Turkish Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret (STM) has secured the first export order for its Boyga rotary-wing armed drone. STM announced this today, stating that the Boyga “has achieved another major export success in the field of tactical mini UAVs, further cementing its pioneering position in Türkiye.”
Designed to operate at altitudes up to 3,000 meters, BOYGA can deploy 81 mm mortar ammunition with extreme precision thanks to a sophisticated ballistic estimation algorithm. This capability makes it particularly effective in counter-terrorism and asymmetric warfare contexts. The system is compact and can be transported and operated by a single individual, enhancing its flexibility in the field.
Boyga UAV boasts an endurance of 30 minutes when carrying one piece of ammunition. It can operate up to a maximum altitude of 3000 meters above mean sea level (MSL) and can reach a cruise speed of 54 km/h. The UAV is also designed to withstand winds up to 10 m/s.
Özgür Güleryüz, General Manager of STM, stated that the Tactical Mini UAV family, developed by STM with advanced engineering capabilities to cater for the needs of the Turkish Army, is also playing pioneering roles in the international arena:
“we have entered into a contract for the first international sale of BOYGA to an African country, thus achieving significant success in exporting all members of our tactical mini UAV family, which we have developed and which have proven themselves successfully in the field. We are also in talks for further exports of our UAVs, which are proving to be surprisingly effective in the field, and have increased our production capacity in the field of mini UAVs to meet the demands of our army and friendly and allied nations.”
Although, STM did not disclose the African customer, however, according to our Drone Procurement Data, Nigeria, Uganda, and Libya are operators of STM’s drones. With Libya fielding four Kargu suicide drones acquired in 2020, Nigeria and Uganda operating five each of the Togan UAVs acquired last year respectively.
Commenting on the features of BOYGA, Güleryüz said: “The Ukraine-Russia war has once again shown how these drones and ammunition-dropping UAVs are a game-changer in the field. BOYGA provides users with significant advantages in the field, making use of its indigenous software, its specially developed ammunition and its prediction algorithm. BOYGA can hit targets with full precision from high altitudes, making it difficult to be detected by the enemy.”
BOYGA, the newest member of STM’s tactical mini UAV product family, is able to deploy its customised 81 mm mortar ammunition with full accuracy thanks to its advanced ballistic estimation algorithm.
Drones once relegated to intelligence-gathering missions have become star players in the global war on terror, and Africa is finally catching up. Whether they are used for intelligence gathering, aerial strikes, artillery spotting, or electronic warfare, drones are a leading contributor to the changing character of modern war.
Africa is a continent with diverse security challenges, ranging from terrorism, insurgency, civil war, border disputes, and wildlife poaching. These challenges have created a demand for military drones, which can provide intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance,
and strike capabilities for African armed forces. Drone procurement is expected to increase in the future, as technology becomes more advanced and affordable, creating new opportunities for innovation and economic growth.