STM Showcases Autonomous Swarm Warfare Capabilities at Ateş Serbest-2026
STM, one of Türkiye’s leading defence engineering companies, demonstrated its advanced autonomous UAV capabilities at the ATEŞ SERBEST-2026 Exercise. A swarm of 20 KARGU loitering munitions successfully neutralized designated targets in a coordinated, autonomous live-fire attack under the control of a single operator. STM’s BOYGA Ammunition Drop UAV also successfully engaged its target with an 81 mm munition, demonstrating its precision-strike capabilities.
Under the leadership of the Secretariat of Defence Industries (SSB) of the Republic of Türkiye, STM Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş. continues to prove the operational effectiveness of its advanced autonomous systems and swarm intelligence technologies in the field. Leveraging its cutting-edge engineering capabilities, STM develops innovative, game-changing solutions for the evolving demands of modern warfare. At the ATEŞ SERBEST-2026 Exercise, where the Turkish Armed Forces showcased their firepower and operational capabilities, STM successfully demonstrated the performance of its next-generation tactical UAV systems.
20 KARGU Loitering Munitions Execute a Coordinated Swarm Attack
During the Distinguished Observer Day of the ATEŞ SERBEST-2026 Exercise, held at the General Nahit Şenoğul Firing and Exercise Area in Polatlı, Ankara, STM once again demonstrated its advanced swarm intelligence capabilities powered by fully indigenous algorithms.
As part of the exercise scenario, simulated enemy infantry units were detected, prompting the deployment of a swarm of 20 KARGU loitering munitions. Under the control of a single operator, the KARGU swarm took off autonomously and navigated to the designated target area. Powered by a distributed control architecture, the UAVs communicated with one another in real time, coordinating target detection, classification and sharing.
Upon reaching the target area, the KARGU swarm split into two groups of 10 units each and executed a synchronized attack, successfully destroying the designated targets with precision using their anti-personnel warheads.
BOYGA Delivers a Precision Strike with 81 mm Munition
STM’s indigenously developed BOYGA Ammunition Drop UAV also demonstrated its precision-strike capabilities during the ATEŞ SERBEST-2026 Exercise. In service with the Turkish Armed Forces since 2022, BOYGA successfully engaged its designated target by deploying an 81 mm UAV munition, achieving a direct hit. STM’s FPV solution, KARGU FPV Kamikaze UAVs, also took part in the exercise.
Senior Military Leadership Observes STM’s Swarm UAV Operation
The live-fire swarm UAV operation conducted during the Distinguished Observer Day of the ATEŞ SERBEST-2026 Exercise was observed on-site by Yaşar Güler, Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Türkiye; General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Chief of the Turkish General Staff; General Metin Tokel, Commander of the Turkish Land Forces; General Rafet Dalkıran, Commander of the Turkish Air Force; and senior military delegations.
STM previously achieved a global milestone at the EFES-2026 Exercise, held in İzmir in May 2026, conducting the world’s first autonomous swarm attack using live ammunition within an international military exercise scenario involving 20 KARGU loitering munitions. The successful demonstration of this capability at ATEŞ SERBEST-2026 further highlighted the operational maturity of STM’s swarm intelligence technologies and Türkiye’s advanced engineering capabilities in autonomous warfare systems.
Güleryüz: We Will Continue to Deliver Game-Changing Technologies
STM General Manager Özgür Güleryüz emphasized that the capabilities demonstrated at ATEŞ SERBEST-2026 reflect the advanced level of Türkiye’s defence industry in autonomous systems and swarm intelligence technologies:
“The performance of our advanced technologies under realistic operational conditions is a great source of pride for STM. Through our expertise in autonomous systems and swarm intelligence, we are developing innovative solutions that address not only today’s operational requirements but also the evolving demands of future warfare.
At EFES-2026, we achieved a historic milestone in global defence technology with a swarm of 20 KARGU loitering munitions. Today, at ATEŞ SERBEST-2026, we have once again demonstrated the operational effectiveness of this advanced autonomous swarm capability through successful live-fire engagements.
