Turkey’s ULAQ Armed USV Completes First Live-Fire Test

Meteksan has successfully completed the first live-fire test of its ULAQ armed USV. The target was detected by the ULAQ sensors and two CIRIT laser-guided missiles were fired and scored direct hits on the target By DA Staff / 18 Jun 2021

Discover Leading Defense Technology Solutions

Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Follow DA

Meteksan Defence has successfully completed missile firing tests of its ULAQ Armed Unmanned Surface Vehicle (AUSV) during the Turkish Navy’s Sea Wolf 2021 Naval Exercise. 

The ULAQ AUSV, developed by Meteksan and ARES Shipyard, was positioned in the south of Antalya Bay with Turkish Navy’s other manned platforms, was directed from the Mobile Coastal Control Station (MCCS) and transferred to the firing area. The Naval Forces Command and Coast Guard Command platforms also accompanied the firing. After the target was detected by sensors on the ULAQ, the two missiles were fired and directly hit the target.

The President of Defence Industries, Prof. Dr. İsmail Demir, said, “Today, it is obvious that we must have a naval force for the protection of the Blue Homeland and the protection of our rights in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. In order to provide these the platforms needed by our Naval Forces as the indomitable guardians of the Blue Homeland, equipped with the latest technologies, we will continue to work as the Presidency of Defence Industries in close cooperation with our Ministry of Defense, General Staff, Naval Forces Command, our industry and other relevant institutions. We have reached an indigenousness rate of up to 70 percent in our projects, and we will increase this even more.”

ULAQ is Turkey’s first AUSV and can be operated from mobile land vehicles, command centers, or floating platforms such as aircraft carriers and frigates. 

The ULAQ is specifically designed for missions such as Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), surface warfare, asymmetric warfare, armed escort and force protection, and critical facility security.

Equipped with four CIRIT and two L-UMTAS Missile Systems provided by Turkey’s missile systems manufacturer ROKETSAN, the ULAQ AUSV can also be configured with different types of payloads such as extended range surface-to-surface, surface-to-ground, surface-to-air missiles, electronic warfare, jamming, and different communication and intelligence systems.

The ULAQ AUSV has the ability to operate with other AUSVs with equal or different structure, and conduct joint operations with UAVs, AUAVs, TUAVs and manned aircraft. 

With artificial intelligence features, the ULAQ can operate as a remotely controlled unmanned vehicle and an autonomous vessel with superior capabilities.

The development of this AUSV is the first phase of the project initiated by ARES Shipyard and Meteksan Defence, with future production plans involving the development of variants for intelligence and electronic warfare, mine hunting, anti-submarine warfare, firefighting and humanitarian aid/evacuation.

Posted by DA Staff Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

New Hybrid Solution for Long-Term GNSS-Denied Navigation

Advanced Navigation has demonstrated a major breakthrough with a Hybrid Navigation System designed for GPS-denied environments, combining a strategic-grade FOG INS with a laser velocity sensor

May 21, 2025
New muLTElink Features Improve Command & Control for UAS

uAvionix’s latest muLTElink software update enhances UAS connectivity with automated link management, improving resilience, reliability, and cost-efficiency in complex operations

May 21, 2025
Honeywell Unveils Resilient INS with Anti-Jamming Technology

Honeywell has launched its new HGuide o480 INS, delivering precise, resilient navigation with anti-jamming technology for compact unmanned systems operating in GPS-denied or contested environments

May 21, 2025
Trillium Gimbal Enhances Imaging for Launched Effects & Loitering Munitions

Trillium Engineering introduces the HD25-LV-C, a lightweight imaging system optimized for cost-constrained, expendable platforms like Launched Effects and loitering munitions

May 21, 2025
Advanced ISR Technologies Launched by SightLine Applications

SightLine Applications demos cutting-edge ISR advancements at XPONENTIAL 2025, featuring the ultra-compact 1710-OEM processor and the Athena AI-integrated 4100 board for enhanced edge-based AI and multi-stream video processing

May 21, 2025
GA-ASI Integrates Optix Software for USMC Weapons & Tactics Instructor Course

GA-ASI integrated the Optix software into the U.S. Marine Corps' Common Intelligence Picture (CIP), advancing ISR capabilities during the recent Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course

May 21, 2025

Featured Content

New Line of Kinetic-Capable Unmanned Surface Vessels Introduced

Red Cat Holdings enters the maritime autonomy market with a new line of combat-proven USVs, expanding its multi-domain unmanned systems for naval operations

May 20, 2025
Next-Gen Group 2 UAS Enters Production with Extended Endurance & Upgrades

Aurora Flight Sciences upgrades the SKIRON-X Group 2 UAS with greater versatility and tactical mission endurance, as well as announcing the hydrogen-powered SKIRON-XLE variant

May 13, 2025
Discover ANELLO’s SiPhOG™ for GNSS-Denied Navigation at XPO25

CEO of ANELLO Photonics, Dr. Mario Paniccia, will present at Xponential 2025 on the company's SiPhOG-based inertial navigation technology in GPS-denied and GNSS-contested environments.

May 09, 2025
Advancing Defense Capability Through Strategic Collaboration Defense Advancement works with major OEMs to foster collaboration and increase engagement with SMEs, to accelerate innovation and drive defense capabilities forward.