Havelsan Starts Kapgan Debut Abroad: Owns Armored Weapons And Electronic War Capabilities

JAKARTA - Turkey's defense industry introduced unmanned ground vehicles, Kapgan, developed by Havelsan, abroad for the first time at the IDEX International Defense Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February 20-24.

The event will host a high-level official delegation from around the world to showcase the latest defense industry technology.

As part of the concept of "digital unitity", Havelsan exhibited various unmanned air and land vehicles at the exhibition, including Kapgan, a 2nd-class unmanned land vehicle; Barkan, a 1st-class unmanned ground vehicle, and Baha, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

Kapgan, which is exhibited with a 30x113 millimeter gun, has undergone an integration study in collaboration with Turkish, Canik and Unirobotics weapons manufacturers.

The weapon system features a armored thruster against ground and air targets and can provide an effective range of 2,000 meters, making it an effective deterrent.

In addition, Kapgan can integrate weapons systems of various types and caliber.

Havelsan's Robotics and Autonomous System Project Manager, Veysel Ataoapulu, told Anadolu Agency (AA) the company had showcased their unmanned aerial and ground vehicles at domestic and international exhibitions, as well as carried out activities with users in various areas, recently in the earthquake zone.

"During this activity, they have demonstrated Havelsan's autonomous capabilities in the field, including applications such as reconnaissance, surveillance, object detection, tracking, independent patrols, vehicle tracking, GPS-independent missions and returning to headquarters in the event of a loss of links," he explained as quoted by the Daily Sabah March 3.

Kapgan offers superior maneuverability thanks to wheeled structures, enabling operation in all weather and terrain conditions as well as different visibility levels. In addition, this vehicle platform is equipped with an interface to carry additional payloads when needed, making it the ideal solution for tactical operations.

Thanks to the Havelsan Autonomous Package, Kapgan is designed to survive electronic warfare (EW) with its autonomous patrol capabilities, implementation of GPS-independent missions, dynamic route planning, functionality of returning home in the event of a loss of connection, and path analysis. This package makes Kapgan a reliable solution in various operational scenarios.

With a 5-kilometer (3-mile) tactical data link, GSM communications infrastructure and satellites, a 4-meter (13-foot) perimeter surveillance pole and a high-tech sensor system, Kapgan provides day and night vision and sensing capabilities for his environment.

In addition, these vehicles are integrated with wired or wireless drones that act as relays if their range is insufficient, ensuring communication is not cut off through drone-integrated modems and monitoring invisible areas. This feature improves vehicle surveillance, reconnaissance and operational capabilities.

This heavyweight unmanned land vehicle weighs 1,400 kilograms and has a cargo capacity of 600 kilograms, making it suitable for heavy tasks. At a maximum speed of 25 kilometers per hour, Kapgan can operate for up to six hours, thus providing sufficient time for longer missions.