The optical sensor of the ASELSAN KARAT IRST, installed on the jet-powered Bayraktar KIZILELMA drone, successfully detected a target at a distance of 110 km during a performance validation test.
The test result was recently shared in a-Bülten, a monthly publication by ASELSAN, according to a report from the website Defence Blog. In it, the company confirmed the detection milestone of one of the three primary sensors of the KIZILELMA.
In addition to the KARAT system, the KIZILELMA platform also features the active electronically scanned array radar MURAD 100-A and the electro-optical targeting system TOYGUN.
The 110-kilometer detection range observed during the test places the KARAT in line with the average documented instrumented range of comparable infrared search and track systems in conventional combat aircraft.
Tracking a large commercial aircraft at this distance under test conditions validates the sensor’s ability to detect and track aerial targets at tactically relevant distances, a baseline requirement for any IRST intended for air combat operations.
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