Havelsan's Barkan UGV demonstrates varied munition firing in a step towards swarming

7th November 2023 - 16:15 GMT | by The Shephard News Team in London

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Havelsan test-fired a loitering munition from its Barkan UGV in mid-October. (Photo: Havelsan)

Havelsan has a focus on increasing digital battlespace capability for Turkish soldiers and test firing of a loitering munition from a Barkan UGV has marked a step towards swarming with loitering munitions.

Havelsan has successfully test-fired different types of munition from its Barkan-2 UGV using a hydro-launch from a single turret. The test has followed on from the successful launch in January 2023 of a Roketsan METE laser-guided missile from a Barkan-1 UGV.

The company announced the success of the mid-October launch on 7 November and highlighted ‘that the launch involved a diverse range of ammunition without the need for explosive materials during launch’.

As part of the trial, the Barkan-2 fired a loitering munition and completed a mission covering a 2–15km radius, but the system has been equipped with two launchers connected to a single turret.

One launcher is a laser-guided system, which was demonstrated in the earlier test, and the other deploys loitering ammunition.

The loitering munition has a range of 15km with an electric propulsion system, a flight altitude of 3000m and a flight time of 40 minutes.

An operational concept promoted by the company revolves around swarming. This was highlighted by Havelsan product development and production director Veysel Eroğlu who noted ‘KSOM (Mixed Swarm Operation Center) …recently carried out [trials] in the field [and] continue with the use of different types of payloads’.

Eroğlu said: ‘With the addition of these systems to the KSOM, the concept of using the ammunition as a swarm will also be realised in the field. At Havelsan, we use software capabilities from our digital technology unit, which is our main duty, on more platforms and payloads.

‘All of these unmanned systems, including swarm concepts – especially [technologies] put forward and pioneered by Havelsan – will be used [to lead the way] to reduce the work of our security forces in the field.’

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