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NATO plans to deploy Türkiye's MEROPS aerial surveillance system in Poland and Romania following recent drone incidents, with training on the system expected to begin next week with Ukrainian support, German news agency DPA reported.
The alliance is counting on the rapid deployment of the Turkish-made Multispectral Extended Range Optical Sight system after Poland reported 19 airspace violations on the night of Sept. 9-10, prompting NATO to invoke Article 4 consultations at Poland's request.
Polish military operational command reported destroying several objects that violated the country's airspace on Sept. 10, identified as unmanned aerial vehicles.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that 19 border violations occurred overnight.
The incidents coincided with Russian strikes on defense industry facilities in Ukraine's Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytsky and Zhytomyr regions, as well as Vinnytsia and Lviv, according to Russia's Defense Ministry, which stated no targets in Poland were planned and offered consultations with Polish authorities.
Polish and Romanian forces will receive training on the MEROPS system, which can be integrated with drones and helicopters. The training program, organized with Ukrainian support, is scheduled to begin next week, DPA reported.
NATO hopes the Aselsan-developed electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting system will enable faster detection of Russian drones in alliance airspace.
The MEROPS system, developed by Turkish defense company Aselsan, can be mounted on helicopters and detect enemy systems through clouds, smoke and dust.
First unveiled to the public at Eurosatory 2022, the technology prioritizes medium- and short-wave thermal imaging for dawn and dusk operations.
"MEROPS' design philosophy focuses on the real-world requirements of the armed forces under combat situations.
So, users can easily achieve a 'Crystal Clear View' with the MEROPS under all possible viewing conditions," said Aselsan Chairman, President and CEO Haluk Gorgun when the system was introduced.
The system incorporates advanced image processing technologies, including traditional image enhancement and the latest machine vision and AI-based algorithms. Mission enhancement capabilities include:
These features make MEROPS particularly effective as an adverse conditions operational asset with enhanced performance, according to Aselsan specifications.
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