The Turkish defence industry has developed a new solution against rapidly changing battlefield threats. Designed by ASELSAN, the GÜRZ mobile air defence system was developed to provide multi-layered protection against drone swarms, kamikaze UAVs and low-altitude aerial threats. The system brings together different detection, electronic warfare and kinetic engagement capabilities on a single mobile platform.

GÜRZ is designed for the modern battlefield, where small UAVs, FPV drones, loitering munitions and low-flying aerial threats are increasingly used in large numbers. In this environment, traditional air defence systems alone may not always provide sufficient protection. GÜRZ aims to strengthen the defence of mobile units, critical facilities, convoys and forward-deployed forces by offering a layered response against different types of threats.

The system integrates radar, electro-optical sensors, electronic warfare capability, 35 mm smart ammunition and short-range missiles on the same platform. This architecture allows GÜRZ not only to destroy targets but also to detect, track, classify and engage them with the most suitable countermeasure. Threats are first identified through radar and electro-optical systems before the engagement process is managed through the command-and-control infrastructure.

One of the most important features of GÜRZ is its step-by-step response concept. After detecting a drone or UAV threat, the system first attempts to neutralize it through electronic warfare methods. Jamming and deception capabilities can be used to prevent the threat from completing its mission. If electronic countermeasures are not sufficient, the 35 mm gun firing smart ammunition and short-range missiles are activated to physically destroy the target.

The 35 mm smart ammunition capability provides a major advantage against small and fast-moving aerial targets. With airburst-effect ammunition, the system can create an effective destruction zone near the target without requiring a direct hit. Short-range missiles, on the other hand, increase the system’s engagement flexibility against targets at greater distances or higher threat levels.

Thanks to its mobile structure, GÜRZ can be rapidly deployed to different operational areas. This allows the system to move with land forces and quickly respond to changing threat directions on a dynamic battlefield. In this way, GÜRZ can be used not only for point defence but also for the protection of maneuvering units.

Drone swarms pose a serious challenge to air defence systems by attacking from multiple directions and in large numbers. GÜRZ’s multi-layered structure offers different engagement options against such dense and complex threats. The combination of electronic warfare, gun and missile capabilities on a single platform provides users with cost-effective and mission-appropriate response options.

ASELSAN’s GÜRZ system stands out as an important example of Türkiye’s growing capability in low-altitude air defence and counter-drone technologies. The integration of radar, electro-optics, electronic warfare, smart ammunition and missile systems on one platform demonstrates the system engineering capacity of the Turkish defence industry. Once fielded, GÜRZ is expected to provide the Turkish Armed Forces with a more flexible, rapid and effective protection layer against drone swarms, kamikaze UAVs and low-altitude aerial threats.