Now at the service of the Turkish Armed Forces
HAVELSAN is moving into mass production of the medium-class Level 1 autonomous unmanned ground vehicle BARKAN, which entered the inventory in 2023, following a decision by the Presidency of Defense Industries.
Based on feedback from its field use since 2023, BARKAN’s operational capabilities have been significantly enhanced. With the integration of numerous useful payloads, BARKAN has achieved successful outcomes in all activities within real operational zones.
Following the notification of the mass production decision by the Presidency of Defense Industries, HAVELSAN decided to expand its project team to enhance its engineering capabilities. To respond quickly to the mass production demand, HAVELSAN also included new and competent subcontractors in its ecosystem.
HAVELSAN conducts platform development processes with subcontractors in its ecosystem, while managing the software development processes – its area of greatest expertise – with dedicated project engineers. As BARKAN’s software capabilities improve, its operational performance in the field continues to grow steadily.
HAVELSAN also utilizes simulation technologies – one of the most critical technological areas – in BARKAN’s development. In addition to field tests, simulations conducted in virtual environments make BARKAN the most powerful and well-equipped vehicle in its class.
HAVELSAN General Manager Dr. Mehmet Akif Nacar commented on the mass production decision for BARKAN, stating, “From day one, we anticipated that our existing skill set would make BARKAN a formidable system. However, our Defense Industries Presidency and the Turkish Land Forces Command strongly supported and embraced BARKAN’s development. Our partner firms also worked in great harmony. I extend my gratitude to everyone involved.”
HAVELSAN Deputy General Manager for Simulation, Autonomous, and Platform Management Technologies, Muhittin Solmaz, emphasized that the efforts surrounding BARKAN were not limited to developing an unmanned ground vehicle, but rather focused on swarm capability from the start. He said, “BARKAN performs excellently on its own but has also been developed to work in harmony with other unmanned air and ground systems when operating in a swarm. Every contribution to BARKAN’s development is also a contribution to swarm capability.”
HAVELSAN Product Development and ELD Director Veysel Ataoğlu noted that the most valuable aspect of BARKAN’s development was working shoulder to shoulder with security forces in the field. He said, “At the end of this intense, exhausting journey driven by our passion to serve our country, the decision for mass production as a sign of trust in BARKAN has become a great source of motivation for our team. I thank my teammates, the security forces we collaborated with on the ground, the personnel from the Defense Industries Presidency who meticulously followed every step of the development, and the staff of our subcontractors. This success is equally theirs.”
