The knowledge base in Automation & Control Engineering is not limited to industrial automation systems, but can also be extended to defense technology.
Assistant Professor Phumaret Saengram, a faculty member in the Electrical, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (EMME) program at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kasetsart University, is a research collaborator of the “Research and Development of an Anti-Drone Turret (Hard-kill Anti-Drone System)” project, led by Associate Professor Dr. Chana Raksiri, from the Department of Industrial Engineering, in collaboration with the Royal Thai Army as well as Armisys Co., Ltd., and Thai Rung Co., Ltd., from the industrial sector. 
On 27 August, 2026, the system underwent live-fire testing at the Khao Phulone Artillery Firing Range, Artillery Training Center, Lopburi Province. It successfully demonstrated its ability to detect and track unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) targets using an EO/IR camera along with the Automatic Tracking and Fire Control system developed by the research team. Major General Rawee Tangpitakakul, Director of the Army Research and Development Center, and his team observed the live- ammunition test.
This system test involved using live ammunition from a 12.7 mm machine gun against aerial targets — drones towing balloons — to verify the functionality of the two types of turret control and command programs developed by the researchers:
1. Vehicle-mounted turret (mobile type)
2. Ground-mounted gun turrets (stationary type)
During the test, the turret automatically tracked targets detected by EO/IR cameras and accurately engaged moving targets according to the design of the Automatic Tracking and Fire Control system. This platform provides a key foundation for further development into combating various types of drones/moving targets, across a range of engagement distances and mission profiles.
This is another dimension of EMME — from factory control systems to automated systems for defence technology.
Engineering Beyond the Factory.
To watch how the drones were successfully eliminated, please check out both of these videos:
https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F2289066838524946%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0 https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1602258541631749%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0
