What Is BARKAN? HAVELSAN’s Unmanned Ground Vehicle
BARKAN is HAVELSAN’s autonomous-capable unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). The vehicle’s notable feature is that it can carry out a given mission autonomously, not only by remote control. BARKAN forms the land leg of HAVELSAN’s unmanned-systems family and is designed to operate in coordination with other vehicles in the company’s “digital troop” vision. This article looks at what BARKAN is, what missions it is intended for and HAVELSAN’s contribution, based on open sources.
For HAVELSAN’s other unmanned systems see What does HAVELSAN produce?, and for the autonomous vision, HAVELSAN Digital Troop.
What is BARKAN?
BARKAN is an unmanned ground vehicle designed for missions such as reconnaissance and surveillance, patrol, logistics support and, when required, fire support. Thanks to its modular structure, it can be equipped with different mission payloads (such as sensors or a remote-controlled weapon system). The core aim is to put a machine forward instead of a human in risky missions and to increase the unit’s operational flexibility.
Autonomy: beyond remote control
What sets BARKAN apart is its autonomy capability. Rather than merely being driven remotely by an operator, the vehicle is designed to carry out a predefined mission on its own. This covers capabilities such as autonomous navigation from one point to another, obstacle avoidance and moving according to a mission plan. HAVELSAN’s contribution to this vehicle is precisely the software layer that provides this autonomy.
Its place in the swarm and digital troop
Beyond being a vehicle that works on its own, BARKAN is conceived as the land leg of HAVELSAN’s digital-troop vision. In this vision, several unmanned vehicles (land, air, sea) are managed as a swarm from a single command centre. Ground vehicles such as BARKAN are positioned as the eyes and force of this whole in the field, and can move in coordination with other platforms.
Where can it be used?
Unmanned ground vehicles provide an important advantage in missions that are risky or exhausting for humans. Prominent use scenarios for BARKAN may include border and base security, reconnaissance and surveillance, convoy escort, logistics transport and fire support. The vehicle aims to carry out these missions without putting a human directly in danger.
BARKAN at a glance
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Type | Autonomous-capable unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) |
| Distinguishing feature | Autonomous mission beyond remote control |
| Possible missions | Reconnaissance, patrol, logistics, fire support |
| HAVELSAN contribution | Autonomy and mission-management software |
| Vision | Land leg of the digital-troop / swarm concept |
Frequently asked questions
What is BARKAN?
It is HAVELSAN’s autonomous-capable unmanned ground vehicle, designed for missions such as reconnaissance, patrol, logistics and fire support.
Is BARKAN remotely controlled?
It can be remotely controlled, but its main aim is to carry out a given mission autonomously.
What does HAVELSAN provide in BARKAN?
It provides the software layer that makes the vehicle autonomous: autonomous navigation, mission planning and command communications.
What missions is BARKAN used for?
It can be used in scenarios such as border/base security, reconnaissance-surveillance, convoy escort, logistics and fire support.
Sources
- HAVELSAN unmanned systems / BARKAN — havelsan.com
- HAVELSAN Corporate — havelsan.com
- Presidency of Defence Industries — ssb.gov.tr
