Counter drone technology: standing on four pillars
Four technologies make Dron Kalkanı possible. Each was developed separately and brought together on a single turret: AI that anticipates a target’s sudden manoeuvres, passive detection that leaves no signature, a robotic turret that keeps pace, and the ammunition that produces the metal cloud.
Algorithms trained for drone-versus-drone combat
As part of work carried out with İTÜ Havacılık ve Uzay Teknolojileri Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi (İTÜ ARC), the aerospace research centre of Istanbul Technical University, algorithms trained for one drone to track and hit another — that is, to anticipate a target’s sudden manoeuvres — were transferred to the mechanisms that drive the weapon.
Kamikaze and FPV drones manoeuvre suddenly and irregularly as they close on their targets. A classical tracking algorithm calculates where the target is; for this kind of target that is not enough. Algorithms developed for one drone to hit another solve a different problem: anticipating where the target will be next.
- Manoeuvre anticipation. The target is tracked by predicting its motion; lock happens within seconds.
- Processing on the turret. Detection, classification and the firing solution are produced without a separate computer cabinet.
- Image and sound together. Two sensors based on different physical principles maintain detection continuity where a single sensor would struggle.
- Validated in the field. The algorithms have proven themselves in exercises and trials.
We optimised the latest AI architectures to run in real time on embedded, low-power processors in the field.
No radar. The system watches and listens.
Both the electro-optical and the acoustic sensors work passively. This is a deliberate design choice, and it buys three things.
Operating without a signature
The system emits nothing; it cannot be detected or targeted itself.
Lighter, less power
Weight and power draw on the turret drop; integration becomes easier.
Lower cost
The cost of a radar layer stays out of the system.
Movement that keeps pace
If the AI is calculating where the target will be next, the turret has to get there in time. The pan-tilt drive system was designed around that requirement.
Light weight is a constraint, not a convenience: the lighter the turret, the more platforms it fits. Mechanical integration onto vehicles is carried out by Urban Savunma, whose manufacturing history in Ankara goes back to the 1970s.
Field-proven ammunition
The 12-gauge magnum anti-drone cartridge Turaç produces under its Sterling brand in its own facilities is designed to form a wide metal cloud across the target’s flight path. It is the most mature part of the system.
On task at the NATO Summit
July 2026, Ankara. Used in the field as part of the summit’s security measures.
In development since 2018
Work on anti-drone ammunition has continued without interruption for eight years.
12-gauge = easy logistics
One of the most widely used ammunition types in the world; no supply or training barrier.
Cost of engagement = cartridges
No high-unit-cost interceptor is expended per target.
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