Havelsan’s Bulut uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) has entered service with the Turkish military and security forces.
Optimised for reconnaissance and surveillance tasks, the UAV is equipped with an electro-optical/infrared sensor with integrated laser rangefinder, and has a payload of capacity 5kg (11lb).
“Bulut employs an electric motor system for vertical take-off and landing, with its reconnaissance and surveillance operations are powered by a gasoline internal combustion engine,” Havelsan says. This enables a flight endurance of 6h.
“Bulut successfully met the tests and requirements set by the acceptance committee, which included representatives from users and the SSB [Presidency of Defence Industries],” the company says. “As a result, the UAV was added to the inventories of the Turkish armed forces and General Directorate of Security.”
Describing the new product as “a game-changer in its category”, Havelsan deputy general manager for simulation, autonomous, and platform management technologies Muhittin Solmaz notes that its service entry followed “three years of development”.
The Bulut system also has “built upon the field experience of Baha”, Solmaz says, referring to its earlier-generation vehicle.
Havelsan says the Bulut has a data transfer range of up to 43nm (80km), while a “handover capability allows mission control to be transferred between ground control stations”.
Additional applications for the type could include “border and coastal patrol, counter-smuggling and counter-terrorism operations”, the airframer says.
