STM has unveiled TUNGA-X, a new interceptor UAV developed to neutralize low-cost kamikaze drones and other hostile unmanned aerial threats in the air.
The system was displayed for the first time at SAHA EXPO 2026 in Istanbul. Designed for the growing counter-UAV requirement on modern battlefields, TUNGA-X combines high speed, autonomous mission capability and radar-integrated target engagement in a cost-effective interceptor platform.
A Cost-Effective Interceptor for Asymmetric Threats
TUNGA-X was developed against the increasing threat of low-cost but high-impact kamikaze UAVs, especially in asymmetric warfare environments.
The platform can work in coordination with UAV detection radars. Once a hostile drone is detected at a range of up to 10 km by radar, the threat information is transmitted to TUNGA-X. The interceptor then moves rapidly toward the predicted approach corridor, verifies the target with its EO/IR camera and neutralizes it in the air using a proximity-fuzed explosive mechanism.
Thanks to its multi-rotor architecture, TUNGA-X can take off vertically from confined areas or mobile platforms. It can operate in both manual and autonomous flight modes and features image-processing-based autonomous target tracking.
The system also has a return-to-home capability if the mission is cancelled, giving operators additional flexibility during real operations.
TUNGA-X Technical Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Warhead | 750 g |
| Flight Time | 15 minutes |
| Maximum Speed | 300 km/h |
| Range | 25 km |
| Maximum Altitude | 5,000 m AGL |
| Attack Modes | GNSS Guidance / Optical Guidance |
| Camera | EO/IR |
| Target Tracking | Image-processing-based autonomous tracking |
| Proximity Sensors | LiDAR / Radar |
| Kill Mechanism | Proximity, impact-detection or manual detonation |
STM: “A Cost-Effective Shield Against Asymmetric Threats”
STM General Manager Özgür Güleryüz stated that low-cost fixed-wing kamikaze UAVs have become a serious threat to critical facilities and that countering such threats with expensive air defense missiles is not always sustainable.
Güleryüz emphasized that TUNGA-X is designed to offer both technological and cost-effective superiority against asymmetric threats. With its approximately 300 km/h speed, radar-integrated operation and mid-air kill capability, the system brings STM’s autonomous systems experience into the counter-UAV field.
Strategic Importance
TUNGA-X fills an important gap between electronic countermeasures, gun-based air defense and missile-based systems.
As drone and kamikaze UAV threats become cheaper, more numerous and harder to detect, militaries need low-cost interceptors that can respond quickly without creating an unfavorable cost exchange. TUNGA-X directly addresses this requirement.
The system can be deployed in urban areas, rural zones, military bases, critical infrastructure sites and mobile defense formations. Its modular structure also allows integration with different carrier platforms.
With TUNGA-X, STM is expanding its autonomous systems portfolio into the counter-UAV domain and offering a practical response to one of the most urgent threats of modern warfare.
