Turkey launches its first armed unmanned marine vehicle prototype

The prototype of Turkey's first armed unmanned maritime vehicle (SIDA), which is developed by Ares Shipyard and Meteksan Defense, is ready to sail later this month.

Experts described the unmanned marine vessel as "exciting". Firing  tests will be conducted in March, with guided missiles manufactured by Turkish rocket maker Roketsan, according to Utku Alanc, the CEO of Ares Shipyard, which developed the vessel with the Ankara-based Meteksan Defense. 

The vessel is expected to make a valuable contribution to the country’s defence network, especially in the troubled waters of the eastern Mediterranean where Turkey’s sovereignty rights have come under threat of countries like Greece and France.

Capabilities of SIDA

SIDA has a 400-kilometre-long cruising range with 65km per hour maximum speed. It is equipped with indigenous encrypted communication systems and visions enabling it to carry out day and night missions. 

The vehicle is made of advanced composite materials and it could be commanded by operation centres from land, mobile vehicles and floating platforms such as aircraft carriers and frigates.

It is expected that SIDA will play an active role in the execution of missions such as reconnaissance, surface warfare, asymmetric warfare, armed escort, force protection, strategic facility security, surveillance and intelligence. 

"SIDA was produced to be resistant to electronic warfare. This platform will also be fitted with anti-GPS jamming systems," Erdal Torun, the vice president of Meteksan Defense said.

It also includes domestic produced missile systems that can meet different operational needs. Laser-guided long-range missiles Cirit and LUMTAS, which can hit targets from 8 kilometres, will be integrated.

SIDA will have the ability to operate in coordination with similar or different unmanned maritime and aerial vehicles.

What is the importance of SIDA?

The unmanned maritime vehicle was designed primarily to be deployed in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, which is crucially important for Turkey.

Alanc describes SIDA as an actual weapon rather than a watercraft and said: “There is no example of this(SIDA) in the world.”

It will serve like a military power in maritime conflict, just like Turkish armed UAV’s have been a success in the fight against terrorism and cross-border operations in Syria. 

On the other hand, Torun underlined the importance of SIDA by saying that "in today's asymmetrical warfare, it is essential to see without being seen and to hit without being shot.”

He also added these autonomous systems could automatically direct and manage themselves in the battlefield and in a war environment, thanks to its fully artificial intelligence.