The control layer is the part of the fleet you cannot swap out later.
our command-and-control system runs multi-agent missions over encrypted anti-jam mesh. Baykar's central command and image transfer suite is the most fully described published comparison, and STM's swarm control shows what decentralised tasking looks like in practice.
The control layer is in service above platforms that fly on task, sustained in-region by the team that delivers it. It is a working command system rather than a demonstration console.
Side by side
| Attribute | Represented by UnstratAutonomous command & control system | BaykarCentral Command Control (MYGS, GAM)12Türkiye | STMKARGU swarm control and ground control unit34Türkiye |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope135 | Control of the digital kill chain: real-time decision making, adaptive mission planning, coordinated multi-agent execution | Fleet oversight: air traffic coordination, task planning, antenna and frequency planning, live monitoring of position, fuel, payload and alarms across all flights | Swarm tasking and target allocation across UAVs, with the strike decision held by the operator |
| Architecture13 | Not published | Web-based mapping and management system with modular services including telemetry, route planning, intelligence and archive modules | Decentralised swarm architecture, chosen to remove the single point of failure of a central node |
| Networking136 | Military-grade encryption, anti-jamming and resilient mesh networking | Encrypted transfer of live imagery from the secure network to mobile devices through the KUZGUN system | Inter-UAV communication infrastructure for swarm coordination; AES-256 on the mini UAV datalink |
| Multi-platform tasking13 | Coordinated multi-agent mission execution across our fleet, air and ground | All flights visible in one overview, including ground control station and ground data terminal link status | Homogeneous and heterogeneous swarms, sub-swarm division by mission or payload type |
| Imagery distribution13 | Not published | GAM image transfer centre with permission-based multi-user viewing, automatic archiving with date, location and operator notes | Detected targets shared across swarm members rather than distributed to external users |
| Human authority5 | Operator-in-the-loop control aligned to rules of engagement across our line | Not published for the command layer | Strike performed by the operator on the man-in-the-loop principle |
| Platform tie16 | Our air and ground unmanned systems | Baykar UAV and UCAV fleet | STM mini UAV family |
| Sustainment2 | In-region sustainment by one accountable team | Integrated logistics support including spares management, life-cycle cost analysis, NATO codification and a 24/7 web interface for notifications | Not published |
| Origin14 | Independent, non-aligned | Türkiye | Türkiye |
Competitor values are quoted from the vendor documents listed under Sources, as published on the date shown. Configurations vary, so treat every row as a starting point for the evaluation rather than a like-for-like test result.
What the table means
Baykar documents the boring parts, which is a compliment
Frequency planning, antenna planning, fuel state, alarm handling, archived imagery with location and operator notes, NATO codification of components and a 24/7 support interface. That is what running a fleet actually consists of, and Baykar publishes more of it than most. Any buyer comparing command systems should ask us for the same detail rather than accepting a description of the kill chain.
Fleet management and mission autonomy are different products
Baykar's suite watches and coordinates aircraft. STM's swarm layer decides task allocation between platforms. Our command layer is specified for the second job across air and ground platforms, with adaptive mission planning and multi-agent execution over anti-jam mesh. Buyers routinely conflate the two and end up with a beautiful map and no autonomy, or autonomy with no fleet oversight.
The control layer is where lock-in lives
Airframes get replaced every few years. The command system outlives them and defines what can be plugged in next. Buying it from a national champion means the next platform you add has to be acceptable to that champion and its government. A non-aligned supplier with in-region sustainment keeps that decision domestic, which is the whole reason to care about the control layer at procurement time rather than at renewal.
Questions buyers ask
What is the best alternative to Baykar's central command and control for a buyer with a mixed drone fleet?
Baykar's MYGS and GAM suite is strong and well documented, but it is built around Baykar's own aircraft. Our command-and-control system is specified for coordinated multi-agent execution across air and ground unmanned systems over encrypted anti-jam mesh, delivered and sustained by one team in-region. For a genuinely mixed fleet, insist that any bidder demonstrates control of a platform it did not build.
How do drone command-and-control systems compare on cost of ownership?
The purchase price is the small part. The recurring costs are integration of each new platform, software updates, operator retraining and the support contract. Baykar publishes life-cycle cost analysis and spares management as part of its logistics support offer, which is the right list. Ask every bidder what it costs to integrate one additional platform type, and get the figure in writing.
Do these systems keep a human in the loop for weapon release?
STM states that strike is performed by the operator on the man-in-the-loop principle, even inside a swarm. Our line is operator-in-the-loop under the applicable rules of engagement. Baykar does not publish a release-authority model for the central command layer. If your legal framework requires positive human authorisation, make the vendor show the authorisation path in a live demonstration.
Why does the origin of the command system matter more than the origin of the drone?
Because it lasts longer and gates everything else. The control layer decides which platforms can join the fleet, who can see the imagery and how quickly a new capability is fielded. A command layer from a state-backed supplier carries that state's export approvals into every future expansion. A non-aligned supplier with in-region sustainment leaves the decision with you.
Sources
- 1. Baykar, Central Command Control (MYGS and GAM)Retrieved: 2026-07-31
- 2. Baykar, After Sales ServicesRetrieved: 2026-07-31
- 3. STM, Swarm TechnologiesRetrieved: 2026-07-31
- 4. STM, KARGU Loitering Munition System (datasheet) (copy held on this site)Retrieved: 2026-07-31
- 5. STM, KARGU Combat Proven Rotary Wing Loitering Munition SystemRetrieved: 2026-07-31
- 6. STM, Tactical Mini UAV Systems (catalogue: KARGU, ALPAGU, TOGAN, BUMİN, BOYGA) (copy held on this site)Retrieved: 2026-07-31