Turkey Unveils The New AZAB Kamikaze UAV With A Range Of 500 Kilometers
A new system has been added to the roster of kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicles developed by Turkey’s defense industry. The Azab kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicle, a long-range loitering munition, was unveiled by Turkish company Robit Technology on March 21-22 during the 4th Military Radar and Border Security (MRBS) Summit in Ankara.
Robit Technology Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Director Selçuk Fırat stated that the company, which has a 15-year history, primarily operates in the fields of informatics and information security, and that they have been developing solutions in the defense industry for the last two years. Fırat also gave information about the stage Azab has reached, saying, “Azab can fly and dive on to its target. We have completed all flight tests. We are now moving on to munitions testing… We anticipate that the munition tests will be completed in the middle or third quarter of this year. We are now ready for production. We will be able to fulfil future orders.”
Stating that they presented Azab to the Turkish Defense Industries Agency and received positive feedback, Fırat said, “the fact that a UAV with these features is able to fly with its payload and range is not a point reached in Turkey yet. Azab is currently the only one in its class in Turkey when compared to existing kamikaze UAVs. At the same time, we see great interest abroad. This week we had contact with two countries. It will be a good product for both our exports and our army”.
With autonomous and manual operational capabilities, “Azab” is an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Robit that can fly in swarms as a multi-purpose kamikaze drone with a long-range flight distance. “Azab” is an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Robit that can fly in swarms as a multi-purpose kamikaze with a long flight distance and autonomous and manual operational capabilities. Azab, according to the company, is specially designed to destroy targets and bypass multiple-launch air defense systems. The Azab, which has a delta wing design, is available in two versions with a wingspan of 150 centimeters (Azab T150) and 200 centimeters (Azab T200). The Azab T200 has a range of 500 kilometers and can carry a payload of up to 15 kilograms with a maximum take-off weight of 50 kilograms.
The Azab T200, which has the highest payload capacity in its class in Turkey, can reach a maximum cruising speed of 270 km/h and an altitude of 3000 meters thanks to its 18 HP gasoline engine. In comparison to the Azab T200, the Azab T150 is designed for smaller operations and can carry a payload of up to 3 kilograms with a take-off weight of 7 kilograms. Both versions of the drone have an anti-jamming system as well as a completely composite structure and a very small radar cross-section. The Azab T150 is launched by a three-meter electric catapult developed by the company, which can be set up in less than 5 minutes with a single operator. The Azab T200 is launched by a 6-meter electric catapult developed by the company, which takes 5 minutes to set up with two operators. Robit is also working on a “rocket system” that will allow the drone to be launched from a vehicle or container.
The Turkish defense industry has been working to develop domestic solutions for kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicles, one of the products that has recently attracted the considerable attention around the world. Apart from Azab, Turkey announced last year that it had developed an anti-radiation kamikaze drone called KARGI by LENTATEK (formerly Vestel Defense). In addition, at the SAHA EXPO 2022 International Defense and Aviation Fair last year, TİTRA Technology, which operates in the fields of unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, and cyber security, unveiled the DELI kamikaze drone. The ALPAGUT kamikaze drone, developed in collaboration with Turkey’s leading tactical mini UAV systems manufacturer STM and Turkey’s rocket and missile production center ROKETSAN, was also displayed for the first time at the same fair.