As you know, Turkey is participating in the weapons systems exhibitions "IDEX 2023" and "NAVDEX 2023" held in the UAE, with more than 50 defense industry companies together with the Presidency of Defense Industries and the Turkish Defense and Aerospace Industry Exporters Association.
Among other things, the Turks displayed at the exhibition the ANKA AKINCI carrying a new kamikaze drone, the KAGEM, on its wing.
According to an article on a reputable Turkish defense website, "BAYKAR is developing the KAGEM Kamikaze Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for the first time."
"BAYKAR, which has to its credit unmanned aerial vehicles such as Bayraktar TB2, AKINCI and KIZILELMA, is breaking new ground by developing a kamikaze drone called KAGEM with its own resources.
KAGEM was shown for the first time during the International Defense Industry Exhibition IDEX 2023 held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. In the brochure of AKINCI UAV exhibited at the exhibition by BAYKAR, it appeared that in the ammunition department there was a product called "KAGEM". SavunmaSanayiST.com has arrived at the details of KAGEM.
KAGEM, developed by BAYKAR, is reportedly a "kamikaze drone" launched from a drone.
In other words, the KAGEM, which will be released by a SİHA such as an AKINCI or Bayraktar TB2 in the air, will activate the search head and with its wings it will head towards its target.
After reaching its target, it self-detonates. The KAGEM has a warhead of less than 10 kg.
KAGEM's power range, however, remains unclear, estimated to have a range of 50-60 kilometers.
Together with KAGEM, BAYKAR developed an ammunition solution for the first time. BAYKAR is also likely to develop longer-range kamikaze UAVs."
From the above we understand that Erdogan's son-in-law's company BAYKAR is developing the kamikaze drone capability to be carried and dropped either by AKINCI or BAYRAKTAR.
In general, the Turks are developing new attack tactics with kamikaze drones, upgrading the threat in the Aegean.
In this way they achieve the following:
1. They increase the range of their UAVs, AKINCI and BAYRAKTAR, by 50-60 kilometers, which is the range of the KAGEM kamikaze drones they will carry.
2.They provide additional security to their said UAVs which will not engage in attacks on hard targets well protected by anti-aircraft mesh, sending the cheap KAGEMs to do the dirty work.
3. They force the defender to consume ammunition to destroy the expendable and cheap KAGEMs, allowing for a more effective strike from AKINCI and BAYRAKTAR missiles.
4. They create the possibility of attacking with swarms of kamikaze drones at the same time, resulting in saturation and the impossibility of attacking all targets from the defender's air defense.
5. They make it significantly more difficult to find and shoot down KAGEM drones, due to the short reaction time of the defender and the small trace of their disclosure on its radars.
