Turkey’s Kargu Drone Bags First Export Customer

Turkey’s STM Defense Technologies Engineering will deliver its Kargu rotary-wing attack drone loitering munition system to the first international customer.

“Our national pride Portable Rotary Wing Striker UAV System KARGU has achieved its first export success,” head of the Defence Industries Presidency (SSB), Ismail Demir, tweeted July 21.

The Kargu UAVs entered Turkish Armed Forces’ inventory around two years ago.

According to the manufacturer, Kargu is a portable, rotary wing attack drone designed to provide tactical ISR and precision strike capabilies for ground troops. The UAV has an endurance of 30 minutes and has a payload capacity of 1.3kg.

It is capable of performing fully autonomous navigation vis STM’s flight control system. In addition, the platform is able to perform precision strike for low signature, beyond line of sight targets. It is capable of Vertical Take Off / Landing (VTOL).

Precision strike mission is fully performed by the operator, in line with the Man-in-the-Loop principle.

The platform is capable of detecting and striking static or mobile targets with high precision during day and night conditions.

The KARGU system is comprised of the Attack Drone Platform and the Mobile Ground Control Station.