The Turkish Navy has formally commissioned a new armed unmanned surface vehicle (USV) built locally by Yonca Shipyard to a design by defence technology company Havelsan.
The Turk Loydu-classed Sancar was completed in 2022 but has only recently entered service with the Turkish Navy.
The USV has a vacuum-infused composite hull, a length of 12.73 metres, a beam of 3.3 metres, a displacement of nine tonnes, a maximum speed of 40 knots, and a range of 400 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 10 knots.
The craft's armament includes a 12.7mm machine gun mounted on a remote weapon station and two UMTAS anti-armour missiles. The USV may thus be used against main battle tanks and other heavily armoured targets as well as more lightly armoured threats such as small watercraft and light structures.
The USV will perform missions including reconnaissance, surveillance, surface warfare, and mine countermeasures, harbour protection, patrol, and search and rescue in conditions up to Sea State four.
The onboard systems and sensors include Havelsan's command, control and combat management system, a radar, an electro-optical sensor, and a COLREGS-compliant collision avoidance system. Some of the sensors are mounted on a telescopic mast that can be lowered to reduce the craft's visual and radar cross-sections.
