Speaking about Baha, which will be exhibited within the scope of Saha Istanbul, Özçelik said, “When BAHA first emerged, it was a platform used to test our domestic and national autopilot software and swarm algorithms. We developed our algorithms on this platform. We wanted to test the developments in the regions where our armed forces are located and went to many areas. We wanted to define, see and test the needs of our armed forces in the region. However, we have also developed and improved this test platform itself.”
Expressing that they have completed these studies on BAHA, Özçelik said, “We have updated BAHA. We are currently conducting our flight tests with a platform with completely different features as a new design. We will be in the field to test this platform very soon. BAHA was a product that we designed only for our armed forces. BAHA is one of the products that we want to export to our friendly and allied countries. In this context, we promote our product to many countries at different events and conduct test and demo activities related to it. We are making great efforts to sign an agreement in this context.”
Özçelik explained BAHA’s new features: “It will now be able to fly in adverse weather conditions. In this context, it can fly under certain rain and precipitation conditions, especially in cold weather, because it has a sealing feature. In addition, as an imaging system, there will be electro-optical systems with cameras that are much more advanced and capable of detecting and diagnosing from a much longer distance. Again, there will be solutions that will enable it to fly stable while there will be electronic interference. To develop these, we carried out many testing activities in the field. The production of the new prototype is completed. It is now at flight tests. We have started our user demo activities. In this context, we are testing our newly developed aircraft. We anticipate it to be used together with the digital unity project in the coming period. The Digital Unity Project consists of unmanned aerial vehicles, land vehicles and sea vehicles. Together with the command and control system developed by HAVELSAN behind it, it constitutes the infrastructure of the future combat system as a fully integrated system.
Pointing out that BAHA has a domestic rate of 90 per cent, Özçelik said, “We design it. Our domestic companies completely produce its body. We mostly buy the components we use in its content from our local companies.”
Stating that the tests and performance tests continue intensively on BAHA’s new platforms that can carry different types and weights of payload, Özçelik added that they continue to work to sign new agreements both at home and abroad.