Combat-proven through years of critical operations and military exercises with the Turkish Armed Forces, KARGU has also earned international recognition, with exports to 15 countries across four continents. Developing such sophisticated technologies, mastered by only a limited number of countries worldwide, represents a significant engineering achievement. More importantly, these capabilities enhance the operational effectiveness and combat readiness of armed forces in increasingly complex battlefield environments.
Under the leadership of the SSB, we will continue to advance our engineering capabilities, develop game-changing autonomous systems, and deliver innovative defence technologies that shape the future of warfare.”
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
STM Swarm UAV Capabilities
Powered by STM’s proprietary algorithms and software, tactical UAVs within STM’s swarm system can communicate with one another in real time, perform target detection, sharing, and prioritization, and execute coordinated swarm attacks autonomously.
The swarm intelligence architecture does not rely on a central control unit, allowing each UAV to independently make mission decisions. This distributed control structure ensures mission continuity even if one or more platforms are lost, significantly increasing mission success. Operating under the saturation attack concept, the system enables multiple UAVs to simultaneously navigate toward target areas, saturate enemy defenses, and neutralize them effectively.
STM’s algorithms enable UAVs within the swarm to engage targets based on their payload types. For example, UAVs equipped with anti-personnel or armor-piercing warheads can autonomously distinguish between personnel and vehicle targets and engage accordingly. The system also supports real-time swarm expansion or reduction, dynamic mission updates, and the execution of multiple sub-missions within the operational area.
Key Capabilities
- Swarm intelligence algorithms
- Saturation attack concept
- Distributed control architecture
- Inter-UAV communication infrastructure
- Autonomous formation generation and sustainment
- Collision avoidance system
- Real-time target detection and classification
- In-swarm task sharing
- Target prioritization and task assignment
- CRPA-enhanced anti-jam navigation
- GNSS-denied navigation with KERKES integration
- Swarm division and reunion
- Real-time swarm attachment and detachment
KARGU: The Choice of Global Armies
KARGU, a rotary-wing loitering munition system developed by STM, is also commonly referred to as a “kamikaze UAV.” Having entered the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces in 2018, KARGU has been used effectively in counter-terrorism, special operations and cross-border missions by various security forces. Proven across diverse geographical and operational conditions, KARGU has been exported to 15 countries across four continents.
Depending on operational requirements, users can rapidly replace the anti-personnel warhead with an armour-piercing warhead in the field. With its low radar cross-section, KARGU is difficult to detect in hostile environments and can be easily carried by a single soldier and deployed within one minute in the operational area. Equipped with artificial intelligence and advanced image-processing capabilities, quiet operation and high-precision strike performance, KARGU provides a significant surprise effect and operational advantage. KARGU can operate effectively day and night thanks to its advanced electro-optical and infrared cameras. It has an endurance of more than 30 minutes and an operational range of 10 kilometres. The system is capable of swarm operations and, through STM-developed software, can perform missions independently of GNSS and remain resilient in electronic warfare environments.
By integrating an RF seeker into KARGU, STM has enhanced its capability to detect and target enemy radars and other radio-frequency-emitting systems. The integration of the JINN Electronic Warfare Pod further enables KARGU to jam enemy radars, suppress air defence systems and establish safe operational corridors for friendly forces.
BOYGA: Precision Strike Capabilities with an 81mm Ammunition
BOYGA, a member of STM’s tactical UAV family, is an Ammunition Drop UAV capable of delivering specially adapted 81 mm UAV ammunition with high precision, supported by advanced ballistic estimation algorithms. Designed for effective deployment in counter-terrorism operations and asymmetric warfare environments, BOYGA offers an endurance of 30 minutes while carrying its UAV ammunition. With an operational altitude of up to 3,000 metres and a range of 10 kilometres, BOYGA weighs just 17 kg and can be carried by a single soldier. Its ammunition system was integrated in cooperation with MKE. In service with Turkish security forces since 2022, BOYGA has demonstrated its operational effectiveness in the field and achieved its first export success in 2024.
About STM
With over 35 years of experience, STM is a leading engineering and technology company developing advanced solutions in naval platforms, autonomous systems, command and control, and cybersecurity. Driven by innovation and strong engineering expertise, STM develops high-impact, scalable technologies for national and global security needs.
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