency for naval forces. ADVENT empowers naval operations and drives mission success. The system offers a range of key features and benefits that strengthen naval operations. With advanced sensor data fusion technology, ADVENT provides unique situational awareness by integrating data from multiple sensors to create a comprehensive, accurate operational picture. This enables naval commanders to make informed decisions and respond swiftly to emerging threats. Robust command and control modules streamline resource allocation, facilitate seamless information exchange, and enhance coordination among naval units, resulting in optimised operational efficiency. Leveraging advanced analytics, predictive modelling, and simulation capabilities, ADVENT provides advanced decision support, allowing naval commanders to evaluate multiple scenarios, assess potential outcomes, and optimise decision-making for successful missions. The system also features secure communication systems that ensure reliable information sharing within naval units and with higher command levels, fostering interoperability and effective joint operations. Furthermore, ADVENT doubles as a powerful training and simulation platform, offering realistic exercises and scenariobased training to enhance crew readiness, teamwork, and tactical skills. Visitors to IDEF are invited to experience the full potential of naval operations with ADVENT in a dedicated room on the Havelsan booth, revolutionising the operations and achieving mission success. ADVENT is a state-of-the-art CMS that provides exclusive situational awareness, resource optimisation, decision support, secure communication, and advanced training and simulation capabilities. With its modular structure and platform-independent design, ADVENT can be adapted to various platform types, enhancing overall force structure operational efficiency and revealing the full potential of naval operations. Havelsan ADVENT Heralds Next Generation of CMS
As evidence from recent conflicts that UAS have changed the character of modern warfare continues to mount, METEKSAN Defence continues to help cement Türkiye’s position as one of the world’s leading players in the development and operation of sophisticated modern UAS. In parallel with the significant successes Türkiye has achieved in UAS technologies, it continues to develop indigenous technologies in sensor systems and to strengthen its UAS platforms, which enjoy great success in the world market, with new sensors. The latest example of such technological developments is the MILSAR synthetic aperture radar/moving target indicator [SAR/MTI] system, designed and produced by METEKSAN Defence. MILSAR can continue to provide high‐resolution images in weather conditions in which electro‐optical [EO] sensors are ineffective. With MILSAR, UAS can scan a wider area for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes in much shorter periods of time. Its SAR feature creates high‐ resolution images independent of range. Like other SAR systems, MILSAR can operate in either strip or spot modes. In strip mode, the radar generates images with a resolution of 3, 1 or 0.5m, presenting them to the operator as sharp as a video image. The bandwidth required to transmit the images to the ground station is compatible with existing UAS datalinks. In strip mode, the radar scans a wide area, while in spot mode, it can provide surveillance images with a resolution of up to 30cm, regardless of range, even in low visibility conditions. MMTI and ISAR capabilities allow operators to detect and identify surface vessels at sea, and the radar’s GMTI feature allows for tracking of moving targets on the ground. Fundamentally, MTI can be considered as a radar function that reflects the changing characteristics of the operational environment in real time. When combined with EO/IR systems used for positive identification and with high‐precision missiles having weather‐ independent precision guidance, MTI becomes a significant force multiplier. Providing 360° awareness, MILSAR is lightweight [under 30 kg], with low power consumption and low volume. As a result, it can be integrated on all tactical and strategic level platforms, such as the Bayraktar TB2, ANKA, Aksungur and other US. In addition, since it has the same mechanical interface as the standard 15‐inch EO/IR sensor turret, an existing electro‐optical payload can be easily removed and replaced with the MILSAR in minutes. 48 POLIQON / AZERI DEFENCE www.poliqon.az SPECIAL EDITION YAKAMOS-RT, the new member of the YAKAMOS Family, which has been successfully operating at sea for a long time with MILGEM ADA Class Corvettes and is Turkey's first exported hull-mounted sonar system, will be exhibited for the first time at the Meteksan Defence stand at the IDEF 2023 Exhibition to be held between 25-28 July 2023. YAKAMOS-RT was specially developed to provide anti-submarine warfare capability to smaller platforms such as Patrol Boats and Unmanned Naval Vehicles, which operate in shallow waters and cannot be fitted with a hull-mounted sonar system. YAKAMOS-RT, which has a smaller and lighter array structure with its high frequency operation, will not restrict the maneuverability of the platforms thanks to its retractable structure. This new sonar system, which provides significant operational advantages compared to its counterparts thanks to its algorithms and user interface optimized for Anti-Submarine Warfare, uses the YAKAMOS Sonar family's algorithms, which have proven their performance in different seas for many years. Özgür CANKARA, Vice-President of Meteksan Defence, said that YAKAMOS-RT is Turkey's first retractable sonar developed for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW): "We continue to use the technology and infrastructure we have acquired in the field of sonar systems to develop new