HAVELSAN Land Systems TURKISH DEFENSE INDUSTRY

BARKAN: HAVELSAN’s Armed Medium UGV — Specs, Turkish Service and Exports Explained

HAVELSAN’s BARKAN, a Medium Class Level 1 unmanned ground vehicle that joined the Turkish Armed Forces in 2023, is now in series production. According to project data released by the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) in September 2026, three BARKAN V2 vehicles have been accepted under the B-OİKA1 series production project, two BARKAN V3s are being built, and a contract amendment adds five more. SSB highlights the combination of a weapon turret and radar as the vehicle’s distinguishing feature.

BARKAN Orta Sınıf 1. Seviye İKA infographic: key features and capabilities — BARKAN Orta Sınıf 1. Seviye İKA infographic. Design: Envanter Medya

At a Glance

Builder	HAVELSAN
User	Turkish Land Forces Command
Program	SSB BARKAN Medium Class Level 1 UGV Series Production (B-OİKA1)
Status	3 V2 accepted, 2 V3 in production, 5 more added by amendment
Weight	1,000 kg (SSB)
Timeline	Unveiled Feb 2021; in service 2023; series production decision May 2025

What Is BARKAN?

BARKAN is the ground element of HAVELSAN’s “Digital Troops” concept, in which unmanned ground and air vehicles operate under a shared command-and-control network. SSB’s requirement is a Level 1 medium robot to reduce soldiers’ exposure while providing reconnaissance and fire support; mission kits include a remote weapon station, radar, perimeter surveillance, a cargo basket and a stretcher module for casualty evacuation.

Anadolu Agency reported that since 2023 the vehicle has been used in the field, received multiple payload integrations and delivered results in real operational areas, with feedback driving each new version.

Technical Specifications

Parameter	Value
Class	Medium Class Level 1 (SSB)
Weight	1,000 kg (SSB); 1 tonne for BARKAN 3 (HAVELSAN)
Dimensions (BARKAN 3)	2.7 m long, 1.5 m wide
Payload (BARKAN 3)	250 kg
Top speed (BARKAN 3)	25 km/h
Endurance (BARKAN 3)	5 hours at full load
Obstacle (BARKAN 3)	35 cm
Mission kits	RWS, radar, cargo basket, surveillance system, stretcher module (SSB)
Armament	Tested with 12.7mm; early versions 7.62mm
Control	Common Remote Control Unit (O-UKB) built by Esetron
Autonomy (BARKAN 3)	360-degree sensing, autonomous return, UAV management

The family has grown steadily: the 2021 prototype weighed about 500 kg with a 7.62mm gun; BARKAN II roughly doubled that and was tested with a 12.7mm weapon; BARKAN 3 quadruples perimeter surveillance coverage and fuses radar with electro-optics. HAVELSAN stresses that while detection and identification can be autonomous, the fire decision stays with the operator at the ground control station.

Who Builds It and Program History

HAVELSAN is prime contractor. The 2023 service-entry announcement listed Tekatron, SİO Havacılık, Hitit Savunma, Esetron, Asisguard and Repkon among subcontractors, and SSB says Esetron will supply the common remote control units. BARKAN was unveiled at the end of February 2021 and competed that year in SSB’s Level 1 UGV contest against ASELSAN’s ASLAN, Best Group’s FEDAİ and Elektroland’s HANÇER. After 18 to 24 months of trials, BARKAN II entered service in 2023; SSB’s series production decision followed in May 2025, and on 6 May 2026 at SAHA 2026 the two sides signed the Barkan O-İKA 1 series production contract amendment, which HAVELSAN General Manager Mehmet Akif Nacar said updated production and delivery schedules.

Turkish Service and Deliveries

The Land Forces Command has operated BARKAN since 2023. Under the series contract, three V2 vehicles have been accepted, two V3s are in production and five more are on order. HAVELSAN hopes to sign a dedicated BARKAN 3 series contract soon; Breaking Defense reports that mixed swarm trials start with eight vehicles and that joint swarming with HAVELSAN’s BAHA and BOZBEY drones is due in 2026.

Exports

No export contract has been announced. HAVELSAN says it coordinates export efforts with SSB and is targeting the Gulf, Middle East, North Africa and Europe, including a planned office in Saudi Arabia.

Trade Show Appearances

BARKAN featured with the Digital Troops concept at IDEF 2021, BARKAN II was shown at IDEF 2023 in July 2023, and BARKAN 3 debuted at SAHA 2026 in Istanbul in May 2026. We found no verified record of BARKAN at Eurosatory, DSEI or IDEX.

Local Content and Key Subsystems

No official local-content figure has been released, but the supply chain is domestic: HAVELSAN develops the autonomy and AI software, Esetron the control unit, with platform and subsystem contributions from Turkish firms including Tekatron and Repkon.

Global Counterparts

BARKAN compares with Milrem’s THeMIS, IAI’s REX MKII and the US Army’s light Robotic Combat Vehicle work, while Russia’s Nerekhta is an armed robot of similar weight. Its differentiator is the pairing of a weapon turret with radar on one chassis and a roadmap that builds in air-ground swarming from the start.

Within Türkiye, BARKAN’s control-unit supplier Esetron also leads the TARIK kamikaze UGV program, approved for 200 units in May 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who builds BARKAN?

HAVELSAN. ASELSAN’s competing Level 1 vehicle is a separate design, ASLAN.

Is BARKAN in Turkish service?

Yes, since 2023; three V2 series vehicles have been accepted.

What is new in BARKAN 3?

Higher payload and motor power, fourfold perimeter surveillance, radar-EO fusion and UAV management.