Delican VTOL UAV of the Turkish firm Enetki Defence took off from and landed on a moving ship’s helipad, demonstrating maritime operation capabilities.
The demonstration of Delican’s capability to land on a moving ship carries significance as it paves the way for the Turkish Navy for a small VTOL UAV that can be used for regular ISR operations.
Delican is fitted with all-electric propulsion, pairing four lifting propellers and one puller propeller. The UAV has an endurance of three hours and an operational ceiling of 15000 ft.
The EO/IR system of Delican is fitted with a 60x zoom HD day camera and a 10x zoom thermal camera, which can automatically detect and provide location information on targets.
While a helicopter is fitted with highly capable sensors, its operating costs and sortie frequency make it unsustainable for dedicated ISR use.
A VTOL UAV like Delican is more ideal for regular loitering around the ship, thanks to the far lower operating and acquisition costs. Additionally, multiple spare UAVs can be carried as Delican can be disassembled and carried in boxes.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor:Özgür Ekşi
