The sharp eye of the Turkish UAVs: ASELSAN CATS

ASELSAN eliminated Turkey's foreign dependency on the need for the imaging system of national unmanned aerial vehicles with the CATS electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting system.

The reconnaissance surveillance equipment developed for UAVs is capable of operating in high-altitude and harsh weather conditions.

CATS stands out as a reconnaissance surveillance system that can perform thermal imaging, laser marking and tracking the target both in Türkiye and by the foreign users of ASELSAN day and night.

Developed for both rotary-wing systems and fixed-wing unmanned aerial systems, CATS was developed in response to the embargoes imposed on Türkiye in this technology.

The target is to increase production to 10 units per month

Haluk Görgün, General Manager of ASELSAN, made statements about CATS' production activities during his interview with gdh defence at TEKNOFEST Black Sea.

Görgün noted that ASELSAN has reached the ability to produce 6 CATS per month.

“Currently close to 100 systems have either been delivered or are about to be delivered.”

ASELSAN's goal is to produce 10 CATS per month.

According to the latest information, CATS was exported to 5 countries together with Bayraktar TB2.

However, it is possible to say that this number is not up to date and is definitely exported to more countries.

The integration activities of the CATS EO System into ANKA and Bayraktar TB2 were completed in 2021.

Approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition were also successfully fired with CATS.

CATS is now integrated into the Bayraktar AKINCI UAV. In fact, CATS EO was placed on the AKINCI UAV exhibited within the scope of TEKNOFEST Black Sea.

Post-embargo period

Canada announced that it extended the arms embargo imposed on Türkiye on October 9, 2019 due to the “Operation Peace Spring” launched to prevent the formation of a terror corridor in Syria indefinitely in April 2020.

In June 2020, following various diplomatic initiatives, the embargo on electro-optical systems used in UAVs was lifted.

However, after the use of Bayraktar TB2s by Azerbaijan against Armenia for the liberation of the occupied territories, Canada decided to embargo again.

Following the embargo on the MX-15D system used in the ANKA and Bayraktar TB2s by Canadian WESCAM, it was announced that the domestic CATS cameras would be mass produced.

The signing ceremony of the ASELSAN CATS Electro-Optical Sensor System order contract between BAYKAR and ASELSAN for the Bayraktar TB2 UAV was held in November 2021 at the SAHA EXPO Defence and Aerospace Hybrid Exhibition organized by Turkey's largest industrial cluster SAHA Istanbul at the Istanbul Expo Center.

The new configuration of CATS, developed by ASELSAN and used by Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles in different operations missions, was successfully tested with Bayraktar TB2 late last year.

Bull's eye

In the project carried out under the leadership of the Presidency of Turkish Defence Industries, flight tests of the new configuration CATS system were carried out on the Baykar product Bayraktar TB2.

As a result of the tests, it was reported that the electro-optical system performance fully fulfilled the operational needs.

Tests were carried out with long-range firing, and full accuracy was achieved in both shots.

It was noted that ASELSAN will continue to offer the most advanced technologies to land, air and sea platforms with electro-optical reconnaissance surveillance systems just like CATS.

Next generation CATS is on the way

President of Turkish Defence Industries Prof. Dr. Ismail Demir stated that the new generation CATS will be used in a few years.

“The next generation of CATS is on the way. The work continues. In a few years, much more advanced products will emerge.

The new CATS will be much lighter, more precise, have high image quality and will be effective.”

Delivery of ASELFLIR-500 at the end of 2023

Taking into account the needs of different platforms, ASELSAN also carries out projects to expand its electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting system product family with new products that vary in size and capabilities, and the company now develops the ASELFLIR-500 with the technological know-how gained in CATS and technological developments in components.

The company aims to begin delivery of the ASELFLIR-500 at the end of next year.

In addition, work on the ASELFLIR-600, which will allow for larger and more distant imaging, continues.

Product development is underway to include systems with a gimbal diameter smaller than 15 inches.

Usage areas:

· Targeting

· Reconnaissance and Surveillance

General features:

• High Performance IR Camera

• Real “Full High Definition” (1920×1080) HDTV Camera

• Low Light NIR (DI-NIR) Camera

• Common Viewing Angles for IR, HDTV and DI-NIR Cameras

• Laser Target Marker and Range Finder

• Laser Pointer and Illuminator

• All-Digital Video Processing Line

• Advanced Image Processing

• Multiple Target Tracking

• Precise Target Positioning

• Determining the Direction and Speed ​​of the Moving Target

• Inertial Measurement Unit

• Precise Stabilization

• Automatic Alignment with Platform

• Operation at Very Low Temperatures at High Altitudes