Turkish defense firm SYS begins exports of heavy machine gun designed to counter drone threats

• CANiK M3 FALCON developed to neutralize loitering munitions, UAVs from helicopters, says SYS Chair Zafer Aral
• First shipments made to Pakistan, Azerbaijan, with system to be integrated into more than 20 Azerbaijani helicopters
• SYS also signs over $50M deal to arm 100 armored vehicles in Kosovo with turrets, 30x113 mm cannons

Turkish defense firm Samsun Yurt Savunma (SYS) has begun overseas shipments of its CANiK M3 FALCON, a next-generation heavy machine gun developed to destroy drones and unmanned aerial vehicles from helicopters, said the company’s chair.

The 12.7x99 mm heavy machine gun was showcased for the first time at this week’s SAHA 2026 International Defense and Aerospace Exhibition in Istanbul, where Turkish defense firms are unveiling new systems and signing international cooperation agreements.

Speaking to Anadolu at the fair, SYS Chair Zafer Aral said the CANiK M3 FALCON was designed specifically for the changing battlefield, where low-cost drones and loitering munitions have become a major operational threat.

“The CANiK M3 FALCON is a design developed entirely against drones, against Shahed-type drones, to neutralize drones from helicopters,” he said. “It is currently being used effectively. The first shipments were made to Pakistan and Azerbaijan.”

Aral said the system allows helicopters to respond to drones detected by radar, noting that Shahed-type drones can fly at around 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour), a speed that helicopters can match.

“When radar detects these drones or UAVs, helicopters take off, open their doors and can neutralize them completely with FALCONs,” he said.

He added that the concept has already moved from display to operational use.

“This new war concept is being exhibited for the first time and is also being used for the first time,” he said. “This need emerged recently, and a solution has been produced by using helicopters and FALCONs.”

‘More than 40 FALCONs to Azerbaijan’

Aral said demand for the system emerged after recent conflicts underlined the need for mobile, cost-effective counter-drone solutions.

He said the weapon can reach a firing rate of 1,200 rounds per minute from helicopters and was adapted for aerial use after requests were received from abroad.

“The weapon already existed. We developed it and made it suitable for use comfortably from a helicopter,” he said.

According to Aral, shipments of more than 40 CANiK M3 FALCONs have started for integration into more than 20 helicopters in Azerbaijan. Initial products have also been sent to Pakistan.

He said preliminary work has also begun for possible use of the system on Türkiye’s Gokbey helicopter, adding that tests were completed in the central Anatolian city of Konya together with Turkish defense giant Aselsan

“More demand from abroad will come,” Aral said, adding that the system is ready for use against Shahed-type UAVs or any UAV that can be detected and tracked by radar.

SYS showcases layered air defense architecture

At SAHA 2026, the SYS Group is also presenting its “integrated defense ecosystem” vision, including systems developed by UNIROBOTICS.

Among them is the Distributed Mobile Layered Air Defense Architecture, which brings together TRAKON remote-controlled weapon stations, CANiK heavy machine guns, and the VENOM LR medium-caliber cannon system in a single integrated network.

The system is designed to create layered dominance at different ranges against modern drone threats and has attracted interest from foreign delegations with its relatively low-cost and sustainable structure.

Aral said SYS continues to invest in weapons and platforms suited to the changing nature of war, including heavy machine guns, cannons, and remote-controlled turrets.

Kosovo deal worth over $50M

Aral also announced that during the fair SYS signed a major agreement with the Balkan nation of Kosovo to arm existing armored vehicles.

“The agreement is related to the armament of armored vehicles currently in Kosovo’s inventory,” he said. “We will arm 100 land vehicles with turrets and 30x113 mm cannons. It’s an agreement worth over $50 million.”

He said Türkiye has reached a new position in the global defense industry as warfare increasingly shifts toward unmanned systems and cost-effective weapons.

“Wars are now being fought with low-cost unmanned land, sea, and air vehicles and the most effective weapons these vehicles can carry,” Aral said. “This is the new war concept. Today we can say Türkiye is the only country in the world that has this concept in hand.”

Aral also said SYS has been in constant contact in recent months with countries from the Gulf to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Africa that are seeking solutions suited to this new battlefield environment.