MKE Unveils Next-Gen Loitering Munitions at IDEF 2025

At IDEF 2025, one of Türkiye’s most prominent defense manufacturers, Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi Inc. (MKE), introduced its new family of loitering munitions, designed to meet the operational needs of the Turkish Armed Forces. These smart systems mark a new era in autonomous battlefield technologies.

Türkiye’s Tactical Leap: The Loitering Munition Family

MKE’s newly introduced systems are tailored for reconnaissance, target detection, and precision strike operations. Each system in the family is engineered to support different tactical roles with advanced autonomy and AI-based decision-making.

Unveiled Systems:

VURAN-1: A tactical loitering munition capable of autonomous flight and extended surveillance over targets before strike engagement.
GÖZCÜ: A reconnaissance-focused variant designed for electronic surveillance and signal intelligence (SIGINT).
İMFAL: A high-explosive warhead variant optimized for engaging armored targets.

All variants are modular and integrate AI-driven vision processing, route planning, and target classification functions to enhance decision-making on the battlefield.

Autonomy and AI Integration in Munitions

According to MKE representatives, artificial intelligence plays a crucial role in the systems’ autonomy levels, especially in identifying friend-or-foe and minimizing collateral damage. These munitions are also built for seamless integration into domestic command-and-control architectures.

“IDEF 2025 marks the global debut of our new loitering munition family. These systems will significantly enhance Türkiye’s combat effectiveness.”
— MKE CEO

Tactical and Strategic Differentiators

These systems offer combat units frontline deployment capabilities, extended loitering over mission zones, and rapid strike against time-sensitive targets. The ability to engage both fixed and mobile threats makes them game-changing assets.

Key Technical Specifications:

Flight Time: 30 to 90 minutes
Operational Altitude: 500 – 1,500 meters
Communications: Anti-jamming secure data link
Guidance: GNSS with Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) seeker

MKE’s Vision for Network-Centric Warfare

MKE emphasized its broader vision: integrating these systems into a networked warfare framework alongside UAVs and ground forces. The architecture supports interoperability with other Turkish platforms and enhances situational awareness in joint operations.