ALPAGU Hits Target with Pinpoint Accuracy!
The Fixed Wing Smart Striker Drone System ALPAGU, developed by STM with national engineering capabilities, successfully carried out test firing with ammunition. ALPAGU is capable of effective day and night operation by a single officer and recently demonstrated its ability to hit the target with pinpoint accuracy in the test firing carried out at the Aksaray Shooting Range. In the footage shared the ALPAGU is seen self-destructing through the smart plug on it at 1-2 meters above the target.
After the launch, the loitering munition ALPAGU, which made its flight for about 10 minutes, successfully destroyed its target through image tracking software.
In conventional warfare environments ALPAGU is able to create pinpoint damage to high-value or important targets with its light weight, diving speed and low radar cross-section. ALPAGU will also play a critical role in conducting surprise attacks against enemy elements in the operational field, thanks to its artificial intelligence and image processing algorithms, silent structure, capability of delivering explosives to the target and its loitering munition capabilities.
Launched by pressure from the launch tube, ALPAGU can operate at an altitude of 400 meters, at a maximum range of 10 kilometers, with 10 minutes of endurance and loitering capability. It can dive into enemy targets at 140 km at the right moment and destroy the enemy element at a certain distance above the target as it self-destructs. Its ammunition capacity has been preserved even as its weight was successfully reduced from 3.9 kg to 1.9 kg since its first introduction. Despite its small size and light weight, ALPAGU is able to carry enough explosives to neutralize its target. Currently, only two similar platforms with similar quality under two kilograms are available in the world. Considering that the "Hero-20", the smallest member of the Hero family developed by the American company UVision for anti-personnel missions, weighs 1.8 kilograms and has a 0.2 kg warhead, we can say that ALPAGU has a warhead of similar weight.
ALPAGU kamikaze drone systems are planned to be utilized in blocks (Block-I-II-III-IV) in due course. The ALPAGU also has larger versions with longer ranges and higher speeds, capable of engaging greater targets over 10 kg and carrying more explosives as well. With the capability to develop small sized platforms weighing less than 2 kg, activities are being conducted that will soon render these drones into larger platforms. In addition to the version that could be launched through a launch tube by single personnel, various configurations are being developed that could be launched from armored vehicles or ship-based multiple launchers and that are planned to be integrated to unmanned air platforms such as AKINCI & ANKA.
Capabilities
Effective Day & Night operation
Autonomous precision hit with minimum collateral damage
Detection & tracking of mobile targets
High performance navigation, control and guidance algorithms
Can be used by a single officer
Flight termination and self-destruction modes
Indigenously developed, advanced electronic ammunition safety, setup and trigger systems
Indigenous national embedded hardware and software
High angle lateral viewpoint
Image processing-based control applications
Embedded and real-time detection, tracking and classification
Technical Features
Range : < 10 km
Mission Endurance : 10 minutes
Mission Altitude : 400 ft
Cruise Speed : 50 knots
Maximum Speed : 65 knots
Weight : 1.9 kg
Operating Temperature : -20 / + 50 °C
Power : LiPo Battery
Deployment Time : Max 1 minute
