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TUSAŞ General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu emphasized the breadth of the company's unmanned aerial vehicle portfolio, highlighting that the organization develops not only kamikaze systems but also platforms adaptable to various mission payloads. Demiroğlu detailed the characteristics of three primary tactical UAV systems: SUPER SIMSEK, SIMSEK, and AYAZ. These announcements demonstrate the depth of the tactical UAV ecosystem developed by Turkish defense industry.
TUSAŞ's platform-centric approach is based on reconfiguring a single UAV design with different mission payloads. SUPER SIMSEK, with a 200-kilogram takeoff weight and 1,000-kilometer range, can reach 0.85 Mach speed and 35,000 feet altitude. This platform can be adapted with deception headers, sea-skimming capability, communication systems, and approximately 10 different payload options. SIMSEK, meanwhile, is designed for mid-level operations with a 700-kilometer range and 600-700 kilometer-per-hour speed capacity.
AYAZ represents the most compact design among these three systems, developed for tactical missions with a 200-kilometer-plus range and low-visibility characteristics. According to Demiroğlu's statement, AYAZ is "smaller but invisible," enhancing evasion capabilities against air defense systems. This design philosophy exemplifies the modular and scalable platform concept adopted by Turkish defense industry. Rather than developing separate systems for operations with different range and speed requirements, a common architecture-based family has been created.
Turkish defense industry has achieved significant progress in UAV technology in recent years. TUSAŞ's ANKA series, Baykar's Bayraktar TB2 and TB3 platforms, and ROKETSAN's missile system integration have strengthened Turkey's regional defense capabilities. In the tactical UAV category, systems such as SUPER SIMSEK and SIMSEK represent capacity for NATO-standard operations. AYAZ's development addresses the need for smaller-scale and rapidly deployable solutions within this ecosystem.
From a global defense industry perspective, various solutions exist in the tactical UAV category. The U.S. RQ-11 Raven and AeroVironment systems are widely used for tactical-level operations. Israel's Harop system is a recognized platform in the kamikaze UAV category with similar range and speed characteristics. TUSAŞ's AYAZ, SIMSEK, and SUPER SIMSEK family's modular structure and multi-purpose design enhance Turkey's competitive position in this field. These systems, with high localization rates, have been developed entirely with domestic technology by Turkish defense industry and carry export potential.
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