What Indigenous Systems Are on ULAQ (SİDA)?
ULAQ (SİDA) is a member of the Armed Unmanned Surface Vehicle (AUSV) in Turkish Naval Forces service. Built/procured via ARES Shipyard + Meteksan Defence, it entered the inventory on 20 December 2025 (entered service). ULAQ is Turkey’s first armed unmanned surface vehicle, developed with a fully indigenous design; entering service on 20 December 2025 alongside TCG Hızırreis and Ç-159, it marked the formal induction of unmanned surface systems into the Turkish fleet.
| Quick Facts | |
| Class | Armed Unmanned Surface Vehicle (AUSV) |
| Builder / shipyard | ARES Shipyard + Meteksan Defence |
| Entered service | 20 December 2025 (entered service) |
| Displacement | ~11 t |
| Length | 11 m |
Indigenous systems
Turkish-built systems aboard ULAQ include:
- Tamamen yerli tasarım (ARES + Meteksan)
- CIRIT ve L-UMTAS Füzeleri (ROKETSAN)
- Elektro-optik sistemler (ASELSAN)
- Uydu ve veri bağlantısı (Meteksan)
SSB’s role
Turkey’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) acts as the procurement authority and coordinator for naval platforms: it sets requirements, manages contracts and oversees integration of domestic subcontractors (ASELSAN, HAVELSAN, ROKETSAN, STM, TÜBİTAK). The physical construction is carried out by the prime contractor shipyard and the systems are developed by the respective defence companies — SSB does not itself build the ship.
Sources
Turkish and English Wikipedia; DefenceTurk; SavunmaSanayiST; Mavi Vatan; Turkish Armed Forces Foundation; Wikimedia Commons (images).
Part of the Indigenous Power of the Blue Homeland series.
