ürkiye’s leading defense engineering company STM has achieved a historic milestone in swarm unmanned aerial vehicle technologies. During a live-fire activity conducted at the General Nahit Şenoğul Firing and Training Area in Polatlı, Ankara, a swarm consisting of 20 KARGU loitering munitions successfully engaged designated targets using real ammunition. This test was recorded as the first instance in Türkiye where swarm UAV capability was demonstrated in a live-ammunition operational scenario.

Powered entirely by nationally developed algorithms and a distributed swarm intelligence architecture, the KARGU swarm operated under the control of a single operator. After takeoff, the UAVs autonomously navigated to the mission area, where they dynamically divided into sub-swarms to engage three separate targets simultaneously upon a single command. Equipped with anti-personnel warheads, the KARGU systems demonstrated high precision, synchronized engagement, and operational reliability by communicating with one another throughout the mission.

The test was observed on-site by senior military officials, including President of Defense Industries Haluk Görgün. The successful demonstration received full approval from the command authorities, highlighting the maturity and combat readiness of STM’s swarm attack capability. STM General Manager Özgür Güleryüz emphasized that the achievement represents not only a technological success but also a strategic turning point for Türkiye’s autonomous warfare capabilities.

Thanks to its distributed control architecture, the swarm system can continue operating even if some UAVs are neutralized during the mission. Advanced features such as saturation attack concepts, real-time target detection and prioritization, CRPA-supported anti-jam navigation, and KERKES-integrated GNSS-independent navigation significantly enhance mission survivability and effectiveness. With this achievement, STM has demonstrated that Türkiye is now among a limited number of countries worldwide possessing advanced live-fire swarm UAV operational capabilities.