STM NETA Ready for Both Military and Civilian Missions
STM General Manager Özgür Güleryüz, after highlighting the many national surface and underwater naval platforms developed by STM for both the Turkish Navy and for friendly and allied nations, said: “The dynamic developments in the battlefield are leading to the increased use of unmanned aerial and naval platforms. Building on our experience as Türkiye’s leading engineering company in naval engineering solutions, we have combined our naval competencies, our capabilities in autonomous tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and our command and control engineering knowledge to develop this national unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle with own resources. The ‘STM NETA 300’ shallow underwater vehicle that we are unveiling today is a first for us and is the first member of what will become a family of platforms. The first deployment of STM NETA 300 will be for mine detection and destruction missions.
“STM NETA 300 is equipped to meet both military and civilian needs, boasting a modular and flexible design, a high autonomy level, and unique software, allowing it to take part in a broad range of missions, from intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, to anti-submarine warfare, explosive disposal, and pipeline and geophysical surveys. After the extensive efforts to develop the STM NETA 300, the first member of its family, we have now moved on to the pool and sea testing phases, with images to be shared very soon.”
“Export to Friendly and Allied Nations”
Güleryüz went on to inform the participants of STM’s plans to expand its unmanned autonomous underwater family: “We will also develop medium-sized and larger unmanned underwater vehicles that can operate at deeper depths and on different missions. Thus, we foresee providing solutions to operational needs in line with all the usage concepts required by the Turkish Armed Forces. We believe that the STM NETA family will actively contribute to protecting the depths of the Blue Homeland, offering a strong deterrent effect. At the same time, we will have created a product family with high export potential among friendly and allied nations.”
Detecting Mines at Depths of 300 Meters
STM NETA derives its name from a naval expression, meaning smooth, safe, and always ready. Developed by STM engineers using domestic and national resources, the unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle “STM NETA 300” is the first member of its family. Its compact structure, along with its flexible and modular design, allows it to be carried by two people and operate at depths of up to 300 meters. The STM NETA 300 has a maximum speed of 5 knots and can operate for up to 24 hours on a single battery charge.
The system operates autonomously when deployed for Mine Countermeasure (MCM) Operations, making use of side-scan and gap-filling sonar technologies to identify mines in suspected high-risk areas. This enables the user to classify and identify mines or mine-like objects as quickly and effectively as possible. The vehicle also integrates synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) to achieve a broader scan area and high horizontal resolution.
STM NETA 300 can be deployed with all types of surface platforms and quickly deployed to mission areas, where it can significantly contribute to search and rescue (SAR) operations through wide-area scans. Its side-scan sonar and precision navigation systems provide highly accurate data to support the detection of targets and underwater wrecks. The STM NETA 300 is versatile, offering various robust configuration options, with weights ranging from a basic 70 kg configuration up to 85 kg.