products with our own resources. The ability of smaller platforms such as patrol boats, especially domestic and national unmanned naval vehicles, which have recently achieved significant success, to operate against submarine threats was an issue we attached great importance to. While aiming for a sonar system that is small and light enough to be carried by such platforms, we also strived for a sonar system that meets ASW expectations and is cost-effective for these platforms. In this context, we have completed the development process of YAKAMOS-RT by carrying out an innovative work. I expect this new sonar system to be put into service as soon as possible on various surface platforms produced domestically, especially the ULAQ Unmanned Surface Vessel, and I believe that we will bring a great competitive advantage to our shipyards in the world market, especially with its use on platforms that will be exported to countries with shallow waters." YAKAMOS-RT, The New Retractable Sonar System of Türkiye, Ready to Meet Visitors for the First Time at IDEF 2023 METEKSAN Enhances UAS All-Weather Operations
The FELIX On-The-Move Counter UAS System, developed by Meteksan Defence with the experience gained from radar and electronic warfare systems, is being exhibited for the first time at IDEF 2023. With the increasing use of mini/micro UAVs (drones) in recent years, especially by terrorist organizations, counter drone systems have become one of the most invested areas all over the world. On the other hand, conflicts in different geographies have shown that many air defense systems can be ineffective against these threats if Kamikaze UAVs are used in addition to mini/micro UAVs (drones). As a result of the work carried out by Meteksan Defence over the last few years, the development of an innovative system named FELIX for the detection, tracking and neutralization of mini/micro UAVs (drones) and Kamikaze UAVs has been completed. FELIX, which can detect and jam faster UAVs from higher altitudes with its increased elevation coverage and update frequency rate, became one of the most interesting products of the IDEF 2023 Exhibition on the very first day. In addition to the innovative technologies it offers, FELIX is also one of the few UAV defense systems in the world market with its ability to operate on the move. With its Retinar AESA radar system developed with AESA/MIMO technology and customized for drone detection, MERT electronic attack system capable of target-specific reactive jamming, and command and control software, FELIX will be a new generation close-range air defence system that can operate even on the move, and will be a force multiplier for our security units in the protection of both fixed facilities and VIP/convoy protection. Retinar AESA, the detection and tracking system of FELIX, offers increased tracking performance with high update frequency and high-performance target classification features with low speed sensitivity. Retinar AESA, which can detect and track even on the move, can operate 24/7 without being affected by adverse weather conditions. The MERT Electronic Attack System, another component of the FELIX system, creates a much wider protection area thanks to its increased jamming range compared to active jamming systems. Standing out with its broadband reactive jamming, dynamic spectrum management and targetspecific jamming features, MERT provides full protection to security forces even on the move. Selçuk Kerem Alparslan, President of Meteksan Defence, said that FELIX was developed to address the increasing number of mini/micro UAVs and Kamikaze UAV attacks in the world, and emphasized: "I can say that FELIX, which we have developed with completely based on the innovative technologies we have obtained in the field of Radar and Electronic Warfare, is a very effective system against drone and Kamikaze UAV attacks, especially for VIP / Convoy protection. FELIX, which we launched for the first time at IDEF 2023, will achieve significant success not only in Turkey but also in the world market as an innovative product." SPECIAL EDITION IDEF-2023 49 "FELIX" to Provide Effective Protection Against Kamikaze UAV and Drone Threats Even on the Move, Introduced for the First Time at IDEF 2023 techniques, the MERT System will be an important factor in the formation of an innovative perspective in the field of electronic warfare, and is designed to neutralize different targets simultaneously at high distances." Within the scope of the Portable Electronic Attack System (MERT / MERTER) Project signed between the Türkiye Defence Industry Agency and Meteksan Defence at IDEF 2019, the MERT Electronic Attack System, designed and produced entirely with national capabilities, will be exhibited for the first time at IDEF 2023. The MERT Electronic Attack System was designed and developed as an Electronic Attack (EA) system that will be used to intercept the communication of target elements from a long distance with new generation smart techniques in the entire frequency band it covers. Developed to meet different operational needs, the system can be used in a fixed configuration on a mast or integrated on a vehicle. While the system performs directed electronic attack activities with its omnidirectional and high-gain directional antennas, it can also be controlled via a smart tablet or computer. Provisions have also been developed for optional remote control of the system. Erdal TORUN, Vice-President of Meteksan Defence, emphasized that MERT, which was developed by taking into account user feedback and innovative technologies, is very important in terms of demonstrating the level Meteksan Defence has reached in the field of electronic warfare: "With its wide frequency coverage and new generation MERT, the New Electronic Attack System of Turkish Armed Forces, to be Exhibited at IDEF 2023