Aselsan’s Sahin (HAWK) counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) system has entered the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces. According to video published on the head of Turkey’s President of the Defence Industry Agency (DIA) Twitter account showed the turreted Sahin mounted on a trailer destroying rotary- and fixed-wing mini and micro UAVs with Atom 40 mm ammunition. It is easy to deploy and install and can be used for missions such as protecting critical infrastructure, border security, and air defence. ASELSAN has developed the anti-UAV system within the contract signed with DIA.
The Sahin System is developed to destroy rotary-wing and fixed-wing mini/micro UAV model aircraft threats. It consists of a radar, electro-optic system and 40 mm automatic grenade launcher. It performs automatic target detection and tracking using electro-optical cameras on its stabilised turret. It can be connected to radar or command-and-control systems. The remote-controlled Sahin has an effective range of 700 m against mini and micro UAVs, according to Aselsan. The system can perform target tracking and ballistic calculations for the target by providing engagement to the position reported from the radar.
The grenade launcher fires a 40 mm high-velocity airburst grenade called ATOM. ATOM 40 mm is programmed via Fire Control Unit (FCU), which can be integrated into any automatic grenade launcher. The 40 mm ATOM is smart ammunition which can be programmed to the exact time of detonation while leaving the barrel. Once fired, the time-programmable fuse counts down for detonation at the intended target point. Using a pre-fragmented shell which is optimized for the target set, high hit probability is ensured. FCU provides the user to see and approve the target, measures the distance to the target and calculates the time required for the ammunition to air burst.
Aselsan (Askeri Elektronik Sanayi, Military Electronic Industries), Aselsan A.S. is a Turkish defense corporation headquartered in Ankara, Turkey. Its main operating area is research, development and manufacture of advanced military products for air, land and maritime forces. The company is one of the major contractors of Turkish Armed Forces. Aselsan was ranked by Defense News as 48th largest defense company in terms of revenue. Turkish Army Foundation is the founder and major stockholder. ASELSAN designs, develops and manufactures modern electronic systems for military and industrial customers in Turkey and abroad. The company headquarters is located at Macunkoy facilities in Ankara, Turkey.
