Armed Unmanned Surface Vessel ULAQ Enters Service

ULAQ, Turkey’s first armed unmanned surface vessel (USV), has entered service with the Naval Forces. Developed through cooperation between Meteksan Savunma and ARES Shipyard, the platform can be used in reconnaissance-surveillance and armed patrol missions.

ULAQ’s role

ULAQ is described as an unmanned surface vessel designed for armed reconnaissance and attack missions, and stands as Turkey’s entry platform in this field. The craft is planned to be evaluated in scenarios ranging from coastal and harbour security to open-sea patrol. The core contribution of unmanned surface vessels is that they remove crew risk while offering a persistent and relatively low-cost maritime surveillance capacity.

An expanding family

Turkey’s unmanned surface vessel portfolio is not limited to a single platform. The MARLIN family addresses mine warfare missions alongside reconnaissance and surveillance. SALVO USV is positioned as another platform extending the armed unmanned surface vessel line. TUFAN, developed by ASELSAN with ARES Shipyard, has a single-use kamikaze mission profile.

The TUFAN example: cost logic

TUFAN has a hull length of 8.1 metres and is driven by a petrol engine with water-jet propulsion. The craft is stated to reach a maximum speed above 50 knots and to offer a range of 200 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 35 knots. The platform carried out its first water trials at TEKNOFEST Mavi Vatan 2026, held between 20 and 23 August; there is no official announcement that it has been procured by the Naval Forces. The kamikaze concept rests on a different cost logic from reusable armed unmanned surface vessels, since it removes the cost of expensive guided munitions and enables swarm employment economics.

The doctrinal frame

These platforms are positioned as part of the maritime surveillance and coastal security architecture within Turkey’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine. Distributed swarm intelligence, vision-based navigation and insensitive munition warheads are among the prominent technology areas in this class.

Assessment

Armed unmanned surface vessels offer a cost-effective layer in maritime surveillance. Their operational value, however, is directly linked to the resilience of the communications link in an electronic warfare environment, target discrimination capability and the clarity of rules of engagement. Entry into the inventory therefore does not mean the capability has matured; the real measure will be the results obtained under actual mission conditions.