Two Turkish defence industry companies unveiled a hybrid directed energy weapon system named ALKA-KAPLAN at the Türkiye International Defence Fair.
The system was developed to strengthen the defence capabilities of land forces against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
As the impact of UAVs and loitering munitions on the battlefield has significantly increased in recent years, conventional land armoured units have been facing serious threats. In response to this development, the ALKA-KAPLAN system has been introduced as Türkiye’s first mobile armoured anti-drone platform.
The ALKA system features both “soft-kill” (electromagnetic jamming) and “hard-kill” (high-energy laser destruction) capabilities. With its high-powered laser, it can directly neutralise micro drones and loitering munitions.
The KAPLAN armoured chassis is equipped with a modular energy system, preserving the vehicle’s mobility while directly powering the weapon system, thus eliminating the need for an external generator.
The ALKA-KAPLAN system can be used not only against aerial threats but also in the destruction/neutralisation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Its debut highlights the growing role of mobile armoured platforms in future anti-drone warfare.