HAVELSAN demonstrated its autonomous swarm drone capabilities through a live field activity conducted with a swarm of POYRAZ Quadcopter drones, showcasing kamikaze and multi-target engagement capabilities within a realistic operational scenario. The demonstration attracted strong interest from senior civilian and military officials.
The activity validated the end-to-end performance of HAVELSAN’s distributed swarm architecture, which operates without the need for a central decision maker. Despite simulated communication disruptions and network losses during the mission, the swarm maintained operational continuity throughout the scenario.
As part of the demonstration, the swarm autonomously divided into sub-swarms assigned to different targets. Each sub swarm executed synchronised dive manoeuvres toward its designated target. The system’s self-reconfiguring and fault-tolerant structure was confirmed when malfunctioning elements autonomously disengaged from the swarm, while the remaining units continued the mission without interruption.
The activity also demonstrated that swarm operations can be integrated with other unmanned and sensor systems, enabling autonomous targeting and mission execution based on data gathered from multiple platforms. This demonstration once again highlighted HAVELSAN’s approach to delivering platform-independent, scalable, and mission-oriented solutions in the field of autonomous and unmanned systems.
Target data obtained from surveillance UAVs and other sensors were autonomously processed by the swarm intelligence. Throughout the mission, approach, formation keeping, and engagement processes were executed without the need for operator intervention. Munitions were activated only when predefined mission rules and safety conditions were met, and mission completion data were automatically shared across the swarm and transmitted to higher-level mission management systems.
Capability Demonstration for Future Operational Concepts
Following the demonstration, HAVELSAN President and CEO Mehmet Akif Nacar made the following remarks: “With this live scenario, we have demonstrated that our systems have reached a level of maturity suitable for future combat concepts. We continue our work with determination, both on the operational deployment of these systems and on counter-swarm capabilities”
“Our systems, which can be tasked by a single operator through a single control station, are capable of executing missions in a fully autonomous manner during operations. We have transformed these platforms from being merely tactical aerial vehicles into a critical warfare capability that enables coordinated management of the airspace.”
The activity also featured BULUT, HAVELSAN’s autonomous UAV with vertical take-off and landing capability. Equipped with the GIMBAL 275 electro-optical system, BULUT provided real-time imagery, successfully demonstrating multi-platform integration.