2023 is known to have bid farewell to Turkey with a very serious blow to its Armed Forces by the PKK, which, through coordinated well-planned operations, caused the death of 12 of its Officers and Commando soldiers in Northern Iraq.
This resulted in the neighbours' MoD to investigate the causes and attribute-attribute responsibility to the chain of military hierarchy of the deceased.
As a first assessment of the reasons, it is stated that the use of mobile phones by the deceased contributed to the PKK's identification of their exact location, while the inadequate fortification of their positions, combined with very bad weather conditions, snowfall, very limited visibility and the inability to use drones, contributed to the success of the PKK's attacks.
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The new Turkish BAHA drone with increased surveillance capabilities in adverse weather conditions
The Turks reacted immediately, rushing to add a new UAV called BAHA to the arsenal of their Armed Forces, which has increased surveillance capabilities in adverse weather conditions.
According to Turkish sources, the BAHA UAV is an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the Turkish defence company HAVELSAN.
HAVELSAN, a software and systems company in the defense sector, has been developing unmanned land, air and sea vehicles under the concept of "digital unity", introducing unmanned systems such as the BARKAN unmanned ground combat vehicle and the BAHA unmanned aerial vehicle in the same year to meet future operational needs domestically and internationally.
The BAHA, which has been developed to meet the needs of modern armies, was commissioned after the completion of the trials.
It is an autonomous UAV with vertical take-off and landing capabilities, full autonomy in mission execution, modular structure that facilitates the integration of different payloads and many other advanced features.
Το BAHA χρησιμοποιεί βενζινοκινητήρα για οριζόντια πτήση και ηλεκτρικούς κινητήρες για κάθετη απογείωση και προσγείωση.
Features - Missions - Operation
Capable of performing missions at altitudes of up to 15,000 feet, the BAHA boasts a maximum flight time of six hours on the gasoline engine (two hours using the electric engine) and covers a range of up to 80 kilometers (49.7 miles).
In addition, it has a payload capacity of 5 kg (11 lb) and a wingspan of 3.7 m (12 ft). Designed for quick installation by two people and operation by a single person, the system can be ready for deployment in minutes.
Tested in a variety of locations, harsh climates and operating conditions, the system has been improved based on feedback from security forces.
BAHA can perform various missions such as surveillance, detection, area protection, information, electronic warfare, coastal and border security, oil-gas pipeline surveillance, anti-smuggling and anti-terrorism, public order, drug plant detection, forest fire management, forest fire management, post-disaster assessment, agricultural applications and mapping, and has made significant contributions to earthquake search and rescue efforts.
In particular BAHA was used in search and rescue activities carried out after the February 2023 earthquakes in Kahramanmaras province, Turkey, providing image support to teams.
With its ability to perform flights under cloud cover, meeting the need for imagery at times when UAV imagery was difficult to obtain due to adverse weather conditions, BAHA contributed to obtaining initial information in inaccessible settlements.
The Turks' goal is to interconnect land-sea-surface robotic vehicles
In today's military arena, Autonomous and Robotic Systems have become essential elements of the battlefield due to their increased combat power (Force Multiplier effect) and their impact on the outcome of the war.
The Turkish vision for autonomous systems is that different types of unmanned air, land and sea vehicles can work together, which they are working and experimenting on.
These systems will be able to perform tasks together autonomously, communicate with each other, reveal the best mission plan and implement that mission plan in the field.
The "Digital Troops" Doctrine
Digital Troops is a concept where unmanned systems and soldiers can work together on battlefields. Battlefields of the future will have an important place as areas where soldiers and robots exist together.
The command center will be able to take battlefield management and strategic decisions on that battlefield more accurately, thanks to the information received from Digital Troops on the battlefield.
All these unmanned systems are managed from a single centre on the battlefield, allowing joint operations to be conducted.
The Digital Troops concept, which was created by integrating modern technology into military units, ensures that the success of units on the battlefield is increased.
At this point, Digital Troops will lead the way in shaping the battlefields of the future and changing the concept of war in these areas.
The Digital Troops Doctrine will have many benefits on the battlefield, such as providing increased safety for soldiers, improved performance and cost savings, improved capabilities and flexibility, precision firing.
Report
Following the above, we understand that the new Turkish drone BAHA of the TED thanks to its increased surveillance capabilities operating even under cloud cover, coupled with its ability to communicate with other drones, is an important force multiplier for them.
