The Kargi loitering munition is showcased as part of the EFES-2022 drill, Izmir, Turkey, June 6, 2022. (AA Photo)
Turkey’s engineering firm Lentatek has unveiled the Kargi anti-radiation loitering munition on the sideline of the EFES-2022 military exercise.
The EFES-2022 exercise, which was held in Izmir on the Aegean Sea, concluded on June 9 and featured more than 1,000 personnel from 37 countries. More than 40 Turkish defense companies attended the exercise to exhibit their products.
Lentatek developed the Kargi loitering munition with support from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Aselsan, and Turkish Aerospace Industries. The munition is meant to replace Israeli-made IAI Harpy loitering munitions in service with the Turkish military.
Kargi was designed to suppresses radars. The loitering munition uses a radio frequency (RF) seeker to locate the enemy’s radar, then navigates towards it and hit it.
The drone’s components and subsystems, including the RF seeker, the warhead, the engine, the booster, the data-link, the fuel tank, the ground control station, the navigation and flight control systems were all designed and produced in Turkey.
The characteristics of Kargi were not revealed. The very similar Harpy has a maximum speed of 185 kilometers per hour and a range of 600 kilometers.
The ongoing acceptance phase of Kargi is expected to conclude in the third quarter of 2022, with the serial production phase beginning by the end of the year.
Turkey has been working nonstop to develop its military capabilities, especially combat drones and loitering munitions. The Kargi will provide the Turkish military with a fully-indigenous system for SEAD [suppression of enemy air defenses] missions.
