IDEF 2025: STM’s Togan UAV gains GNSS-independent navigation capability

STM has equipped its Togan multi-rotor intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with the Kerkes global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-independent navigation system following a series of successful integration tests. Several of these upgraded platforms have been delivered to Turkish security forces and were displayed at the 17th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF 2025), held in Istanbul from 22 to 27 July.

Designed to maintain navigational autonomy in environments where GNSS signals are denied – whether due to natural conditions or electronic warfare threats such as jamming and spoofing – the Kerkes system uses onboard maps, sensor data and artificial intelligence (AI)-based computer vision algorithms to determine position and trajectory. The system enables mini- and micro-UAVs to operate day or night without relying on satellite-based navigation, offering a valuable capability for operations in electronically contested environments.

Professor Haluk Görgün, president of Türkiye’s Defence Industry Agency (SSB), stated: “By integrating Kerkes into Togan, we are enhancing the operational flexibility of our tactical UAVs, particularly in contested environments. Technologies like these help ensure continued mission performance under electronic warfare conditions.”

STM General Manager Özgür Güleryüz emphasised the company’s broader objective, stating, “Our aim is not only to field platforms like Togan, Kargu and Boyga [all quadcopter UAVs], but also to ensure that these systems can operate effectively without external communications or positioning data. Kerkes achieves that. It is now in active use by Turkish forces as well as two international users. We’re now working to integrate the same capability into strike UAV variants.”

The Kerkes project was launched through a contract signed between the SSB and STM on 23 August 2019. Developed using AI-driven image processing and other advanced navigation techniques, the system was completed and delivered in 2022. Its integration into the Togan ISR platform is considered a significant step toward improving operational resilience and survivability for UAVs operating in signal-degraded or GPS-denied environments.

The system’s strategic relevance was previously highlighted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who described Kerkes as “a project of great importance” during a government performance review in 2020.