FNSS Unveils U-MAV/I-ZAHA, an Unmanned Amphibious Vehicle for Turkey’s Blue Homeland

Turkish manufacturer FNSS showcased the U-MAV/I-ZAHA unmanned amphibious vehicle at Teknofest Blue Homeland 2026, designed to pull crews out of the riskiest first wave of amphibious assaults.

Turkish defense manufacturer FNSS unveiled a new multi-purpose modular unmanned amphibious vehicle, designated U-MAV/I-ZAHA, at the Teknofest Blue Homeland event held August 20-23, 2026 at Golcuk Naval Base in Kocaeli. The platform was built around one core objective: removing human crews from the first wave of an amphibious landing, historically the most dangerous phase of such operations.

The vehicle is designed to operate alongside MAV, the Marine Assault Vehicle already in service with the Turkish Navy, under a manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) concept. In that arrangement, crewed platforms retain command while unmanned systems absorb the highest-risk segments of a mission, particularly the run into the beachhead where landing forces are most exposed to enemy fire.

Weighing roughly 8 tons, U-MAV/I-ZAHA is built for seamless sea-to-land transition, reaching speeds of 70 km/h on land and 7 knots in water. That dual-domain performance lets the vehicle continue contributing once a beachhead is secured, not just during the initial approach.

A defining feature is its modular mission architecture. Field crews can swap mission modules in roughly 40 minutes, converting the platform between 10 different configurations, including fire support, mine clearance, electronic warfare, and casualty evacuation (CASEVAC). Consolidating that many roles on a single chassis reduces the logistical footprint compared to fielding separate vehicles for each task.

Underpinning the system is an AI-assisted image processing architecture. An onboard mission computer analyzes camera feeds in real time and transmits only processed detection data over the radio link rather than raw video. That approach removes the need for high-bandwidth video transmission and delivers low-latency target awareness even in bandwidth-constrained environments, a meaningful advantage on contested, electronic-warfare-heavy coastlines.

The unveiling fits into a broader acceleration in Turkey’s unmanned ground and amphibious systems development. Under the Blue Homeland doctrine, Turkish naval planners have been modernizing amphibious assault capability alongside platforms such as the amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu. Pairing U-MAV/I-ZAHA with MAV in a MUM-T format is aimed at preserving operational tempo in future landing operations while reducing exposure of personnel.

International defense outlets gave the reveal significant coverage. Breaking Defense, Army Recognition, Euro-SD, EDR Magazine, Joint Forces News and C4Defence all reported on U-MAV/I-ZAHA in August 2026, underscoring interest beyond Turkey’s own armed forces. Navies facing similar amphibious risk calculations are likely candidates for future export interest in this class of unmanned platform.

FNSS has not disclosed a production timeline or a delivery schedule to the Turkish Navy. Its live demonstration at Teknofest, however, signals the program has moved from concept work into a tangible prototype stage.