STM Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş. ensured the production of HVLAS, which will be used on the Turkish Naval Forces’ ships and for naval export projects. The Helicopter Visual Landing Aid System (HVLAS), used on surface warships and has been supplied from abroad until now, is being produced in Türkiye. STM and Berkin Defence Engineering developed HVLAS, which can be used on all domestic naval surface platforms.
STM will install the indigenously developed HVLAS on two corvettes currently under construction as part of an ongoing export project. Thus, Türkiye will achieve the first export of the HVLAS, designed for the first time by a domestic company using domestic resources.
Consisting of visual guidance, flight deck lighting equipment, and software that ensures system equipment operates in an appropriate configuration, having been developed by indigenous and national means, HVLAS enables helicopter pilots to land safely on ships during day and night operations. HVLAS allows pilots to operate safely at night and when visibility is inconvenient, minimising pilots’ workload.
All naval surface platforms, including corvettes, frigates, logistics support ships, and tanker ships with helicopter platforms, can use HVLAS. General Manager of STM Özgür Güleryüz, stating that STM had achieved many pioneering naval platform projects in Türkiye, from design to turnkey projects, said: “
Because of our robust local ecosystem, we nationalise the construction of our ships and the critical systems used aboard the platforms. The HVLAS, which allows helicopters to land safely on ships, was previously imported because it was not manufactured in Turkiye.
We have developed the HVLAS with Berkin Defence and thus introduced an indigenous and national product in this field for the first time in Türkiye. Our HVLAS can compete with equivalent products worldwide since it makes the work of helicopter pilots easier, allows quick manoeuvres in field operations, and has a progressive and modern structure. It also allows us to increase further the indigenisation rate of the ships we construct for the Turkish Naval Forces or our export projects. We are integrating the HVLAS aboard two corvettes being constructed under an export project.
Then, we intend to equip this national system with our national frigate project, MiLGEM 6-7-8. The development of HVLAS enabled us to acquire cutting-edge technological capability while also preventing the drain of foreign currency from our country and bolstering our exports by creating a high-value-added product.”
