Baykar’s Kemankeş 1 loitering munition missile launched by Bayraktar TB2 armed UAV used a parachute to land after travelling a distance in the latest test.
The jet-powered loitering munition’s capability to land using a parachute on command can open new possibilities outside its mainly intended offensive usage.
The optical seeker of Kemankeş 1 offers some degree of ISR capability thanks to 36x optical zoom and 2.8 km laser rangefinder features. With high speed and an endurance of one hour, Kemankeş 1 can be alternatively used as a scouting asset before the impact through the data link.
The presence of a parachute for recovery can allow the use of Kemankeş 1 in this direction more freely.
By deploying two Kemankeş 1, a Bayraktar TB2 can observe three areas simultaneously. This can be especially useful in cluttered or contested zones where flying is risky for the mother platform.
TUSAŞ demonstrated a similar parachuting capability for its Şimşek UAV’s air-launched configuration that can be utilised as a decoy, stand-in jammer, or cruise missile. The UAV launched from Anka UCAV was successfully retrieved.
