KARGU and ALPAGU Head to Europe

The loitering munition systems KARGU and ALPAGU, developed by STM, are being introduced to the European market through an integrated autonomous systems project for a country that is a member of both NATO and the European Union. With this agreement, the number of continents where STM’s UAV systems are in service has reached four, while the total number of user countries has increased to 15.

STM Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş., one of Türkiye’s leading defence engineering companies, continues to achieve proven export success with its innovative systems on the international stage. Contracts have been signed for the first European export of the rotary-wing loitering munition system KARGU and the fixed-wing loitering munition system ALPAGU, both of which are actively used by Turkish security forces and have demonstrated strong operational performance in the field.

Under the agreement signed between STM and a NATO and EU member state, KARGU and ALPAGU will be deployed operationally in Europe. Within the scope of the project, both systems are planned to be integrated onto armoured land vehicles. In this context, STM will also provide battle management system (BMS) and combat management software integrations.

4 Continents, 15 Countries

Commenting on the development, STM General Manager Özgür Güleryüz stated:

“Our family of tactical UAV systems continues to enhance operational effectiveness in the field and, having proven itself in real operational environments, is increasingly preferred by friendly and allied nations. With this project, we are once again bringing our engineering and software capabilities in autonomous systems to the European market. The export of KARGU and ALPAGU to a NATO and EU member country is a concrete demonstration of the international confidence in our engineering expertise and operationally proven systems. Today, we are proud to see our UAV systems in service across four continents and in 15 countries.”

“Not Just a Platform Export, but an Integration and Software Project”

Emphasizing that the development represents more than STM’s first autonomous systems export to Europe, Güleryüz added:

“The integration of KARGU and ALPAGU onto armoured land vehicles highlights our capabilities in battle management system software and system integration. In this respect, the project goes beyond a conventional platform export and represents a high value-added integration and software-driven cooperation. Following the successful completion of the project, we aim to expand the integration of STM’s autonomous product family across a broader range of land vehicles in the customer country. This project is designed not only to deliver systems, but also to ensure full operational alignment with the customer’s existing platforms and doctrines through joint integration activities. We expect this cooperation to serve as a reference for future operational deployments and the broader adoption of STM’s autonomous systems across European countries.”

KARGU Rotary-Wing Loitering Munition System

KARGU, a rotary-wing loitering munition system developed by STM, is also commonly referred to as a “kamikaze UAV.” Having entered the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces in 2018, KARGU has been used effectively in counter-terrorism, special operations and cross-border missions by various security forces.

Depending on operational requirements, users can rapidly replace the anti-personnel warhead with an armour-piercing warhead in the field. With its low radar cross-section, KARGU is difficult to detect in hostile environments and can be easily carried by a single soldier and deployed within one minute in the operational area. Equipped with artificial intelligence and advanced image-processing capabilities, quiet operation and high-precision strike performance, KARGU provides a significant surprise effect and operational advantage.

KARGU can operate effectively day and night thanks to its advanced electro-optical and infrared cameras. It has an endurance of more than 30 minutes and an operational range of 10 kilometres. The system is capable of swarm operations and, through STM-developed software, can perform missions independently of GNSS and remain resilient in electronic warfare environments.

ALPAGU Fixed-Wing Loitering Munition System

ALPAGU stands out with its lightweight structure, dive speed, low radar cross-section and high-speed capability, enabling precision strikes against high-value targets. Designed for use in counter-terrorism operations, cross-border missions and urban warfare, ALPAGU has an operational range of 8 kilometres.

Following launch from its launcher, ALPAGU can remain airborne for approximately 15 minutes and successfully track targets using AI-supported, state-of-the-art image-processing software. Thanks to its compact size and low radar signature, ALPAGU remains undetected until the final moment, neutralizing targets with pinpoint accuracy.

The system can be easily carried by a single operator and set up within one minute in the field. Its artificial intelligence and image-processing capabilities, quiet operation and precision strike performance provide a significant force multiplier and operational superiority. In addition to its advanced capabilities, ALPAGU differentiates itself from competitors with its ability to be integrated onto various platforms, including land, naval and air vehicles. Weighing under 2 kilograms, only two comparable systems with similar features are currently in production worldwide.

Both KARGU and ALPAGU operate entirely under operator control in line with the “Man-in-the-Loop” principle for target detection and engagement.