If you thought military drone swarms are just a concept and quite a few years away from becoming a reality, Havelsan has a surprise coming your way. The Turkish software and systems company is currently in the testing phase of...
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If you thought military drone swarms are just a concept and quite a few years away from becoming a reality, Havelsan has a surprise coming your way.
The Turkish software and systems company is currently in the testing phase of joint swarm operations involving its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), Şevket Ünal, Company Vice President, International Business Development and Marketing, said in an interview. Testing of swarm operations involving the VTOL and its unmanned surface vehicle is expected to begin soon.
We have done successful tests,” says Ünal. “The VTOL is used for surveillance; it identifies a suspicious object and passes on the information to the UGV that will reach the scene and take care of it.”
Havelsan’s autonomous UGV line-up includes Barkan, Barkan 2 and Kapgan, while its Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) include Baha, Songar and Poyraz. The Sancar armed autonomous surface vehicle was developed in cooperation with Yonca Shipyard. The systems are in operation now and in the inventory of the Turkish armed forces.
“Our UAV and UGV are the only ones currently in the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces,” says Ünal. “As for unmanned sea vessels, there are a couple of them being tested and in the final phase of being deployed to the Turkish navy, but we have already delivered one of ours.”
“Swarm technology as well as that of unmanned systems are maturing almost on a daily basis,” says Ünal. “First applications have already commenced, and largescale deployments will happen within a couple of years, when people see the advantages of such operations. Currently, the armed forces use UAVs and UGVs separately, but that will soon change.”
Havelsan’s software and its solutions can work with any platform, says Ünal. “As a software company, we are independent of the platform manufacturer. Our software is open platform; it can work with any UAV, UGV and USV, from any company in any country.”
Digital Soldier Concept
The company began working on the digital troops concept a couple of years ago, says Ünal. The concept came about from the thought that the soldiers on the frontline need to be kept as safe as possible.
“We have heavily invested in the autonomous unmanned systems,” says Ünal. “What we do is autonomous software and swarming technologies and secure communication of these systems. Having seen the harmonious and synergetic operation involving the unmanned systems and the head office, we decided that the soldier on the frontline should be equipped with sensors. This would allow the headquarters to see him, follow his health situation, and support him with situational awareness. The most important asset is your human.
“There are less humans in the air and on the ground now, but in the end, you need humans in the frontlines. In those scenarios, you need them safe; you need to follow and guide them. You also need to get information from the field and send it to the tactical headquarters for operational purposes. The information should flow from the headquarters to the soldier as well, after the headquarters analyses the situation based on details received from different teams on the field. It is a truly collective operation.”
The company’s Digital Soldier product family comprises CENGAVER, Mixed Reality Product Family ASGER, C4I Product Family DOOB, and middleware software OCTOPUS. The Digital Soldier concept involves equipping the soldier with CENGAVER, digital soldier solution developed to monitor the health and activity data of military personnel. The DOOB product family ensures top-level information flow between units in the field and the headquarters as a C4I (Command, Control, Communication, Computers, and Intelligence) system. ASGER incorporates Mixed Reality (MR) technology into military operations. Data from CENGAVER and UAVs are displayed in real-time and in three dimensions through both screens and MR glasses via the ASGER system. CENGAVER, DOOB, and ASGER communicate through middleware software called OCTOPUS, which has been developed in accordance with JDSS (Joint Dismounted Soldier System) standards. OCTOPUS organizes data transfer between systems, ensuring seamless integration of all units in the field and at headquarters. This allows for faster tactical decision-making.
“The soldier will be able to see the map and the location,” says Ünal. “He can see where he is, where his friends are, where his enemies could be. It gives him situational awareness. He will also get guidance from the headquarters. This will work not just for individuals but groups.
“The small smart wristlet, which works on ultra-wideband and also GSM, will be carried by each and every soldier. It looks like a smartwatch but has different capabilities. It is for the security and safety of the soldier. Even in case of a malfunction in communication from soldier to headquarters, the soldiers on the field will still be able to remain connected and have continuous communication.”
The system is equipped with components such as the Activity and Health Tracking Watch, Portable Computer, Positioning Unit, and Radio, which work in integration with the DOOB-Mobile command and control application via Bluetooth.
Growing Internationally
The company’s products are based on input from the Turkish Armed Forces. “We are a software company, a solutions company, an integration company. We have a lot of ex-military staff with engineering background. Everything we do, we do together with the Turkish Armed Forces. It is based on some requirement of the armed forces.”
Havelsan has been successful in finding customers for its unmanned systems internationally, says Ünal. “We are doing very good with the export of the UAVs; we have sold them to quite a few countries. As for the UGV, we are discussions with some countries. We look at big countries and if it is possible to invest for local production. From the country, we sell to other neighbouring countries. We are in advanced stages of discussions with some companies.”
It may vary from year to year, but 70 to 80% of the company’s business comes from the defence side, says Ünal. “Our history is military applications and software. Our international sales on the military side is good, but there is a tremendous scope for improvement. We are working hard on that.”
A large chunk of its international business comes from regions such as the Asia Pacific and Central Asia, says Ünal. “We are very good in these regions. Also, the Middle East, and in our homeland, of course. We have started to infiltrate into Africa, North Africa mainly. Some sales have already happened on the military side in the region."
The split in revenue between the domestic and international side of the business for the military segment has seen change over the years, says Ünal. “On average, 30 to 40 % of our business comes from international customers. But this year, it looks like a 50-50 split. We have been very successful this year.”
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