Turkish through‑the‑wall radar helps save lives in Venezuela quake

A Turkish‑made through‑the‑wall radar system is helping rescue teams save lives by locating people trapped under rubble after last week’s earthquakes in Venezuela, marking the technology’s first international operational mission. The STM Behind‑the‑Wall Radar, known as DAR, was developed domestically by Turkish defence firm STM. The system is being used by Natural Disaster Search and Rescue teams under the Turkish Armed Forces’ Humanitarian Aid Brigade Command, which deployed to Venezuela following the twin quakes.

Proven technology

DAR previously played an active role in search‑and‑rescue operations after the February 2023 earthquakes centred in Kahramanmaraş, which killed tens of thousands in Türkiye and neighbouring Syria. During those operations, the technology helped locate more than 50 people trapped under debris, enabling them to be rescued alive. The system uses ultra‑wideband signals to obtain two‑dimensional location data on stationary and moving targets in enclosed areas where visual access is not possible.

Lightweight and versatile

Weighing only about 6.5 kilograms, DAR can be used in military scenarios such as hostage rescue and counterterrorism, as well as civilian search‑and‑rescue work after earthquakes, avalanches, and fires. The radar can detect the precise location of a living person by identifying micro and macro movements, including chest movements caused by breathing. Designed for single‑person handheld use, the system can also be operated remotely via a tablet computer, with a battery life of more than four hours. The deployment to Venezuela underscores Türkiye’s growing capacity to provide advanced disaster response technology to allies in need.