What Is SANCAR? HAVELSAN’s Role in the Unmanned Surface Vessel
SANCAR is an armed unmanned surface vessel (USV). Its notable feature is that it emerges from the joint work of two institutions: Yonca-Onuk shipyard on the boat and platform side, and HAVELSAN on the autonomy and mission-management software side. This article looks at what SANCAR is, HAVELSAN’s role, and the vessel’s place among unmanned naval systems, based on open sources.
For HAVELSAN’s other unmanned systems see What does HAVELSAN produce?, and for a general profile, What is HAVELSAN?
What is SANCAR?
SANCAR is an unmanned surface vessel that can be remotely commanded, has autonomous mission capability and can be armed. Such vessels can be used for reconnaissance and surveillance, patrol, escort and, when required, armed missions. The ability to take the place of manned ships in risky missions, or to escort them, is the core value proposition of unmanned surface vessels.
Why is SANCAR a “joint” product?
The most critical point in understanding SANCAR is that it is not the product of a single company. The design and production of the boat belong to the Yonca-Onuk shipyard, which specialises in fast boats and naval platforms. HAVELSAN provides the layer that makes the vessel “unmanned” — that is, the autonomy and mission-management software. So SANCAR is a system produced jointly by a platform manufacturer and a software house. This distinction explains why the answer to “whose product is SANCAR?” is not a single name.
HAVELSAN’s role in SANCAR
HAVELSAN’s contribution is not the boat’s hardware but the software that makes it intelligent. Functions such as mission planning, autonomous navigation, processing of sensor data and communication with the command centre fall within this scope. This is consistent with HAVELSAN’s general approach: the company is not a platform manufacturer but the provider of the software layer that makes platforms “think”.
The digital troop and swarm concept
Vessels such as SANCAR are considered part of HAVELSAN’s “digital troop” vision. In this vision, different unmanned vehicles (land, air, sea) can be managed as a swarm from a single command centre. Unmanned surface vessels form the naval leg of this whole and are designed to operate in coordination with other platforms.
SANCAR at a glance
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Type | Armed unmanned surface vessel (USV) |
| Boat / platform | Yonca-Onuk shipyard |
| Software / autonomy | HAVELSAN (mission management, autonomous navigation) |
| Possible missions | Reconnaissance-surveillance, patrol, escort, armed mission |
| Vision | Naval leg of the digital-troop / swarm concept |
Frequently asked questions
What is SANCAR?
It is an unmanned surface vessel that can be remotely commanded, has autonomous mission capability and can be armed.
Is SANCAR a HAVELSAN product?
SANCAR is a joint product: the boat belongs to the Yonca-Onuk shipyard, while HAVELSAN provides the autonomy and mission-management software.
What does HAVELSAN do in SANCAR?
It provides the software layer that makes the vessel unmanned — functions such as mission planning, autonomous navigation and communication with the command centre.
What is SANCAR used for?
It can be used for reconnaissance-surveillance, patrol, escort and, when required, armed missions; it complements manned ships in risky tasks.
Sources
- HAVELSAN unmanned systems / SANCAR — havelsan.com
- Yonca-Onuk corporate information — yoncaonuk.com
- Presidency of Defence Industries — ssb.gov.tr
