To protect its strategic interests at sea, Turkey has encouraged the development of armed unmanned sea vessels (USVs), which are seen as important force multipliers.
The first of these systems to emerge is the ULAQ armed unmanned maritime vessel (ULAQ SİDA). Its delivery to the Turkish Naval Forces last December was an important milestone for the platform. At the same time, a ULAQ 11 Patrol/Surveillance boat has been delivered to the Qatar Coast Guard, marking Turkey’s first export of an armed unmanned sea vessel.
These two developments have significantly increased interest in ULAQ armed USVs. The fact that ULAQ SİDA has met operational end-users in real conditions has elevated the technology’s maturity level, and positive feedback from the field has drawn attention from potential users in different regions.
In light of this progress, Ares Shipyard and ULAQ Global are carrying out business development activities with many friendly and allied countries, with the approval of Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense. While priority remains meeting the needs of the Turkish Naval Forces and Coast Guard, discussions are ongoing with various countries in the Gulf region and the Far East about ULAQ variants. New export contracts are expected to be announced during 2026.
New Versions and Operational Concepts Under Development
One key strength of the ULAQ platform is its modular design. By equipping the same base craft with different payloads, it can perform a wide range of missions. These payloads can be integrated and operated remotely or autonomously, and their continuous evolution drives ongoing development.
Significant work is also underway to increase autonomy levels and improve redundancy within the platforms, based on operational feedback—especially from units delivered to Qatar over a year ago.
Focus on Domestic Components
Another priority is continuing with locally produced engines in the ULAQ series, developed by TÜMOSAN. This decision supports sustainability, supply security, and operational independence. Beyond the engine and weapon systems, efforts are ongoing to increase local content in propulsion systems, power and energy management, autonomy subsystems, mission computers, and payload components.
The goal is not only to use domestic parts but to ensure that design, integration, and decision-making capabilities remain permanently within Turkey. Future ULAQ series variants are expected to gradually increase their percentage of domestically produced components.
