Turkey has unveiled a new suicide drone, called "Deli", after nearly two years of work on this project.
The first version of the aircraft was displayed at the "Saha Expo 2022" exhibition for defense and aviation, which will be hosted by Istanbul from Tuesday until next Friday.
According to the Turkish company "Tetra", which worked on manufacturing this plane in cooperation with the Presidency of Defense Industries of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, the plane is characterized by ease of transportation and operation and can be ready for use in less than 15 minutes.
The maximum speed of the Deli drone can reach 180 kilometers per hour, and the manufacturer says that the aircraft, equipped with anti-jamming devices, can carry out operations at a maximum altitude of 3,500 metres.
Davut Yilmaz, general manager of Tetra Defense Industries, said in an interview with the official Anadolu Agency that the company has reached the end of practical tests of the fixed-wing Deli aircraft.
The Dali carries a warhead weighing about 3.1 kilograms (Anatolia)
Yilmaz added that the march has achieved good results in all tests, and that the company may start production operations by the end of this year.
He explained that Dali can fly at this stage for 75 minutes continuously and travel a distance of up to 85 kilometers, loaded with a warhead weighing about 3.1 kilograms.
Yilmaz talked about 3 main advantages of the Deli drone, which is cost-effective as it was designed for single use as a kamikaze drone.
In addition, it is equipped with a high-impact warhead, and the third advantage is the ability to self-control, according to him.
Ottoman "madman"
Regarding the company's choice of the name "Dili", which means madman in Turkish, Yilmaz said that there are two reasons for this choice. The first is that the letters of the word abbreviate the phrase "low-cost military drone."
The second reason is the quotation of the name from one of the military divisions in the Ottoman army, which has always marched at the forefront of the army and achieved “insane” heroism during the conquests.
Turkey pays great attention to the military drone industry, and its marches have had a prominent impact in a number of military conflicts in recent years, including the war in the Karabakh region about two years ago, as well as Libya, Syria and Ukraine.
A few days ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkish exports of defense industries exceeded 3 billion dollars annually, after they were 250 million dollars before the Justice and Development Party came to power in 2002.
"Our drones have become legends in which songs are composed. The most advanced technology, Akinci, has the ability to fundamentally change war strategies around the world," Erdogan said.