Turkey Procures 100 Expendable Naval Drones for Swarm Attacks
In February 2026, Turkey’s Defense Industry Executive Committee approved the procurement of 100 expendable unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for its navy. Three teams—Aselsan/Ares Shipyard, STM/Yonca Shipyard, and Havelsan/Sefine Shipyard—will produce the Tufan and Yaktu models. These low-profile, precision-strike drones carry high-explosive payloads and feature swarm architecture for autonomous, cooperative attacks. The decision was announced at the SAHA Expo 2026 in Izmir.
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Turkey to acquire 100 one-way explosive naval drones for swarm attacks
Turkey has decided to procure 100 expendable unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for its navy, as revealed at the SAHA Expo 2026 defense exhibition. The decision was made during a February meeting of the Defense Industry Executive Committee, with the Secretariat of Defense Industries (SSB) overseeing the project. Three companies will produce the systems: Aselsan (teamed with Ares Shipyard) will deliver 40 units of its 'Tufan' USV; STM (with Yonca Shipyard) will produce 32 units of its 'Yaktu' USV; and Havelsan (with Sefine Shipyard) will produce 32 units. Both Tufan and Yaktu are compact, low-profile, expendable precision-strike platforms designed for maritime and coastal targets, carrying high-explosive payloads equivalent to an Mk 82 bomb. They feature swarm architecture for cooperative operations, real-time data sharing, and autonomous task allocation, supporting line-of-sight and satellite communications for network-centric warfare.
Defense NewsTurkey to acquire 100 one-way explosive naval drones for swarm attacks
Turkey has decided to procure 100 expendable unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for its navy, as revealed at the SAHA Expo 2026 defense exhibition. The decision was made during a February meeting of the Defense Industry Executive Committee, with the Secretariat of Defense Industries (SSB) overseeing the project. Three companies will produce the systems: Aselsan (teamed with Ares Shipyard) will deliver 40 units of its 'Tufan' USV; STM (with Yonca Shipyard) will produce 32 units of its 'Yaktu' USV; and Havelsan (with Sefine Shipyard) will produce 32 units. Both Tufan and Yaktu are compact, low-profile, expendable precision-strike platforms designed for maritime and coastal targets, carrying high-explosive payloads equivalent to an Mk 82 bomb. They feature swarm architecture for cooperative operations, real-time data sharing, and autonomous task allocation, supporting line-of-sight and satellite communications for network-centric warfare.
Defense NewsTurkey to Acquire 100 Expendable Naval Drones for Swarm Attacks
Turkey has decided to procure 100 expendable unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for its navy, as announced during the SAHA Expo 2026 defense exhibition in Izmir. The decision was made in February 2026 by the Defense Industry Executive Committee. The procurement is overseen by the Secretariat of Defense Industries (SSB) and will involve three companies: Aselsan (teamed with Ares Shipyard) producing 40 units of the Tufan USV, STM (with Yonca Shipyard) producing 32 units of the Yaktu USV, and Havelsan (with Sefine Shipyard) producing 32 units. Both Tufan and Yaktu are designed as low-profile, expendable precision-strike platforms for maritime and coastal targets. Tufan is 8 meters long and carries a payload equivalent to an Mk 82 bomb, while Yaktu is 5.8 meters long with a 1.7-ton displacement. The systems support line-of-sight and satellite communications and are designed for cooperative swarm operations, allowing multiple units to share data and autonomously allocate tasks in real time.
C4ISRNetTurkey to acquire 100 one-way explosive naval drones for swarm attacks
Turkey has decided to procure 100 expendable unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for its navy, designed for swarm attacks against enemy ships. The decision was made during a February 2026 meeting of the Defense Industry Executive Committee, with the Secretariat of Defense Industries overseeing the project. Three companies will produce the USVs: Aselsan (teamed with Ares Shipyard) will deliver 40 units of the Tufan USV, STM (with Yonca Shipyard) 32 units of the Yaktu USV, and Havelsan (with Sefine Shipyard) 32 units. The Tufan is an 8-meter-long, 1.8-meter-wide vessel carrying a high-explosive payload equivalent to an Mk 82 bomb. The Yaktu is 5.8 meters long with a 1.7-ton displacement. Both USVs are configured for precision strikes against maritime and coastal targets, feature low-profile hulls for stealth, and support line-of-sight and satellite communications for network-centric operations. Their swarm architecture enables cooperative autonomous task allocation.
