Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Uganda. In September 2023, Uganda became the second country in Africa after Nigeria to purchase a Turkish Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) Togan drone.
The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) drone was purchased from the Turkish firm STM with the purpose of monitoring Uganda’s borders, significantly bolstering the country’s defense capabilities.
This year in August, STM revealed that it is negotiating with more than one country for new exports in TOGAN, and has reached the contract stage with other countries in Africa. After the agreements are signed, STM will announce these sales.
About STM drones
STM is a type of microscope used for imaging surfaces at the atomic level. It was invented by Gerd Binning and Heinrich in 1981. It has a sensor that can sense the surface by using an extremely sharp conducting tip that can detect features smaller than 0.1 nm with (0.01 pm) depth resolution.
First introduced at the International Defense Industry Exhibition in 2017, the STM Togan is a tactical mini-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a flight control system, mission planning software, and target acquisition capability.
Its compact size allows for easy transportation and operation by a single individual, making it a versatile tool for surveillance missions. Additionally, the Togan platforms can perform joint operations with other STM platforms, providing real-time, automatic target information transmission.
The Togan drone boasts a range of 10 kilometers and an operational duration of 45 minutes. It features both daytime and infrared imaging systems with 30x optical zoom, and it can autonomously track moving targets. The drone also has the capability to perform in-flight relief changes, ensuring continuous operation.
Why Uganda needed an STM drone
In the past years, Uganda has been facing the challenge of terrorist acts on the bordering countries most especially the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
It was vital for the government of Uganda’s military to employ various surveillance drones to monitor its extensive borders with several neighboring countries, such as Kenya, South Sudan, DRC, Rwanda, and Tanzania in order to beef up security.
The acquisition of the STM Togan drones is in line with Uganda’s defense strategy, which saw an increase in its defense budget last year to cope with the security realities in East Africa.
Alongside the STM Togan, the Ugandan military operates other drone models, including the RQ-11 Raven, the Orbiter II, the AAI Aerosonde Mk4.7, and the Hermes 900. In 2020, AAI Corp., a subsidiary of Textron Systems, was contracted to supply the Aerosonde Mk4.7 to Nigeria and Uganda, further expanding Uganda’s drone inventory.
Previous terror warnings
In July the United Kingdom’s (UK) government issued a travel advisory warning on its website noting that terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks on Uganda.
The attacks could be indiscriminate or against or against foreign nationals or it could happen in places frequented by foreign nationals.
The UK and United States governments have previously issued similar terror alerts and in a number of cases, these have been followed by actual attacks.
In June there was a terror alert and this was followed by the attack on Rubhiriha Secondary School by suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels where more than 40 people lost their lives and some survived with serious injuries.
Why the country opted for STM drones
STM has been successful in exporting its unique mini UAV platforms, with Togan being one of its most sought-after products. The company has exported the rotary-wing strike UAV KARGU to nearly 10 countries across three continents.
With continued development and successful field tests, Togan drones have increasingly become a staple in the inventories of security forces around the world, particularly for their efficiency in border security.
Designed for tactical-level reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence missions, Togan drones offer uninterrupted and long-term management to operators. Their unique autopilot and computer vision software allow the platform to autonomously track moving targets.
This, combined with the ability to perform target detection, recognition, and technical analysis through advanced computer vision algorithms, makes Togan drones a valuable asset in any defense arsenal.
With ongoing negotiations for new exports and contract stages reached with other African countries, STM continues to expand its global footprint. This successful export performance highlights the company’s significant role in shaping the future of defense technologies.
Security deals
In 2020, AAI Corp., a subsidiary of Textron Systems, Hunt Valley, Maryland, was awarded a contract to supply the Aerosonde Mk4.7 unmanned aerial system to both Nigeria and Uganda.
Uganda was slated to receive two units of the drone, while Nigeria received three of the type.
Moving forward, two years later, it was revealed that the Ugandan military is fielding at least two dozen Elbit Systems Hermes 900 Kochav (Star) medium-altitude long-endurance surveillance drones.
The Hermes 900 drone was seen in a video shared on 24 February by Lieutenant General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the commander of Uganda’s land forces and the president’s son.
Uganda has bought other UAVs, including several RQ-11Bs from the United States for use in Somalia. It also reportedly placed an order for the Aeronautics Orbiter II UAV in 2011.
One RQ-11B Raven was lost in a crash in August 2011, another one crashed in February of that same year.
Since the previous attacks, Uganda’s security agencies have been working hard to mitigate all forms of terror threats. And promised to remain committed to foiling any attacks on the country.
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