Anadolu Agency – Ukrainian Soldiers Safety Entrusted to Turkish Defense System
Ukraine to Become the First User of NERO Industries’ Laser Detection and Smoke Grenade System
A newly developed solution by the Turkish defense industry has once again achieved export success. NERO Industries, which has been developing advanced solutions to protect security forces against potential threats to armored ground vehicles, has recently added the Laser Detection and Smoke Grenade System to its product portfolio.
The system provides a cost-effective enhancement of survivability against laser-guided anti-tank missiles. By detecting laser signals directed at the vehicle, the system automatically deploys smoke grenades toward the direction of the detected laser source, indicating a potential threat. This action disrupts the laser-to-target connection, effectively neutralizing the missile’s guidance capability.
Shortly after the completion of its initial prototypes, the system was showcased at the 14th International Defence Industries Fair (IDEF’19). During the exhibition, NERO Industries signed its first order contract, officially entering the serial production phase.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of NERO Industries, Mr. Alican Ökçün, stated to Anadolu Agency that the signed contract represents a significant milestone for the company, emphasizing that this marks the first export of such an advanced and sophisticated technology to Ukraine.
Highlighting their nearly four-year cooperation with Ukraine, Ökçün stated,
“Ukraine places great trust in us in these areas. To date, we have exported over one thousand systems to Ukraine. This new system further demonstrates their confidence in our capabilities and our success.”
Providing Critical Reaction Time
Emphasizing that the integration of smoke grenade launchers and laser detection systems will provide a broader protection solution for Ukrainian vehicles, Ökçün continued:
“These systems, particularly deployed on tactical wheeled 6×6 and 8×8 vehicles, aim to significantly enhance crew survivability. We are proud to have been selected among many suppliers and countries. Ukraine is a strong partner for us, and we will continue to provide them with the best possible systems. One of the most important features of these systems is their cost efficiency, their ability to detect various anti-tank munitions up to 2 kHz with 15-degree precision, distinguish between threat types, and provide critical warnings. By delivering 5 to 10 seconds of reaction time, the system enables the vehicle to evade threats and protects personnel.”
Ökçün also noted that two years of field studies were conducted for the system, during which data was collected from multiple systems and sources, comprehensive libraries were established, and extensive field testing was performed.
Stating that Ukraine is the first customer for this system and that the contract value exceeds one million euros, Ökçün concluded:
“These systems will be used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces for the first time. This will allow us to further enhance our qualification level through operational experience gained in different countries. The systems will initially be integrated into 30 vehicles, with expectations for follow-on orders. Our cooperation with Ukraine began with just 10 vehicles four to five years ago, and today we are discussing numbers in the thousands. We believe similar growth will be achieved with this system as well.”