Surveillance UAV “STM TOGAN” Takes the Field with KERKES Technology
STM, a pioneer in the Turkish defense industry, has successfully integrated its cutting-edge KERKES technology—designed to enable UAVs to operate seamlessly in GNSS-denied environments—into the surveillance UAV, “STM TOGAN”. Numerous TOGAN UAVs, equipped with the advanced KERKES technology, have been delivered to the Turkish Security Forces.
STM Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Tic. A.Ş., a leader in cutting-edge solutions within the Turkish defense industry, continues to revolutionize the field with game-changing innovations.
Among its achievements, the Global Positioning System Independent Autonomous Navigation System Development (KERKES) Project, developed by STM engineers under the auspices of the Secretariat of Defence Industries (SSB) of the Republic of Turkiye, was successfully completed and delivered in 2022. The KERKES technology has now been seamlessly integrated into TOGAN, STM's autonomous rotary-wing surveillance UAV. After successful testing, numerous TOGAN units equipped with KERKES technology were delivered to the Turkish Security Forces.
Görgün: KERKES technology will strengthen our dominance in the Sky Homeland
Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, Secretariat of Defence Industries (SSB), stated:
"We continue to enhance our dominance in the skies with technologies that transcend borders. We have integrated our KERKES technology, which enables tactical UAVs to operate in GNSS-denied areas, into our surveillance UAV TOGAN and delivered it for the service of our soldiers. With this technology, developed by only a select few countries worldwide, our mini UAVs can successfully perform their missions, remaining unaffected by electronic warfare threats such as GPS jamming. We will continue to strengthen the Turkish Army with our game-changing battlefield technologies. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the entire STM family."
Güleryüz: TOGAN-KERKES Integration Completed, Combat UAVs on the Horizon
Özgür Güleryüz, General Manager of STM, highlighted that the tactical mini UAV systems developed by STM are being used effectively in counter-terrorism operations and have also achieved significant export success:
"“Our goal goes beyond producing UAV platforms like KARGU, TOGAN, and BOYGA. We aim to deploy intelligent systems powered by AI and computer vision that can continue operating even without communication. With KERKES, UAVs remain resilient against electronic warfare. We've successfully integrated this capability into TOGAN—which is actively used by Türkiye and two other countries—and are now extending it to our strike UAVs. This critical technology strengthens our defense ecosystem and creates a strategic edge.”
KERKES Proves Effective in Eliminating Electronic Warfare Threat
Signed in August 2019 and delivered in 2022, the KERKES Project equips UAVs with autonomous navigation capabilities through advanced computer vision and AI. It allows mini/micro UAVs to operate day and night without GNSS by estimating position using onboard maps and sensor data. Even in areas affected by jamming, UAVs can continue their missions without losing orientation—eliminating the impact of electronic warfare threats.
President Erdoğan: KERKES is of great importance to us
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted the significance of the KERKES Project during the Presidential Government Cabinet's Two-Year Evaluation Meeting in 2020, stating, "KERKES is a major project for us; it holds great importance."
TOGAN, the Surveillance UAV, Powers Reconnaissance and Surveillance Operations.
TOGAN, the reconnaissance member of the STM Tactical Mini UAV Family, is used in reconnaissance-surveillance-intelligence activities. A single TOGAN platform can operate for 45 minutes at a range of 10 kilometres. TOGAN provides effective operation capabilities both day and night, with its 30x optical zoom, daytime, and infrared imaging systems. TOGAN entered the Turkish Armed Forces' inventory in 2022 and reached two African countries through exports in 2024.
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