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KERKES gives Turkey capability to operate drones in GPS-denied environment

20th October 2022 - 16:00 GMT | by Tayfun Özberk in Istanbul

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Rendering of a KERKES-equipped UAV. (Image: STM Defence)

With the help of AI and object recognition technology, KERKES helps UAVs perform missions in environments where there is no GPS coverage or active RF jamming.

STM Defence has delivered the KERKES GPS-independent autonomous navigation system to the Turkish military, enabling drone swarms to be controlled in contested electromagnetic environments.

STM launched KERKES in 2019 with support from the Turkish defence procurement agency SSB. The project sought to enable accurate location data and mission execution by using object recognition technology and AI with deep-learning capabilities.

With KERKES, a UAV begins its mission with a pre-loaded map. The map is then compared with data gathered during the flight.

Final acceptance testing of the system was completed in early October.

SSB chief Ismail Demir took to social media

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Author

Tayfun Özberk

Tayfun Ozberk is a former naval officer who is an expert in surface warfare, particularly …

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