According to information published on the Twitter account of SSB (Turkish Defense Association), the ULAQ Armed Unmanned Surface Vessel (AUSV) jointly developed by the Turkish companies ARES Shipyard and METEKSAN has conducted the first successful firing test during the naval military exercise Sea Wolf 2021.
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The armed version of the Turkish-made ULAQ unmanned surface vessel is fitted with 70 mm laser-guided missiles (CIRIT) and UMTAS anti-tank guided missiles. (Picture source ARES Shipyard)
The Sea Wolf is a large naval exercise organized by the Turkish Navy that involves 132 naval ships, 10 submarines, 43 warplanes, 28 helicopters, and 14 drones. It started on May 25 and will end on June 6, 2021.
The ULAQ is an unmanned surface vessel that was developed in different versions to support a range of missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence, asymmetric warfare, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, strategic facility security, and armed escort and force protection.
The ULAQ has been built from advanced composites. She can reach a top speed of 65 km/h with a maximum cruising range of has 400 km. The unmanned vessel has day/night vision capabilities, encrypted communication infrastructure, which can be operated from mobile vehicles and headquarters or from sea platforms such as aircraft carriers or frigates with a range of 200 km. It can also perform autonomous operations by artificial intelligence systems, which are installed onboard to fully control the vessel in autonomous mode.
The armed version of the ULAQ AUSV (Armed Unmanned Surface Vessel) can be armed with four 70mm laser-guided missile (CIRIT) which has a maximum firing range of 8 km. The vessel is also armed with UMTAS or L-UMTAS. The UMTAS or Mizrak-U (Uzun Menzilli Tanksavar Sistemi) is a long-range air-to-surface anti-tank missile developed by Turkish armor and missile manufacturer ROKETSAN. The missile has a range from 500 to 8,000 m.
The L-UMTAS is a long-range laser-guided anti-tank precision missile system developed primarily for attack helicopter platforms. The laser guidance and tandem armor-piercing warhead features of L-UMTAS can be used against both stationary and moving targets. The missile can lock onto the target before launch.
