By Bosphorus News Defense Desk
Türkiye opened a four-day naval technology event at Gölcük Naval Shipyard on Thursday with 37 naval assets on display and a series of developments involving unmanned systems above, on and below the water.
The opening day brought an inventory-related ceremony for Bayraktar KALKAN, the first launch of ASELSAN's TUFAN kamikaze unmanned surface vehicle in Turkish waters, a sea demonstration by DERİNGÖZ and KILIÇ 10, and the public introduction of FNSS's İ-ZAHA unmanned amphibious vehicle.
The event, officially titled TEKNOFEST Mavi Vatan, runs through Aug. 23 at Gölcük Naval Shipyard Command.
TUFAN enters Turkish waters
ASELSAN's TUFAN Kamikaze Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) was put into the water during the opening program, marking its first appearance in Turkish waters.
The eight-meter vehicle is designed for high-speed autonomous attack missions. ASELSAN lists a maximum speed of at least 50 knots and an operational range of 200 nautical miles.
TUFAN can operate alone or in swarms, including formations divided into smaller groups for separate missions. Its autonomy suite includes dynamic route planning, avoidance of moving and stationary obstacles, and image-based target detection and engagement.
The vehicle can use radio-frequency line-of-sight and mesh links as well as satellite and cellular communications, and is designed to continue operating in communications- or Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-denied environments.
TUFAN occupies a different niche from the larger armed unmanned surface vessels already developed in Türkiye. Its design is centered on speed, a low signature and expendable strike missions rather than prolonged patrol or operation as a reusable weapons carrier.
KALKAN inventory ceremony held aboard TCG Oruçreis
Baykar's Bayraktar KALKAN vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle provided another opening-day milestone.
A ceremony linked to KALKAN's entry into inventory was held aboard the frigate TCG Oruçreis following the opening ceremony.
Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Presidency of Defense Industries President Haluk Görgün, force commanders, Baykar Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar and defense industry representatives attended.
Designed primarily for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, KALKAN has a stated operational range of 500 kilometers, endurance of six hours, maximum take-off weight of 78 kilograms and payload capacity of 3 kilograms. Baykar lists its line-of-sight communication range at more than 80 kilometers.
The aircraft can take off and land vertically without a runway, using electric motors for the vertical phases before switching to an internal-combustion engine for cruise flight.
KALKAN is not itself a naval-specific unmanned aircraft. Its inventory ceremony aboard a Turkish Navy frigate, however, placed the system alongside a broader group of unmanned platforms being presented at Gölcük.
DERİNGÖZ and KILIÇ 10 demonstrate underwater operations
ASELSAN also put two autonomous underwater systems into the water during the first day.
DERİNGÖZ Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) and KILIÇ 10, a kamikaze autonomous underwater vehicle, carried out a navigation demonstration off Gölcük.
DERİNGÖZ is designed for reconnaissance and surveillance missions and can operate at depths of up to 600 meters. ASELSAN lists nominal endurance at eight hours, rising to 24 hours with two additional batteries, and a maximum speed of 5.5 knots.
The vehicle can carry equipment including side-scan sonar and is fitted with inertial, Doppler velocity log, acoustic and satellite-navigation systems.
KILIÇ 10 brings an offensive role to the underwater category. ASELSAN unveiled the KILIÇ family earlier this year as an autonomous kamikaze system designed to carry a warhead and approach targets below the surface.
The Gölcük demonstration put the reconnaissance-oriented DERİNGÖZ and strike-oriented KILIÇ 10 in the same operating environment rather than limiting their appearance to static exhibition stands.
İ-ZAHA moves the unmanned role ashore
FNSS introduced İ-ZAHA, an unmanned amphibious vehicle derived from its amphibious assault vehicle work.
The eight-ton platform can travel at up to 7 knots in water and 70 kilometers per hour on land, allowing it to move directly from sea to shore.
FNSS has designed the vehicle around interchangeable payload modules that can be replaced in about 40 minutes. Ten mission configurations are planned, covering fire support, mine clearance, engineering, electronic warfare, reconnaissance, tactical deception, counter-drone operations, navigation and marking, logistics and casualty evacuation.
The operating concept puts İ-ZAHA ahead of crewed amphibious vehicles when approaching a defended coast, allowing the unmanned platform to make first contact with shore defenses while its operators remain farther from the engagement area.
İ-ZAHA can operate autonomously, by remote control or in a mixed mode. Its baseline control range is 3 kilometers, with an unmanned aerial vehicle relay available to extend communications.
37 naval assets form the backdrop
The unmanned systems appeared alongside 37 Turkish naval assets and platforms assembled at Gölcük.
The lineup includes TCG Anadolu, fleet replenishment ship TCG Derya, frigates TCG İstanbul and TCG Oruçreis, corvette TCG Burgazada, submarines and mine warfare, amphibious and support vessels.
Three technology competitions are also running during the event, covering unmanned underwater systems, unmanned surface vehicles and underwater rockets. The program includes naval aviation demonstrations and displays by Turkish Navy underwater attack and underwater defense units.
The concentration of systems unveiled or demonstrated on the opening day also showed how far Türkiye's unmanned programs have spread beyond the armed surface vessel projects that dominated the sector's earlier development.
Gölcük brought together a surveillance aircraft moving toward service, an expendable surface-strike vehicle, reconnaissance and attack systems operating underwater, and an unmanned vehicle intended to cross the shoreline ahead of crewed forces. All were presented against the backdrop of the Navy's existing fleet rather than as stand-alone technology projects.
The event continues through Aug. 23.
Sources: TEKNOFEST; Turkish Ministry of National Defense; Baykar; ASELSAN; FNSS; Anadolu Agency; TRT Haber; Bosphorus News reporting and review.