Kamikaze drone K2: Baykar unveils AI-supported swarm drone

The Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar cannot escape the international AI trend either and is presenting the K2, a kamikaze drone that flies in swarms. The company's best-known product, the Bayraktar TB2, recently reached its millionth fleet flight hour. Its carrier-capable counterpart, the TB3, meanwhile now takes off and lands autonomously without difficulty from the Turkish carrier "TCG Anadolu".

What sets the K2 kamikaze drone apart

Weighing only 800 kilograms, the drone is said to be able to carry a 200-kilogram warhead for more than 13 hours and fly more than 2,000 kilometres at 200 km/h. This is made possible by sophisticated aerodynamics: the K2 has no tail unit and is controlled via elevons and ailerons on its elongated wings, which are swept back beyond the tail. Wingtip fences increase their efficiency.

Elongated canards with flaps at the nose provide additional lift. Thanks to this aerodynamic design, the aircraft can also operate from short runways.

The main sensor is a stabilised, swivelling camera turret with electro-optical and infrared cameras, used equally for navigation, target acquisition and attack. The navigation architecture of the K2 kamikaze drone is designed for electronic warfare environments in which global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) are unavailable or heavily jammed. The platform then determines its position by visually scanning terrain features with the camera. This scanning capability allows uninterrupted navigation and an autonomous approach to the target even without GNSS signals.

Using the camera system, the K2 can conduct reconnaissance and surveillance and acquire targets with pinpoint accuracy through visual targeting. The platform is also capable of coordinate-based precision strikes. The satellite data link (line-of-sight/LOS) and beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) ensure maximum operational flexibility.

Formation flights over the Gulf of Saros

In the second week of March, five K2 drones flew successfully from the Keşan test centre over the Gulf of Saros in "echelon right", "line" and "V" formations. Using their artificial intelligence, sensors and software, the K2 platforms determined their position relative to the other aircraft in the swarm in the test scenarios, held their place in the formation flawlessly and completed all assigned tasks.

In the first half of March, two Bayraktar Kizilelma stealth jet drones had already completed an autonomous flight test in loose formation. Roberto Cingolani, CEO of the Italian defence group Leonardo, then announced on 12 March the first demonstration flight of crewed and unmanned platforms from Leonardo and Baykar.

In April and May, the M-346 light combat aircraft is to act as mothership and control two Kizilelma unmanned combat aircraft.