Turkey’s first Technology Based Think Tank “STM ThinkTech” held its second discussion panel on February 22nd in Ankara.

STM’s General Manager Mr. Davut Yılmaz delivered the opening remarks of the event and a discussion on “New Troops of the Digitalized World: Unmanned and Smart Systems” gathering the leading parties of the defense and security industry.

Undersecretary for Defense Industries Prof. İsmail Demir, Lieutenant General Yavuz Türkgenci, Director of the Plans and Policy Directorate at the Turkish General Staff, Co-Head of the ITU’s Department of Aeronautical Engineering and Faculty Member Prof. Gökhan İnalkan were amongst the panelists of the panel moderated by Journalist and Author Mr. Hakan Çelik.

General Manager of STM Mr. Davut Yılmaz delivered the opening speech of the discussion. Mr. Yılmaz said, “By using its know-how, experiences, infrastructure and human resources advantages, STM aims to assume a crucial role in the development of the new generation indigenous and a national defense industry in Turkey. We entered an era where rapid digital transformation is witnessed in the new generation defense industry. The application of robotic technologies in the military started with unmanned air vehicles and these unmanned systems have extended gradually. Such systems are being intensely used for operational tasks such as reconnaissance, surveillance, armed patrol, precision guided attack, search and rescue. As STM, I consider it quite critical to discuss the tasks of unmanned and smart systems in the operational environment of the future, their development and new roles through a stimulating perspective in this panel.”

Undersecretary for Defense Industries Prof. İsmail Demir underlined that the activities towards unmanned systems in defense technologies have accelerated and added: “The new generation robotic systems are regarded as critical strategic capabilities that need to be owned by the powerful armies for the battles of the future and terrorism threats. The unmanned and smart systems are capable of fulfilling significant operational contributions such as tasks of capturing images for intelligence purposes before troops access a certain site, close support protection and fire support, transporting ammunition that it carries to the engagement area and they will be able to accomplish tactical tasks to distract the enemy. The new generation unmanned smart systems will be reinforcing our forces in land, air and at sea.”

Lieutenant General Yavuz Türkgenci, Director of the Plans and Policy Directorate at the Turkish General Staff stated that the combat zone will witness the evolution of battles as machine against machine, then machine against human and then finally combat will evolve towards war between human and human in the upcoming period.