ISTANBUL 

Drone operation will be one of the most important professions in the future, said the head of Savunma Teknolojileri Muhendislik ve Ticaret AS (STM), a leading Turkish defense firm.

“No matter how technically proficient your drone is, unless you have a sufficient number of skilled operators, or unless their capabilities are limited, it is highly unlikely that you will be successful,” STM General Manager Ozgur Guleryuz told Anadolu’s technology desk during TEKNOFEST, Türkiye’s premier technology, aviation and space event.

He said today’s wars are becoming drone-drone clashes.

“We shouldn't just think of this as a battlefield or a military field. Today, autonomous systems and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will actually take on much more active roles in the future, including human transportation,” he said.

“In that sense, we believe that the earlier our children start drone training, the more advanced we will be.”

Autonomous systems and swarm technology

Referring to the paradigm shift in exports and the field, Guleryuz said: “Recent wars have shown us that autonomous systems will play a much more active role on the battlefield going forward, including UAVs, land vehicles, submarines, and surface platforms.”

Noting that air defense systems designed to counter an air platform are also constantly evolving, he said that the main goal with swarms is to move towards concepts where “you can surprise systems developed against you, share tasks in the air using other drones from a single drone, and perform multiple different tasks with that swarm.”

He said STM is conducting studies on swarm technology and carried out a demonstration last week.

Cyber technologies and security

Guleryuz stressed that there are technologies available to secure airborne communications. “At STM, we are also developing technology in this field.

“If you do something, the other side will develop something else to counter it. That technology will continue to be in a state of constant conflict.”

He added that fiber optic cable solutions, particularly used in first-person view (FPVs), or similar solutions, can be integrated into all STM platforms.

Guleryuz said STM follows developments closely and develops solutions quickly.

Emphasizing that cybersecurity is essential today, he said: “We have made it our duty to raise public awareness on this issue.

“We follow global trends and developments and work on how we can warn our citizens.”

He noted that STM established the Turkish Armed Forces’ Cyber Defense Center and said intensive work is ongoing in the second phase of the project to integrate more domestic systems and advanced technologies.

He added that STM has developed different solutions for the General Directorate of Security and said there are serious companies in Türkiye working to advance cybersecurity.