New Turkish Autonomous Underwater Strike Systems Could Challenge Traditional Naval Defenses.

ASELSAN unveiled its new KILIÇ family of autonomous underwater strike systems during SAHA Expo 2026 in Istanbul, with the announcement on 5 May 2026 highlighting Türkiye’s push to expand covert naval attack capabilities in contested maritime environments. The systems strengthen Ankara’s growing focus on distributed and asymmetric naval warfare by giving Turkish forces new options to threaten surface combatants and submarines without exposing crewed platforms to direct risk.

The KILIÇ systems are designed for stealth underwater missions, combining autonomous operation with precision strike capability against high-value naval targets in littoral and open-sea scenarios. Their introduction reflects the wider shift toward unmanned maritime combat systems that can extend deterrence, complicate enemy naval defense planning, and support future multi-domain naval operations.

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The KILIÇ family appears designed for dispersed employment concepts, including rapid coastal deployment and coordinated swarm operations. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The KILIÇ family enters a defense environment increasingly shaped by low-cost autonomous effects, saturation tactics, and contested littoral operations. ASELSAN describes the systems as autonomous underwater vehicles capable of detection, tracking, and destruction missions against both surface and subsurface targets. The company also highlights its intended role in asymmetric warfare scenarios where stealth, portability, and operational flexibility are considered as important as payload size. Unlike conventional heavyweight torpedoes tied to larger naval assets, the KILIÇ vehicles appear designed for dispersed employment concepts, including rapid coastal deployment and coordinated swarm operations.

Two variants have been publicly disclosed by ASELSAN: the compact KILIÇ 10 and the longer-range KILIÇ 200. Although both follow the same operational philosophy, their dimensions and mission envelopes indicate different tactical roles. The KILIÇ 10 measures 120 cm in length with a diameter of 28 cm and is presented as a one-man portable autonomous underwater strike vehicle. ASELSAN states that the system has a mission range exceeding 10 nautical miles while integrating an onboard warhead, dual Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennas for rapid heading determination, satellite, radio-frequency and acoustic communications, as well as surface thermal and infrared cameras combined with an underwater imaging system.

Those sensor and communication choices suggest that the vehicle is not limited to fully pre-programmed navigation. The combination of underwater acoustic communications and satellite connectivity on the surface points toward intermittent operator supervision during specific mission phases. The dual GNSS antenna configuration also improves orientation and positioning speed when surfacing, which is relevant for autonomous systems operating in complex littoral waters where navigation accuracy directly affects survivability.

The KILIÇ 200 extends the concept toward longer-endurance strike missions. ASELSAN indicates a mission range above 100 nautical miles, which can reportedly reach 200 nautical miles with an additional battery pack. The vehicle measures 350 cm in length with a diameter of 32.4 cm and integrates a larger onboard warhead alongside satellite communication capabilities. These dimensions place it closer to a long-range autonomous underwater loitering munition than to a compact coastal system.

Operationally, the distinction between the two systems is relevant. The KILIÇ 10 appears optimized for short-range coastal infiltration missions, harbor denial operations, and rapid deployment from small naval craft or shoreline positions. Its lightweight and portable configuration reduces logistical constraints while complicating adversary detection efforts. The KILIÇ 200, meanwhile, could support deeper maritime penetration missions, extended surveillance periods and attacks against naval formations operating farther from the coastline. If employed in coordinated groups, such systems may create multiple underwater threat axes capable of saturating sonar coverage and forcing opposing naval forces to allocate additional resources to anti-submarine warfare and harbor protection.

ASELSAN also emphasizes swarm-enabled operational concepts for the KILIÇ family. This approach reflects a broader evolution in autonomous naval warfare where distributed sensing and coordinated attacks increasingly replace isolated single-vehicle operations. In practical terms, multiple autonomous underwater vehicles operating simultaneously can complicate acoustic tracking and create uncertainty regarding the primary threat direction. Even relatively small underwater vehicles may become operationally disruptive if they force an adversary to slow maneuver cycles, alter routes, or maintain continuous anti-submarine vigilance in congested maritime chokepoints.

The unveiling of KILIÇ at SAHA 2026 also illustrates Türkiye’s intention to expand its expertise beyond unmanned aerial systems into the naval autonomy sector. Turkish defense companies already possess operational and export experience with unmanned aerial vehicles such as the Bayraktar TB2 and ANKA families. ASELSAN’s entry into autonomous underwater strike systems indicates that Ankara is now seeking comparable capabilities in underwater robotics, maritime sensing and autonomous naval strike architectures. According to ASELSAN President and Chief Executive Officer Ahmet Akyol, the company intends to strengthen Türkiye’s position in unmanned naval systems by building on its experience in autonomous technologies and multi-domain operations.

In several respects, the KILIÇ family appears closer to an emerging category of autonomous underwater loitering munitions than to larger Western Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) programs. American systems such as Boeing’s Orca, or European long-endurance projects such as the United Kingdom’s CETUS, are primarily designed as multi-role autonomous submarines intended for Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR), mine warfare, and seabed operations. ASELSAN’s concept appears more comparable to Spain’s S-WISE system developed by Arquimea, which is described as an underwater loitering munition capable of detecting, tracking, and neutralizing naval targets either independently or in swarm formations. Like the KILIÇ 200, the S-WISE combines autonomy, reduced detectability and an offensive role within a more compact format than large strategic unmanned underwater vehicles. Australia’s Speartooth, developed by C2 Robotics, follows a comparable logic centered on simpler, lower-cost autonomous underwater vehicles deployable in larger numbers to saturate naval defenses in contested maritime environments.

This development carries broader implications for maritime security in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and other contested naval theaters where relatively affordable autonomous systems could alter local naval balances. Autonomous underwater strike vehicles are more difficult to detect than aerial drones and can exploit the acoustic complexity of coastal waters to approach high-value targets discreetly. Their proliferation may accelerate regional investment in fixed sonar networks, harbor-protection systems, and autonomous anti-submarine warfare capabilities, while several Western navies are already adapting their doctrines to address the emergence of swarm-capable underwater loitering munitions able to saturate conventional defensive architectures.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.