The Jandarmas Aerial Assistant “Sees with National Eyes” Clear 2025
Gyrocopters, which have accumulated 5,500 flight hours in various missions under the Jandarma Aviation Command, are being used effectively with domestically produced cameras. ” The Jandarmas Aerial Assistant “Sees with National Eyes””.
Ankara
A national solution has been chosen as the most valuable payload for the “new eyes in the sky” of the Jandarma units. The GÖKALP HD90-L imaging system, developed by Lapis Aviation and described as the “intelligent eye of the sky,” has been integrated into the gyrocopters.
This three-axis imaging system offers unmatched stabilization, detection, and identification performance during reconnaissance and surveillance missions.
Jandarma Pilot First Lieutenant Can Demirdağ told AA that the gyrocopters were initially added to the gendarmerie inventory for high-intensity missions such as traffic surveillance.
Later, they began using gyrocopters for securing oil and natural gas pipelines, detecting illegal plantations, combating human trafficking, and search and rescue missions. “We’ve seen very positive results from these operations,” Demirdağ said. “We also plan to use them during natural disasters like earthquakes and floods for checking power transmission lines, road and bridge conditions. The gyrocopters were added to our inventory in March 2023, and since then, we’ve logged a total of 5,500 flight hours.” The Jandarmas Aerial Assistant.
Demirdağ noted that one of the most important uses of the gyrocopters is highway traffic monitoring:
“In highway monitoring, we can instantly transmit traffic violations such as not wearing seatbelts, lane violations, and stopping on the roadside to ground units in real-time. These images are monitored by our highway control units and shared with field teams who take the necessary action. Our main goal here is to raise awareness and prevent traffic accidents.”
Demirdağ highlighted the gyrocopter’s cost-efficiency:
“Our inventory includes various general-purpose helicopters with an average hourly operating cost of about $3,500. We can perform all these activities with gyrocopters at only $50 per hour, which results in significant savings. Under the 2024 austerity measures, we started using gyrocopters in our basic pilot training at the Gendarmerie Aviation Academy. Pilot trainees first train with gyrocopters, which are easier to operate than helicopters or planes. With them, they learn meteorology, communicate with the tower, and apply checklist procedures—significantly contributing to flight safety. We’ve had very positive feedback so far.” The Jandarmas Aerial Assistant.
“The domestically developed camera is a source of pride”
Demirdağ emphasized that they foresee expanding gyrocopter use in future natural disaster operations. He said the aircraft have contributed to locating missing persons during search-and-rescue efforts in provinces like Aydın, Antalya, and Ankara by detecting individuals from the air and notifying ground teams to ensure safe recovery.
Explaining that the gyrocopter operates with a two-person crew, he added:
“It can stay airborne for approximately 4 to 6 hours. Thanks to its onboard camera, it can transmit live footage to ground units. The camera system includes both thermal and daylight sensors. It also has a laser rangefinder and can transmit coordinates of the observed area. Compared to its peers, its daylight camera is extremely advanced for its class. Its stabilization capability is excellent, allowing us to obtain clear images even at high zoom levels over long distances. We can read license plates from about 1,200 meters and measure distances up to 3 kilometers. The fact that the camera system is domestically developed is a true source of pride and adds significant strength to our operations. Having this capability greatly enhances our mission effectiveness.”
Covered about 38,000 km in road surveillance
Sharing data on flights performed since the gyrocopters were commissioned, Demirdağ stated that they have flown 1,000 hours for traffic monitoring, 190 hours for reconnaissance and surveillance, 110 hours combating human trafficking, and 40 hours for search and rescue.
“In pilot training alone, we’ve flown 1,600 hours. Since traffic surveillance on highways was handed over to the Gendarmerie General Command, we’ve performed 450 hours of flights, covering about 38,000 kilometers. We especially monitor offenses such as improper overtaking, not wearing seatbelts, and violations of the emergency lane. Gyrocopters are actively used in these traffic checks. During the last Ramadan holiday, we conducted 20 hours of flights in just 3 days, covering 2,000 kilometers.”
He concluded by highlighting real-time data sharing:
“The footage obtained through the camera system can be transmitted instantly to our image monitoring centers and the tablets of field units. For example, one of our gyrocopters is currently conducting traffic surveillance near Bolu on the Istanbul-Ankara route. We can watch this live. They are identifying vehicles committing traffic violations on the highway, and our ground teams are immediately notified to respond accordingly.”
