South Front
Baykar’s Kemankeş, screengrab. By Baykar Defense (@BaykarTech on Twitter.
On April 27, Turkey’s drone manufacturer Baykar Defense unveiled a precision-guided munition with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, dubbed Kemankeş [Turkish for Archer].
The munition, which Baykar Chairman of the Board of Directors Selçuk Bayraktar referred to as a “mini cruise missile, was showcased on the sideline of the Teknofest 2023 exhibition in the Turkish city of Istanbul.
Baykar developed Kemankeş to strike high-value targets far behind enemy lines. The munition is compatible with Bayraktar TB2, TB3 and Akıncı combat drones. When launched from air, the turbojet-powered munition has a maximum effective range of 200 kilometers, an endurance of an hour and a cruising speed of 0,3 Mach. It can carry a payload weighing up to six kilograms.
Kemankeş is equipped with an AI-aided electro-optical targeting system that is made up of a camera with 2-axis stabilization and 36x zoom as well as a laser rangefinder with a range of 2,8 kilometers.
Baykar didn’t clarify when the development of the advanced munition will be complete, or if it will enter service with the Turkish military.
In the last few years, Turkey became one of the world’s key developers and manufacturers of drones and precision-guided munitions.
The Turkish military-industrial complex has been working nonstop to boost the stand-off attack capabilities of its combat drones by developing munitions with longer rangers, most likely to address advanced threats like air defenses, electronic warfare systems and radar stations.
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