Seeing through armour: what BOZOK and SAWES 360 do
Quick answer: Armour protects but it also blinds, and FOTONİKS‘ situational awareness systems were developed to close that gap. The line comprises the SAWES 360 panoramic vision system for land vehicles, the BOZOK 8K spherical camera for naval and fixed applications, KUZGUN and KUZGUN DUAL for wide-angle coverage, and the KUKA tail camera for unmanned aerial vehicle pilots. The purpose is the same in each case: to give personnel inside the platform an uninterrupted picture of their surroundings without stepping outside.
What is the problem of seeing from behind armour?
The company’s SAWES 360 page states the problem plainly: an armoured vehicle provides force protection to units, but the inability to see out of the armour hampers situational awareness around the vehicle. In built-up area operations, opening the hatches to observe puts the crew at risk. Panoramic camera arrays have therefore become a standard item in modern armoured vehicle modernisation. SAWES 360 is presented as a 360-degree panoramic vision system adaptable to armoured vehicle, MRAP and armoured fighting vehicle mission profiles; IP67 protection, onboard audio and GPS recording and a 2.8 micron pixel pitch are among the published figures.
BOZOK: 8K spherical vision
BOZOK is a spherical camera that stitches the imagery of four CMOS detectors in software to provide 360-degree horizontal and vertical coverage. The official page lists 8K resolution, a 2.2 millimetre focal length, digital wide dynamic range (DWDR) and streaming options at different resolutions. The company describes the system as portable and easy to deploy, and says blind spots are eliminated by image stitching algorithms. Although it is listed under the naval heading within the platform category, its use case is not restricted to a single platform.
KUZGUN, KUZGUN DUAL and KUKA
KUZGUN is an uncooled thermal camera with a 120-degree field of view; it operates in the 8-12 micron band and is listed at under 5 kilograms. KUZGUN DUAL adds a CCD day camera to the same housing and is listed at under 7 kilograms. KUKA answers a different need: it is a wide-angle digital day camera used during take-off and landing that lets the UAV operator see the platform across its full wingspan. Its published figures include 120 decibels of dynamic range, a signal-to-noise ratio above 50 decibels, 28 volt DC supply, fisheye correction and low-latency image transmission. Narrow-angle solutions specific to the driver fall outside this file and are examined in the thermal driving cameras file.
Official data for the five systems
| System | Task | Main published figures |
|---|---|---|
| SAWES 360 | Armoured vehicle panoramic vision | 360° coverage; IP67; audio + GPS recording; 2.8 μm pixel pitch; 86°/120° camera fields of view |
| BOZOK | Spherical all-round vision | 8K; 4x CMOS; 360°x360°; DWDR; software stitching |
| KUZGUN | Wide-angle thermal vision | 120° field of view; 8-12 μm; <5 kg; 17 μm pixel pitch |
| KUZGUN DUAL | Wide-angle thermal + day | 8-12 μm; <7 kg; CCD day channel |
| KUKA | UAV tail camera | 120 dB dynamic range; ≥50 dB SNR; 28 VDC; fisheye correction |
Market context
Situational awareness systems are a growing item in armoured vehicle modernisation, and the company has described the field as one of the main axes of its portfolio since 2021. In the MSI Turkish Defence Review (MSI TDR) interview, Cem Yazıcıoğlu listed armoured vehicle situational awareness systems among the company’s solution areas. The vehicle programmes these systems are integrated on have not been officially disclosed; the company’s references include FNSS and UNIDEF. The share of these systems in exports is addressed in the export file.
Frequently asked questions
Which vehicles can SAWES 360 be adapted to?
The manufacturer states that it adapts readily to armoured vehicle, MRAP and armoured fighting vehicle mission profiles. The vehicle models it is integrated on have not been officially disclosed.
What does BOZOK’s 8K resolution provide?
It reduces the loss of detail in the combined image from four sensors, so the operator sees more when zooming in digitally. The manufacturer also offers streaming at different resolutions.
Is KUZGUN thermal or day?
KUZGUN is thermal only; KUZGUN DUAL adds a CCD day camera to the same architecture. Both models operate in the 8-12 micron LWIR band.
Which UAVs use KUKA?
Not officially disclosed. The presence of Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ) on the company’s reference list is notable, but no product-to-platform match could be verified.
Do these systems also work at night?
The thermal channel of KUZGUN and KUZGUN DUAL works at night. The official pages for SAWES 360 and BOZOK give no detector detail regarding night capability.
Sources and verification note
- https://www.fotoniks.com.tr/tr/urun/durumsal-farkindalik-sistemi-sawes-360 — Accessed: August 12, 2026
- https://www.fotoniks.com.tr/tr/urun/durumsal-farkindalik-sistemi-bozok — Accessed: August 12, 2026
- https://www.fotoniks.com.tr/tr/urun/genis-acili-termal-kamera-kuzgun — Accessed: August 12, 2026
- https://www.fotoniks.com.tr/tr/urun/termalgunduz-kamera-kuzgun-dual — Accessed: August 12, 2026
- https://www.fotoniks.com.tr/tr/urun/iha-kuyruk-kamerasi-kuka — Accessed: August 12, 2026
- https://www.savunmahaber.com/en/fotoniks-cem-yazicioglu-10-th-year-anniversary-interview/ (MSI TDR, May 23, 2021; via archived copy) — Accessed: August 12, 2026
Technical values are manufacturer statements; integration programmes and quantities have not been officially disclosed.
