An important component of the system used in ships with helipads was produced indigenously by Sonitus Engineering.
The rail unit is produced indigenously by Sonitus Engineering. It is an important component of the system, used for catching and transporting the helicopter to the hangar on ships with helipad.
It was announced that the first units of production were delivered to Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) on April 4. In this way, an important component of this system, which is produced by few countries in the world, has been made indigenous by Sonitus Engineering.
The statement made by Emre Koray Gençsoy, Director of ASFAT Naval Platforms regarding the delivery on his social media account as follows:
“The Helicopter Capture and Transfer System was a system that needed to be localized since the embargo was applied and it had to be brought up to the narrow schedule of the OPV project. In the interviews, companies with TÜBİTAK Technology Readiness Level 6 and above were asked to detect and show that they can capture drones of different sizes on a scaled platform and camera moving in a given wave spectrum. Two Turkish companies achieved this in a much shorter time than we anticipated.
There was also the rail system, which everyone hesitated and thought we could not produce because only two or three countries in the world produced it. With the metallurgical works carried out, the rails were certified by Türk Loydu in about 3 months, and they were made in a much more suitable geometry and made ready for other tests. In our country, there are very successful engineering companies that do not only analyze at the desk, but also implement them in the field, with which we can control every stage, speak the same language and communicate. I congratulate the SONITUS family for their outstanding effort and success.”
This system was supplied from Canada on all our ships that already have helipads and hangars. The Canadian Government claimed that in 2021, Azerbaijan used Canadian technology in its military conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh. Then, with the decision taken, he canceled the military goods and technology export permits to Turkey.
Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau made the following statements on the subject:
“Following this review, which found credible evidence of the use of Canadian technology exported to Turkey in Nagorno-Karabakh, today I am announcing the revocation of permits suspended in autumn 2020”
Helicopter Capture and Transfer System is a system used to fix the aircraft (helicopter or unmanned helicopter) landing on the helipad of the ship and tow it to the hangar without any intervention.