Shapeshifting Uavs Ready For Mission

ASELSAN has developed a prototype of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle that can take stable flight after being launched from launcher systems on fixed and mobile platforms within the scope of the “Shapeshifting UAV Research Project”.

The Shapeshifting UAV was also exhibited at TEKNOFEST held at Istanbul Atatürk Airport.

ITU ARC contributed to the project, which was carried out at the ASELSAN Research Center under the ASELSAN R&D Management Vice Presidency, within the scope of university-industry cooperation.

The Shapeshifting UAV Research Project is planned to be completed in July and productization work will begin.

Within the scope of the project, the air vehicle and its launcher were developed, design verifications were carried out and successful flight tests were carried out.

The UAV is placed in the launcher system after its arms are folded, and when it reaches the desired height after launch, it opens its wings, starts to rotate its propellers and enters stable flight. In this way, the UAV can be launched from both fixed and mobile platforms.

Since its arms can be folded, the UAV can be stored in large numbers in low volumes. Within the scope of the project, ASELSAN has also developed a five-launcher system that can be used on a moving vehicle.

The UAV, which has 4 cameras on it and reaches an altitude of 200 meters in a short time, is intended to be used for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes after entering the productization phase.

The New Deputy Of The Security Forces

Being able to take off from a moving vehicle will provide an important operational capability. This will prevent military personnel from stopping the vehicle, lifting a UAV and becoming an open target in the process. In order to prevent this, ASELSAN engineers chose the method of quickly dropping the UAV over the moving vehicle.

By launching such a UAV from fixed points, it will be possible to reach high altitude very quickly and transmit instant images. Conventional rotary-wing UAVs take much longer to reach the altitude in question and transmit images.

The Shapeshifting UAV is expected to have many military and civilian uses.

The UAV, which will contribute to ensuring facility and border security, has advantages over products in its class with its ability to be launched from moving land and sea vehicles, reducing the risk of accidents during take-off, shortening the operation preparation time, increasing the operation range and the ability to store large numbers in low volumes.

ASELSAN’s Shapeshifting UAV can be used at fixed points in urban areas, at security points at national borders and high importance facilities, armored military vehicles, attack boats and coast guard boats, as well as unmanned land and sea vehicles.

The UAV, which can also be launched from fire trucks, will provide information on the direction and size of the fire.