SAHA 2026: Aselsan unveils one-way attack AUVs and USV

The smaller Kılıç 10 (left), and larger Kılıç 200 (centre) OWA AUV's, and the Tufan OWA USV unveiled by Aselsan at Saha Expo 2026. (Janes/Tristan Sauer)

Aselsan has unveiled Türkiye's first one-way attack (OWA) autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), Kılıç, and a new OWA unmanned surface vehicle (USV), Tufan, during Saha Expo 2026 defence exhibition held in Istanbul from 5-9 May.

Kılıç

There are two versions of the Kılıç family of expendable AUVs. Both are designed to be expendable, designed for the detection, tracking, and neutralisation of maritime targets, including subsea and surface platforms. They are intended for asymmetric naval operations with a compact, portable design.

A smaller variant, Kılıç 10, has a length of 120 cm, a diameter of 28 cm, and a stated mission range of 10 n miles. A larger variant, Kılıç 200, has a length of 350 cm, a diameter of 32.4 cm, and a stated mission range of 100 n miles. This range can be extended to 200 n miles with extra battery, according to Aselsan. Both variants have integrated warheads.

The company added that both variants have multiple communication and sensor solutions to support operations in complex maritime environments. These include satellite, radio frequency (RF), and acoustic communication links. Navigation and heading use a dual global navigation satellite services (GNSS) antenna configuration. The sensor suite comprises thermal and infrared cameras, as well as a subsea camera, enabling both surface and underwater situational awareness.

The platforms are capable of fully autonomous operation, while there is an optional fibre-optic cable control mode available for the smaller Kılıç 10 when required. Both are designed to support swarm operations, designed for manoeuvrability, a low observable profile, and with AI-supported visual localisation and target detection, according to Aselsan.

Tufan