Turkey Showcases 53 New Weapons, 20 KARGU Drone Swarm at Exercise

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler attended the Ates Serbest-2026 exercise at the General Nahit Şenoğlu Firing Range in Polatlı, Ankara, on October 13. The drill marked the 103rd anniversary of Ankara becoming the capital and featured a Distinguished Observers Day attended by Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu and force commanders.

Güler stated that 53 weapons and systems were used for the first time during the exercise, with all targets hit successfully. He emphasized that the drill demonstrated the Turkish Armed Forces' firepower, maneuver capability, and the effectiveness of domestically developed high-technology systems.

“Real superiority in the military field comes from using the right system at the right time with well-trained and disciplined personnel.”

STM Defence Technologies showcased a swarm attack by 20 KARGU loitering munitions operating under a single operator. The swarm autonomously detected, classified, and engaged enemy personnel targets with anti-personnel warheads, achieving precise hits.

The BOYGA armed drone also conducted a successful strike with an 81mm mortar round, while KarguFPV kamikaze drones performed missions. STM previously debuted a 20-drone KARGU swarm at the EFES-2026 exercise in May 2026.