MALAMAN Smart Mine Tested at Nusret-2026: Turkey Closes the Mine Warfare Loop
Turkey’s Naval Forces field-tested the domestically developed MALAMAN smart bottom mine during the Nusret-2026 invitational exercise. Released from the stern of the Tuzla-class patrol boat TCG Karabiga, the mine was located by the minehunter TCG Anamur using a remotely operated underwater vehicle and then neutralized by divers aboard TCG Amasra. The scenario marked the first large-scale demonstration of the full lay-detect-neutralize chain for a system developed jointly by KoçSavunma, MKE and TÜBİTAK SAGE.
Six to sixteen October, off İzmir and the Black Sea
Coordinated by Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence, the Nusret-2026 exercise runs from 6 to 16 October in the Gulf of İzmir and off Karadeniz Ereğli on the Black Sea. It brings together elements of NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) and the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group, with roughly 20 ships, five aircraft and unmanned systems taking part.
A Distinguished Observer Day on 13 October drew 89 foreign personnel from 26 countries, followed from the frigate TCG Salihreis by Naval Forces Commander Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, who described the exercise’s purpose as sharpening participants’ mine warfare planning and execution skills while deepening allied interoperability.
From release to neutralization: a closed loop
In the scenario, MALAMAN was deployed from the stern of TCG Karabiga, wrapped in artificial-grass camouflage designed to reduce visual and acoustic detectability by mimicking seabed vegetation. The minehunter TCG Anamur then located it with a remotely operated underwater vehicle, and mine-warfare divers aboard TCG Amasra carried out the neutralization.
A separate very-shallow-water scenario at Ilıksu Beach involved 59 personnel from Turkey, the United States, Belgium, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Romania and Oman. In another vignette, underwater defense (SAS) commandos airlifted to the area neutralized a drifting mine.
MALAMAN’s technical profile
MALAMAN is a smart bottom mine that uses acoustic, magnetic and pressure sensors for target detection and classification. Onboard electronics decide whether a passing vessel meets pre-set engagement criteria, and the mine can be programmed with a ship counter to select a specific target among several passing in the same area.
Its 533 mm diameter allows launch from submarine torpedo tubes. Figures shared at DSA 2024 put its weight above 600 kg and length above 1,800 mm, with a plastic-bonded underwater explosive charge. The system is produced in both combat and exercise configurations and can be deployed from surface ships, submarines, aircraft and unmanned surface vessels.
In August 2026, Türkiye’s domestically built MARLIN unmanned surface vehicle — developed by Sefine Shipyard and ASELSAN under the coordination of the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) — completed trials laying MALAMAN mines in both remote-controlled and autonomous modes, work that required a dedicated carriage-and-release mechanism and mission-planning algorithms for autonomous mine-laying.
From IDEF to DSA: the program’s trajectory
MALAMAN was first shown publicly at IDEF 2023 and again at DSA 2024 in Malaysia, where KoçSavunma said it had completed a functional demonstration in February 2024 — including a live sea detonation — and was proceeding through final acceptance procedures. Nusret-2026 marks the system’s first comprehensive field use inside a multinational exercise environment.
Why it matters
The demonstration carries two distinct signals. First, having KoçSavunma, MKE and TÜBİTAK SAGE jointly span design through production shows Turkey assembling a domestic supply chain that reduces reliance on foreign mine-warfare technology. Second, testing the system inside the same scenario and protocols as NATO’s SNMCMG2 and the Black Sea task group demonstrates that MALAMAN is compatible not just with national doctrine but with allied mine-warfare procedures.
That also clarifies where the program stands: from DSA 2024’s language of “functional demonstration and final acceptance,” it has moved to a full lay-to-neutralization scenario inside a real multinational exercise in 2026. The next milestone — a serial-production decision and formal entry into Naval Forces inventory — has not yet been given a timeline by the SSB or the Naval Forces Command.
MALAMAN at a glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developers | KoçSavunma, MKE, TÜBİTAK SAGE |
| Type | Smart bottom mine (acoustic/magnetic/pressure sensors) |
| Diameter | 533 mm (torpedo-tube compatible) |
| Weight / Length | 600+ kg / 1,800+ mm (DSA 2024 figures) |
| Deployment platforms | Surface ships, submarines, aircraft, USVs (MARLIN) |
| First shown | IDEF 2023, DSA 2024 (Malaysia) |
| First major field demonstration | Nusret-2026 exercise (6–16 October 2026) |
Sources
- Naval News — “Turkish Navy Deploys MALAMAN Smart Bottom Mine at Nusret 2026 Exercise” (15 October 2026) — used for the mine’s technical specifications and scenario details.
- Daily Sabah — “Türkiye showcases mine warfare skills at int’l exercise” — used for exercise scope and international participation.
- DHA — Nusret-2026 Distinguished Observer Day coverage (13 October 2026) — used for participant numbers and Admiral Tatlıoğlu’s remarks.
- Yeni Asır — “89 foreign personnel attend international exercise in İzmir Bay” (13 October 2026) — used for participating countries and personnel figures.
- Naval News — “Türkiye’s MARLIN USV Demonstrates Mine-Laying Capability With MALAMAN” (August 2026) — used for MARLIN integration background.
