Türkiye’s MKE Unveils TOLGA Naval 20 mm Gun System After Shipborne Anti-Drone Trials.

Turkish defense manufacturer MKE has unveiled a stabilized naval version of its TOLGA twin 20 mm revolver cannon system, extending its counter-drone offering to shipboard defense. Presented following firing trials aboard the Turkish Navy corvette TCG Beykoz, the remotely controlled turret is intended to engage aerial drones and surface threats. MKE says the system successfully struck both target categories during the naval demonstration.

Turkish defense company MKE unveils its TOLGA twin 20 mm naval gun system at Euronaval 2026, designed to protect ships against aerial drones and unmanned surface vessels. (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)

Key Tactical Insights:

- Defense across two domains: The reported engagements aboard TCG Beykoz demonstrated the mount's capability against aerial and surface targets, addressing two different approaches to a ship within a single weapon installation.
- Stabilized shipboard engagement: MKE describes stabilization and electro-optical tracking as central capabilities, helping the turret maintain its aim while compensating for the movement of its host vessel.
- Demonstration status: The exercise provides evidence of shipboard firing, but the available information does not establish performance against simultaneous attacks, difficult sea conditions, or a wider Turkish Navy procurement decision.

MKE displayed the naval TOLGA at Euronaval 2026, held in Paris from November 3 to 6. The exhibition appearance followed its demonstration during the TURNAs-2026 naval exercise in late October, when the system fired from TCG Beykoz. In its exhibition announcement, MKE reported successful engagements against aerial and surface targets and said the weapon was intended to protect military ships as well as commercial and other civilian vessels.

The development brings TOLGA’s gun-based counter-drone capability into a maritime setting, where a weapon must account for its own ship’s movement while tracking a maneuvering target. The reported destruction of an aerial and a surface threat during the exercise demonstrates its intended dual role, although the information supplied does not specify engagement distances, target speeds, ammunition expenditure, or sea conditions.

Stabilization Supports Defense Against Aerial and Surface Threats

The naval mount combines two gas-operated 20 mm revolver cannons with remote control, electro-optical observation, and automatic target tracking. According to MKE’s technical documentation, the two weapons offer an adjustable combined firing rate of up to 3,000 rounds per minute. This lets operators vary fire output by engagement, though actual effectiveness depends on tracking accuracy, ammunition, and target characteristics.

Stabilization is particularly relevant to the naval adaptation. Ship motion changes a gun’s line of fire even when the target follows a steady course. MKE describes the system as capable of engaging moving targets while its host platform is moving, with an onboard inertial navigation unit and provisions for integration with ship navigation inputs.

The turret provides continuous rotation and an elevation range from minus 30 to plus 70 degrees. That movement supports engagement of both elevated aerial targets and threats approaching near the waterline, subject to the firing arcs available at its installation position. MKE also lists day and night observation and automatic ballistic calculation among its capabilities.

For ship integration, the manufacturer describes compatibility with external sensors and command-and-control systems, including provision for radar integration. These are integration options; the available exercise information does not identify the complete sensor arrangement used aboard TCG Beykoz.

Developing Ship Defenses Against Aerial Drones and Unmanned Surface Vessels

The development of weapons such as naval TOLGA addresses the need to defend ships against unmanned threats approaching through both the air and the sea surface. This combination has already featured in maritime security operations. In a February 26, 2024, operational update, U.S. Central Command reported destroying three unmanned surface vessels and a one-way attack aerial drone associated with threats to shipping in the Red Sea. Such incidents underline why naval protection must account for more than airborne targets alone.

A stabilized, remotely controlled cannon offers a potential close-range defensive layer against these different threats. Aerial drones require accurate tracking as their altitude and direction change, while small unmanned surface vessels can approach close to the waterline. Combining observation, tracking, ballistic calculation, and gun control in one mount is intended to shorten the sequence between detecting a threat and opening fire.

Gun systems can also give commanders another engagement option alongside missiles and electronic countermeasures. Their practical value depends on timely detection, clear firing arcs, sufficient ammunition, and the ability to stop the target before it reaches the ship. A high firing rate alone does not establish that capability, particularly against several threats arriving from different directions.

For commercial vessels, which MKE also identifies as potential users, installation would require consideration of deck space, structural support, power supply, sensor coverage, and weapon operation. The Beykoz demonstration supports the system’s shipboard development, but it does not by itself establish suitability for every civilian vessel or operating environment.

MKE Expands Its Land-Weapons Expertise Into Naval Combat Systems

Widely associated with ammunition, infantry weapons, and artillery, MKE is broadening its maritime portfolio by applying its weapons expertise to shipboard guns and unmanned naval systems. Its product range includes the BORAN air-portable howitzer and infantry weapons alongside naval artillery and the PİRANA unmanned surface vessel, illustrating an industrial offering that now spans both land and maritime requirements.

The naval TOLGA therefore builds on an existing move into the sector. MKE’s 76/62 mm National Naval Gun provides a separate example: the company states that the weapon entered the Turkish Armed Forces' inventory and progressed to mass production after land and sea acceptance tests. Its stated missions include air defense, surface warfare, and shore bombardment.

At Euronaval, MKE also promoted its PİRANA unmanned surface vessel and MALAMAN smart bottom mine alongside TOLGA. Together, these products show the company pursuing several maritime roles, from ship protection to unmanned attack and undersea weapons. The naval TOLGA adds a smaller-caliber defensive mount to that portfolio, with counter-drone protection as a central application.

The naval demonstration therefore marks a concrete step in adapting TOLGA for maritime protection. Further disclosed trials would be needed to assess its engagement envelope and sustained performance at sea, while the material available does not establish a fleetwide order or operational deployment beyond the demonstrated installation.

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Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.