A new kamikaze drone from Turkish firm Skydagger soared into the air in recent trials, launching from a catapult and showing off its agility.
In a social media post from Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar, the Toyca 05 was seen circling the air multiple times after taking off without a traditional launchpad.
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can reportedly fly for over 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) while carrying a five-kilogram (11-pound) explosive warhead.
When operating in groups, the drones can “talk” to each other through a mesh network rather than relying solely on a base station. This makes them more resistant to jamming, as attackers would need to disrupt multiple links to take them down.
The Toyca 05 drones were originally designed for first-person view control, but now features full autonomous capabilities.
Reinforcing Turkish Skies
SkyDagger built the kamikaze platform around a fixed-wing design, giving it longer reach and higher speeds compared to typical multirotor systems.
It can pair with the Kalkan UAV, a platform designed for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, extending its reach and awareness.
With a simpler structure, the company said the Toyca 05 can support production rates of more than 30,000 units a year, creating a steady pipeline of loitering munitions for Turkish forces.
