Turkey advances unmanned combat drones and autonomous underwater tech

Turkey's defence industry is showcasing new unmanned platforms that combine with manned aircraft and naval assets. The Turkish-made combat drone KIZILELMA performed a coordinated flight with Italy's M‑346 fighter, autonomously tracking and rejoining the aircraft after take‑off. The test demonstrated the drone’s ability to follow pilot commands, change position, separate and merge back with the manned jet.

Meanwhile, TUSAŞ is preparing the next‑generation ANKA‑3 UAV for entry into service next year, aiming to operate alongside fifth‑generation fighter programmes such as KAAN. On the maritime side, ASELSAN has introduced autonomous underwater systems KILIÇ (including the kamikaze variants KILIÇ‑10 and KILIÇ‑200) and DERİNGÖZ. KILIÇ provides swarm‑based target engagement, while DERİNGÖZ builds a deep‑water intelligence network for reconnaissance, cable protection and mine detection. Both systems are designed to function in GPS‑denied environments and can interoperate with aerial and surface unmanned vehicles.