"If it weren’t for the civilians walking around taking notes the scene could easily be mistaken for a battlefield." That line, lifted from on‑the‑ground reporting at the Ateş Serbest exercise in Ankara earlier this month, captures the sensory detail: F‑16s overhead, bombs striking targets, swarms of drones, and plumes of smoke across the General Nahit Şenoğul Firing and Exercise Area.
Turkish Aerospace Industries’ Ayaz and Super Simsek make live‑warhead debut
At the center of the live‑fire displays was Turkish Aerospace Industries’ new Ayaz — described in reporting as a turbojet‑powered one‑way attack unmanned aerial vehicle. Breaking Defense observed a nearly completed Ayaz on an assembly line during industry visits. On that same tour, the outlet also saw the Super Simsek UAV on the assembly line; the exercise marked the first time the Super Simsek flew with a warhead after its maiden voyage in 2023.
A company official told Breaking Defense that both the Ayaz and the Super Simsek "successfully conducted dive attacks and struck their targets during the Atış Serbest exercise, marking their first use with live warheads." The demonstration placed TAI’s newer one‑way attack designs squarely in the spotlight as live‑fire operational concepts rather than purely developmental prototypes.
STM’s Kargu swarms and AI in the loop
Twenty Kargu one‑way attack drones from STM were shown striking targets simultaneously. The platforms flew in coordinated swarms, shared real‑time data with each other and with an operator, and, according to the reporting, when they closed with simulated infantry they were divided into two categories and headed toward their targets. Throughout the exercise, soldiers used artificial intelligence to control unmanned systems and to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
The Kargu display emphasized both autonomous coordination among small attack UAVs and human supervision over swarm behavior — a combination highlighted repeatedly in the live demonstrations.
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See what we buildCounter‑drone and air‑defense systems on full display
Unmanned systems were not only the actors but also the targets: several counter‑drone and air‑defense platforms were fielded throughout the exercise. Aselsan’s Ejderha microwave platforms and Gokberk laser systems were observed shooting down drones, while MKE’s Tolga short‑range air defense system was shown striking targets, leaving downed drones "falling out of the sky leaving a black trail in their wake," the reporting noted.
At Aselsan’s factory, Breaking Defense saw the Gokberk in final assembly, apparently ready for delivery, though company officials made no comment on the customer. The factory also displayed air‑defense systems in two paint schemes — dark green and a yellow camouflage that company officials said were for unspecified Middle East customers.
Roketsan’s assembly lines were also visible: Cirit and UMTAS missiles were tracked through production from small parts to completed weapons. A company official told Breaking Defense that the latest conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine have led to doubling production of missiles on average, though no more detailed numbers were provided.
ASFAT’s industrial reach and the TF200 guided‑missile destroyer
State‑owned ASFAT featured in the tours as a major national integrator: the firm operates twenty‑seven military factories and ten naval shipyards across Turkey, company officials said. ASFAT told visitors it has started building the first TF200 guided‑missile destroyer, part of a longer‑term, ambitious air‑defense destroyer project.
The ASFAT facilities also offered an unusual scene in their helicopter MRO lines: Russian‑built Mi‑17 helicopters used by the Jandarma sat alongside U.S.‑built Sikorsky S‑70s and French Cougar H215s, indicating a diverse mix of airframes undergoing refurbishment and maintenance.
What this means for technologists, procurement leaders, and regional militaries
- Technologists and security teams: The exercise underscored the operational integration of AI with both small attack UAV swarms and ISR missions, and demonstrated counter‑drone tools (Ejderha, Gokberk, Tolga) in action — concrete instances to study for algorithmic behavior, communications resilience, and electronic‑attack mitigation.
- Procurement leaders and exporters: Industry tours and visible production lines (TAI Anka production expansion, Roketsan missile assembly, Gokberk final assembly) signaled an intent to scale manufacture for domestic use and export; company officials explicitly linked increased missile output to recent regional conflicts.
- Regional militaries and potential adversaries: The live employment of one‑way attack drones, medical‑resupply uses of Puhu UAVs, and unmanned ground vehicles conducting casualty evacuation (Palem) demonstrate both offensive and sustainment concepts that neighboring forces will likely track.
The Ministry of Defense brochure distributed to journalists framed Ateş Serbest’s aims succinctly: to improve "coordination of fire support between forces," to "introduce weapons and systems in the inventory and demonstrate the effect of the weapons on the target," and "to provide deterrence" through visible firepower. Whether the emphasis is deterrence, industrial pitching to export customers, or doctrinal experimentation, the exercise placed unmanned systems at the center of both strike and support roles — and showcased accompanying counter‑measures that will shape next steps for forces watching closely.