Lentatek Kargi

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) / Loitering Munition Drone

Turkiye | 2022

"The Kargi is the latest addition to the Lentatek unmanned drone line-up - its design fulfilling a loitering munition role over the battlefield."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/22/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Lentatek of Turkey has a history of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAVs) dating back to 2005 when it brought its "ARI" hand-launched micro-UAV to market. In 2007, the company revealed its "Karayel" (detailed elsewhere on this site) which has since been advanced into 2020 under the Karayel-SU variant and, today, the concern has now focused its efforts on an all-new arrival - the single-use "Kargi".

The new drone was developed with support from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) and also involves Aselsan and Turkish defense powerhouse Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and its first-flight was recorded in 2018.

The Kargi is classified as a "loitering munition", a subgroup of attack drones that traverse the skies over battlefields seeking out Targets-of-Opportunity (ToO). As loitering munitions, its design in inherently disposable as the entire aircraft is essentially a controllable missile expended upon impact. The indigenously-designed, developed, and manufactured "all-in-one" weapon is marked suitable for use against "soft" targets found across the modern battlefield - both military and logistical / infrastructure types in value. The Kargi is particularly adept at neutralizing enemy air defenses by going directly after radar facilities and related support elements through low-profile precision strikes.

The aircraft has a blended wing-body arrangement with a warhead-tipped, missile-like shape emanating from the apex of the delta-wing planform. Twin vertical rudders are affixed to the wing trailing edges, straddling the conventional powerplant driving a two-bladed propeller unit in "pusher" arrangement. The propulsion scheme is the TUSAS Engine Industries (TAI) PG50 series engine. Additional fins are mounted near the midway point of each wing member for the needed control. As much of the drone is sourced locally, it makes for an ideal tactical-level battlefield solution for Turkish military needs. This includes the airframe itself as well as software, support, detonation, and seeker systems / subsystems.

The aircraft is launched directly from its transportation / storage container by way of expendable rocket booster.

The Kargi was used in its first exercises alongside Turkish military forces in June of 2022 (through EFES-2022) and is currently being used to succeed a stock of Israeli-made "Harpy" loitering munitions in same role.

The recent widespread use and subsequent success of drones in the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian War (2022-Present) have spurred development of such systems across the globe with Turkey quickly becoming a headliner in the industry thanks to its high-profile "Bayraktar TB2" unmanned attack drone.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Lentatek Kargi Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) / Loitering Munition Drone.

1 x TUSAS Engine Industries (TEI) PG50 series engine driving two-bladed propeller unit at rear of fuselage in pusher configuration.
Propulsion

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Lentatek Kargi Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) / Loitering Munition Drone.

0
(UNMANNED)
Crew

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Lentatek Kargi Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) / Loitering Munition Drone .

Warhead is integrated into the nose of the aircraft, making for an all-in-one solution.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Lentatek Kargi family line.

Kargi - Base Series Name.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Lentatek Kargi. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 20 Units
Contractor(s): Lentatek - Turkey

[ Turkey ]

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Production Comparison

20

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

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Mission Roles
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GROUND ATTACK

CLOSE-AIR SUPPORT

RECONNAISSANCE

SPECIAL FORCES

UNMANNED

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for Special Forces

Going Further...
The Lentatek Kargi Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) / Loitering Munition Drone appears in the following collections:

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