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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE] · [TECHNOLOGY]

2 clusters · 21 sources · 10 days · First seen · Last updated

Turkish defense industry UAV and maritime advancements

Overview

Turkish defense companies have demonstrated significant progress in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology through various military exercises. During the Ateş Serbest-2026 exercise, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) showcased new generation kamikaze UAVs, including the AYAZ platform, which completed its first live-fire mission. Testing also featured the SÜPER ŞİMŞEK and ŞİMŞEK K systems, demonstrating autonomous navigation and high-speed jet UAV capabilities. Additionally, the AKSUNGUR UAV successfully deployed the ASELSAN-developed TOLUN P bunker-buster munition against land targets.

Further developments include the introduction of the MERKÜT Magazine system by SAVX, which allows FPV kamikaze drones to be deployed sequentially from vertical racks.

In maritime applications, the TURNAs-2026 National Unmanned Naval Systems Exercise, conducted from October 19 to 27, 2026, in the Gulf of Antalya and the Eastern Mediterranean, highlighted the hybrid integration of manned and unmanned platforms. The exercise involved 1,300 personnel, 18 ships, 11 aircraft, and 41 systems from 17 defense companies. Key demonstrations included the first integration of the MKE TOLGA Close-in Weapon System onto the warship TCG BEYKOZ, which successfully engaged UAV and USV targets. The PİRANA kamikaze unmanned surface vehicle (USV) was also controlled via a Bayraktar TB2 drone to strike a surface target using a 100-kilogram warhead.

Other maritime highlights included the STM NETA 300 autonomous underwater vehicle performing mine detection, the use of LÜFER underwater vehicles for covert reconnaissance, and the AKSUNGUR UAV deploying ASELSAN aselBUOY 100P underwater acoustic listening systems. Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, Commander of the Naval Forces, described the exercise as a historic step, stating, “Future naval warfare will be conducted with unmanned vehicles.”

Entities

AKSUNGUR · TUSAŞ · ASELSAN · Turkish Naval Forces · Eastern Mediterranean

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Timeline

  1. [TECHNOLOGY] 20 sources
    TURNAs-2026 exercise tests unmanned defense systems in Turkey

    Turkey's TURNAs-2026 exercise tested 41 unmanned systems, including MKE's TOLGA and PİRANA, alongside various UAVs and autonomous underwater vehicles in the Mediterranean.

  2. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    TUSAŞ demonstrates advanced UAV and kamikaze drone capabilities

    TUSAŞ and ASELSAN have successfully tested new unmanned systems, including the AYAZ kamikaze UAV and the AKSUNGUR UAV utilizing TOLUN P bunker-buster munitions.

Sources

avrupagazete.co.uk · baskentgazete.com.tr · gazetedamga.com.tr · gazeterize.com · haber.aero · haber1.com · haberport.com · icetickets.dk · kentgazetesi.com · kibrisgazetesi.com · koganpage.com · manisadenge.com · ordu.az · sabah.com.tr · shiftdelete.net · sondakika.com · technotoday.com.tr · turkgun.com · wwj.co.jp · yenialanya.com · yenisafak.com

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history