Turkey’s first cargo drone that developed domestically, “KARGO 150”, performed a demonstration flight on Sunday, the last day of the country’s largest technology, aviation, and aerospace festival TEKNOFEST in Istanbul.
The unmanned air vehicle (UAV) was produced by DASAL AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIES, which is an affiliate company of Turkey’s leading defense industry company ASELSAN and ALTINAY TECHNOLOGY GROUP.
Speaking to DefenseHere after the 10-minute-flight, ALTINAY chairman Hakan Altinay told Turkey has achieved a significant success in all technological infrastructures, especially over the past 20 years.
Altinay stressed that the country’s abilities in the field of aerospace and UAVs take a great place in these developments.
“We are targeting to serve our nation with such smart autonomous aircraft,” he said, by carrying higher loads without any problems in different scenarios wherever they are needed.
150-kilogram payload capacity
Ipek Sena Tan, business development and project engineer at DASAL, explained that the drone, which was developed for logistic purposes, has a payload capacity of 150 kilograms and a 40-kilometer operational radius.
“Meaning that it can go 40 kilometers forward and 40 kilometers back with a 45-minute flying time,” Tan said.
Tan stated that the octagonal-shaped product has eight engines and eight arms, in this way, it is able to perform all operational duties for logistic purposes.
Thanks to its significant payload capacity, KARGO 150 can carry ammunition, supplies, water, or emergency equipment.
“Currently, human transport is not on the agenda, but in the future, why not,” she said.
Recalling that all tests and R&D activities have been completed, she emphasized that the new drone is a ready-to-use product.
“One of our main goals is to be completely domestic and national in all of our products,” “In this product, we have done most of the work ourselves with our engineers,” she said, adding that it has a locality rate of up to 90 percent.
DASAL AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIES develops products and technologies towards planning, designing, developing, modeling, manufacturing, testing, assembling and integrating of “single and multirotor unmanned aircraft systems”, along with all kinds of equipment, system and subsystem components of these vehicles, for national and international demands.
Following the necessary regulations, KARGO 150 is expected to be used for duties in the civil field as well as institutions and organizations such as the Turkish Red Crescent, Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, General Directorate of Forestry, and National Medical Rescue Team.