Eyes of the Air Platforms

Our Bureau - : Oct 21, 2024 - : 5:10 pm

Aselsan’s new generation electro optic system, the Aselflir-500, has been creating a lot of buzz, of late. Late September, Aselsan announced that Azerbaijan has become the first export customer of the Aselflir-500. The system will be for use on the...

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Aselsan’s new generation electro optic system, the Aselflir-500, has been creating a lot of buzz, of late.

Late September, Aselsan announced that Azerbaijan has become the first export customer of the Aselflir-500. The system will be for use on the country’s new Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Recently, Turkish Aerospace's Anka-III unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), equipped with an AF500, successfully conducted its first firing test, while the Bayraktar TB3 armed unmanned aerial vehicle, which Baykar developed indigenously, completed its 25th flight test with the electro-optical camera system. The Aselflir-500 electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting system, was also tested by the Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned combat aerial vehicle, which struck a moving target at sea. Both TAI and Baykar say Aselflir-500 is “the best in its class”.

Aselflir-500: The New Generation Electro Optic System

The recent events in the world once again showed the importance of air supremacy and for the platforms in the air. Electro optic systems behave as the eyes of the platforms, providing tactical advantages over the field.

Aselflir-500 is a high-performance new generation 15” electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting system designed for fixed and rotary wing airborne platforms.

In February Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had announced that Aselflir-500 electro-optical system is going into mass production.

With its compact form, unique laser designs, image quality, superior range performance, high stabilization capabilities and advanced algorithms, the system is delivering 20’’ payload performance in a 15” category payload.

The system features a multi-spectral aperture that combines multiple optical channels into one, providing outstanding range performance without increasing size and weight, operable day and in adverse weather conditions.

As a turret only unit, the system consists of HD infrared camera (IR Camera), 8 Mp day visual camera (TV Camera), HD SWIR camera, laser range finder and designator unit (LRFD), laser pointer and illuminator unit (LPI), laser spot tracker (LST).

All laser guided munitions in the world can be encoded, allowing the user to shoot with NATO codes. The system can provide accurate range information even at high altitudes.

With its rigid structure, vibration damping and 4-axes gimbals and 2-axes optics stabilization, Aselflir-500 displays high stabilization performance. The system has a capability in order not to lose control over the target in high depression angles (down look or when the target is passed over). The system provides maximum protection for sightline, reducing the vibrations in the image.

The internal boresight module embedded to the system provides elimination of the misalignment between the sensors which may occur with temperature changes and vibration effects at different altitudes during operations, enabling the user to continue the mission.

With the use of platform INS data when needed, gimbal control is not suppressed in the case of GPS/GNSS loss in the operational field, which occurs under high jamming.
The system is enhanced with AI-based algorithms. PRF coded lasers can be displayed/imaged in day and night conditions by the help of see-spot feature of Aselflir-500. Using deep learning techniques and applying model-based algorithms, the image quality is supported in all channels.

How Anka III Performed

The test conducted by Anka III equipped with an AF500 Electro-Optical camera was carried out using the Teber-82 Guidance Kit developed by Roketsan.
“The superior performance of Anka III in the tests is an indication that it will make a great contribution to our country's operational capabilities and defence capacity in the future,” a TAI official said.

Anka-III had its maiden flight last December, following its first engine run conducted in March 2023.

The Anka-III UCAV, poised to advance our capabilities in unmanned aerial vehicle technologies, is designed to operate at 40,000 feet, reach a speed of Mach 0.7, and stay airborne for up to 10 hours, with a take-off weight of approximately seven tons.

When Bayraktar TB3 Flew First Time

The Bayraktar TB3 UAV flew for the first time with the Aselflir-500, developed indigenously by Aselsan, during the medium altitude system identification and performance test conducted at the Akinci flight training and test center in Çorlu, Tekirdağ.

During the test, the integration of the Aselflir-500 electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting system was successfully completed. The Bayraktar Akinci UAV, conducting training flights during the test, was tracked by Aselflir-500.

The Bayraktar TB3 UAV has successfully conducted 25 flight tests to date. Having completed a total of 196 hours of flight during test flights, the Bayraktar TB3 has successfully passed the high-altitude system performance tests many times by flying above 30,000 feet altitude. The Bayraktar TB3 UAV, which has successfully completed tests measuring system and endurance performance, is powered by TEI’s indigenous PD-170 engine.

Also, the second prototype (PT-2) of the Bayraktar TB3 armed unmanned aerial vehicle, conducted at the Akinci flight training and test center also successfully completed its first flight.

The Bayraktar TB3 UAV will be the world's first armed unmanned aerial vehicle capable of taking off from- and landing on short-runway vessels like TCG Anadolu with its foldable wing structure. Selçuk Bayraktar, Baykar’s Chairman and Chief Technology Officer, announced that they plan to start tests with TCG Anadolu for Bayraktar TB3 within 2024.

“The capabilities that Bayraktar TB3 will possess will be an important innovation for unmanned aerial vehicles in this class. With beyond-line-of-sight communication capability, the indigenous UAV will be controllable from very long distances. Thus, with reconnaissance-surveillance, intelligence, and the attack missions it carries out against overseas targets with its smart munitions, it will have a multiplier effect on Türkiye's deterrent power,” a company official said.

Export Champion

Baykar, which has self-financed all its projects since its establishment, obtained 83 per cent of its total revenue from exports since the beginning of the UAV R&D process in 2003. According to the Turkish Exporters Assembly’s (TIM) 2021 and 2022 data, Baykar became the top exporter in the defense and aerospace sector.

The Defense Industry Agency announced that Baykar was the top exporter within the sector in 2023 with US$1.8 billion. Baykar, which generated more than 90% of its revenue from exports in recent years, single-handedly accounted for one third of the defense and aerospace sector's exports in 2023. Export agreements have been signed with a total of 34 countries –including 33 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 UAV and nine countries for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV.