Kargu

The STM Kargu is a quadrotor loitering munition produced in Turkey by Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş. (STM), designed for asymmetric warfare and counter-insurgency tasks. Man-portable and operable by a single soldier, it is known primarily for a March 2021 United Nations Panel of Experts report describing a Kargu-2 engagement in Libya that has been characterised as the first attack carried out by a lethal autonomous weapon on its own initiative.

Development

The name Kargu derives from the Turkish term for a mountain observation tower, reflecting the platform's original conception as an airborne sentry and surveillance tool before it was developed into an attack system. STM has stated that it held export discussions with three unnamed countries, citing "desert, tundra and tropical conditions" as intended operating environments. In September 2022, the Turkish foreign minister raised the possibility of Kargu-2 sales to Japan during an appearance at the Japan National Press Club.

Design

The system comprises the rotary-wing attack drone and a ground control unit, with no crew on board and one operator at the station. The airframe measures 60 cm in length and 60 cm across, with a weight of 7,060 g. Maximum speed is 72 km/h, service ceiling 500 m, operational altitude 2,800 m, endurance 30 minutes and range 10 km. Avionics include a camera with 10x optical zoom, machine-learning algorithms for target identification and tracking, and navigation and control algorithms supporting day and night operation. The Kargu can operate in autonomous or manual modes, track moving targets, abort a mission in flight and self-destruct. STM's chief executive has stated that the system incorporates facial recognition. Company video shows several Kargu-2 airframes flying in formation, though STM has not demonstrated autonomous swarm target identification, selection or coordinated attack in practice; promotional material shows a human operator selecting the target and initiating the attack, with the drone executing the terminal dive.

Armament

The Kargu accepts different ammunition options, loaded prior to use. Peru's procurement through Diseños Casanave International covered both anti-personnel and anti-armour warheads.

Operational History

The Turkish Armed Forces have used the Kargu in Syria and Libya. It was reportedly employed by Azerbaijan during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, though Azerbaijani authorities have not confirmed this. The March 2021 UN Security Council Panel of Experts on Libya report stated that in 2020 a Kargu-2 carrying explosives hunted down and attacked Libyan National Army forces without command input, using its artificial intelligence to detect and engage. The same panel assessed that forces affiliated with the Government of National Accord had likely received Kargu-2 units. Turkey operates 500 systems, Azerbaijan a minimum of 27, and Peru an undisclosed quantity.

Variants

• Kargu: Baseline rotary-wing attack drone and loitering munition, marketed for single-operator deployment in autonomous or manual modes.
• Kargu-2: Improved model cited in the UN Libya report and in STM swarm demonstration footage, procured by Azerbaijan and reportedly supplied to GNA-affiliated forces.