Defense NewsTurkey to buy 100 expendable naval drones for swarm attacks
Turkey's Defense Industry Executive Committee decided in February 2026 to procure 100 expendable unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for swarm attacks. The Secretariat of Defense Industries (SSB) will oversee the project, with production split among three teams: Aselsan/Ares Shipyard (40 units, Tufan model), STM/Yonca Shipyard (32 units, Yaktu model), and Havelsan/Sefine Shipyard (32 units). Both Tufan and Yaktu are compact, low-profile USVs designed for precision strikes against surface targets, carrying high-explosive payloads (Tufan equivalent to one Mk 82 bomb). They feature line-of-sight and satellite communications for network-centric operations, and their swarm architecture enables cooperative data sharing and autonomous task allocation. The systems were unveiled at SAHA Expo 2026 in Istanbul.
C4ISRNetTurkey to Acquire 100 Expendable Naval Drones for Swarm Attacks
Turkey has decided to procure 100 expendable unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for its navy, as revealed at the SAHA Expo 2026 defense exhibition in İzmir. The decision was made during a February meeting of the Defense Industry Executive Committee, the country's top defense procurement body. The Secretariat of Defense Industries (SSB) is overseeing the project, with production split among three companies: Aselsan (teamed with Ares Shipyard) will produce 40 units of its 'Tufan' USV; STM (with Yonca Shipyard) will produce 32 units of its 'Yaktu' USV; and Havelsan (with Sefine Shipyard) will produce 32 units. Both Tufan and Yaktu are low-profile, precision-strike platforms designed for maritime and coastal targets, carrying high-explosive payloads equivalent to an Mk 82 bomb. They feature swarm architecture for cooperative, real-time data sharing and autonomous task allocation, supporting line-of-sight and satellite communications for network-centric operations.
Defense NewsTurkey to Acquire 100 Expendable Naval Drones for Swarm Attacks
Turkey has decided to procure 100 expendable unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for its navy, as announced during the SAHA Expo 2026 defense exhibition in Izmir. The decision was made in February 2026 by the Defense Industry Executive Committee, with the Secretariat of Defense Industries (SSB) overseeing the project. Three companies will produce the drones: Aselsan (teamed with Ares Shipyard) will deliver 40 units of its 'Tufan' USV, while STM (with Yonca Shipyard) and Havelsan (with Sefine Shipyard) will each produce 32 units of their respective designs. The Tufan is an 8-meter vessel carrying a payload equivalent to an Mk 82 bomb, and the Yaktu is a 5.8-meter asymmetric warfare platform. Both are designed for low-observability, network-centric operations, and autonomous swarm tactics, with the doctrine envisioning four-drone attack groups.
C4ISRNetTurkey to Acquire 100 Expendable Naval Drones for Swarm Attacks
Turkey has decided to procure 100 expendable unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for its navy, as announced during the SAHA Expo 2026 defense exhibition in Izmir. The decision was made in February 2026 by the Defense Industry Executive Committee, with the Secretariat of Defense Industries (SSB) overseeing the project. Three companies will produce the drones: Aselsan (teamed with Ares Shipyard) will build 40 units of its 'Tufan' USV, while STM (with Yonca Shipyard) and Havelsan (with Sefine Shipyard) will each produce 32 units of their respective designs. The Tufan is an 8-meter vessel carrying a Mk 82 bomb-equivalent payload, and the Yaktu is a 5.8-meter asymmetric warfare platform. Both feature low-profile hulls for stealth, support line-of-sight and satellite communications, and are designed for cooperative swarm operations with real-time data sharing and autonomous task allocation. The procurement is structured to support an operational doctrine of four-drone swarms.
C4ISRNetTurkey to Acquire 100 Expendable Naval Drones for Swarm Attacks
Turkey has decided to procure 100 expendable unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for its navy, as revealed during the SAHA Expo 2026 defense exhibition in Izmir. The decision was made in February 2026 by the Defense Industry Executive Committee, with the Secretariat of Defense Industries (SSB) overseeing the project. Three companies will produce the drones: Aselsan (teamed with Ares Shipyard) will build 40 units of its 'Tufan' USV, while STM (with Yonca Shipyard) and Havelsan (with Sefine Shipyard) will each produce 32 units of their respective designs. The Tufan is an 8-meter vessel carrying a payload equivalent to an Mk 82 bomb, while STM's 'Yaktu' is a 5.8-meter platform. Both are designed for low-observability, precision strikes against maritime and coastal targets, and feature swarm architecture enabling cooperative, real-time data sharing and autonomous task allocation. The procurement is structured to support an operational doctrine of four-drone swarms.
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