VESSEL REVIEW | Sancar – New locally-built armed USV for Turkish Navy

Turkey's Yonca-Onuk Shipyard has completed construction of a new unmanned surface vehicle (USV) to be used by the country's security forces primarily for asymmetrical warfare missions. Named Sancar, the craft was developed in cooperation with technology firm Havelsan as part of a Turkish defence industry initiative to expand indigenous production of weapon systems to reduce dependence on overseas manufacture.

The Turk Loydu-classed Sancar has a vacuum-infused composite hull, a length of 12.73 metres, a beam of 3.3 metres, a displacement of nine tonnes, a maximum speed of 40 knots, and a range of 400 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 10 knots, which translates into a maximum endurance of 40 hours.

Armament will include a 12.7-millimetre machine gun mounted on a remote weapon station and two UMTAS anti-armour missiles. The USV may thus be used against main battle tanks and other heavily armoured targets as well as more lightly armoured threats such as small watercraft and light structures. Also, because of its precision strike capability, there is a considerably lower risk of collateral damage.

The USV will perform missions including reconnaissance, surveillance, surface warfare, and mine countermeasures, harbour protection, patrol, and search and rescue in conditions up to Sea State four.

The onboard systems and sensors include Havelsan's proprietary command, control, and combat management system, a radar, an electro-optical sensor, and a COLREGS-compliant collision avoidance system. Some of the sensors are mounted on a telescopic mast that can be lowered to reduce the craft's visual and radar cross-sections.

The craft will be operated or monitored from a ground control station.

Sancar recently completed its operational testing phase and will enter service with the Turkish Navy before the end of the year.

Click here for more news stories, feature articles, and vessel reviews as part of this month's focus on unmanned craft.