The war in Ukraine – but also on the other fronts where Turkey is involved – has now proven the value of using drones. The neighbours have now developed into one of the largest and most reliable manufacturers of such flying machines, which they even export to several countries.

In Ukraine, however, a new use of drones made its appearance for the first time on such a scale. The so-called kamikaze drones, basically of Iranian origin, which the Russians use against Ukrainian targets with very lethal strikes.

At the weapons systems exhibition held in Constantinople (Istanbul), the Turks also unveiled their own version of an unmanned aerial vehicle that can strike the enemy and boasts a high independent fight time.

It is called ALPAGUT and it is the second generation of these drones as the Turks had presented a smaller version of it since last year. It is a small-sized drone that, as soon as it is released from the carrier aircraft, deploys its folding wings, and thanks to its electric motor, it can move for about an hour at a distance of 60 kilometers, until its operator drops it on the target.

This particular one is considerably larger than the first attempt and can carry an explosive head weighing 11 kg, of various types. It flies at a low altitude of up to 1,500 meters and stays in the air until it locks onto a suitable target. In fact, its manufacturers advertise that it can overcome very strong interference fields.

Its length is 2.3 metres and it weighs up to 45 kg. The descent towards the target is made at speeds of up to 360 km/h, which makes it a difficult target for air defence systems.

An element that differentiates ALPAGUT and shows the level of development of the Turks in drones is that this particular “flying munition” can communicate not only with its operator but also with other similar type drones in the air so that they can achieve the most lethal results.

To do this the Turks have invested a lot in Artificial Intelligence technologies which they are developing to a great extent for their defence industry. This kamikaze drone can be carried by Turkey’s existing large drones, but also possibly by ground means or by the navy.

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