What is Ares Shipyard? Turkey’s Antalya-based boat builder
Ares Shipyard is a Turkish shipbuilder founded in 2006 in the Antalya Free Zone that builds military patrol boats, fast interceptor craft and unmanned surface vehicles. The company has delivered boats to Qatar, Oman, Nigeria and Iraq among other customers, and carried out the 122-unit ARES 35 FPB program, the largest military vessel program in Turkey by unit count. Composite hull technology and the ULAQ unmanned surface vehicle (USV) are the yard’s two signature technology areas.
What does Ares Shipyard build?
The company’s official product catalog is organized under five headings: patrol craft, naval craft, service and support vessels, passenger vessels, and unmanned and autonomous marine systems. On the patrol side, the lineup includes serial-production platforms such as the BOLD class of offshore patrol vessels, the HARPOON fast interceptor craft and the ARES 35 FPB. The naval craft segment covers the SAT special operations class, fast attack craft concepts and landing craft. In 2023 the company announced the ARES Yachts brand for the superyacht market.
The yard states that it can build in steel, aluminum and advanced composites, and that it carries out ship design in-house. A design cooperation with British design house BMT has been running since 2014; in 2018 the company signed a partnership agreement with Germany’s thyssenkrupp Marine Systems aimed at international programs.
Milestones
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Company founded in the Antalya Free Zone |
| 2014 | 17-boat contract with the Qatar Coast Guard worth roughly 250 million dollars |
| 2018 | Follow-on Qatari order for 9 vessels; first export to Oman with 14 boats; thyssenkrupp partnership |
| 2019 | 105-boat order for the Turkish Coast Guard; first ARES 85 delivery to Oman |
| 2021 | ULAQ unmanned surface vehicle launched; first firing with the Cirit missile |
| 2024 | Turkey’s first unmanned surface vehicle export, with ULAQ to Qatar |
| 2026 | First ARES 18 SAR boat launched; ARES Naval plan announced in Saudi Arabia |
Flagship programs
The yard’s most visible export program is the 17-boat contract signed with Qatar in 2014; the program is examined in detail in the export file. On the domestic market, the production of 122 ARES 35 FPB boats for the Turkish Coast Guard Command (Sahil Güvenlik Komutanlığı) and the General Directorate of Security (the national police) is, according to Shephard Media, Turkey’s largest military vessel program by unit count. In the 2025-2026 period, a 16-unit ARES 18 SAR search and rescue boat program began for the Directorate General of Coastal Safety.
On the technology side, the company achieved Turkey’s first export in this field in 2024, selling the ULAQ armed unmanned surface vehicle, developed jointly with Meteksan Savunma, to Qatar. In February 2026, CEO Oğuzhan Pehlivanlı announced that a company named ARES Naval would be established in Saudi Arabia with a local partner, with two facilities planned in Dammam and Jeddah.
Company structure and management
The company operates as a family-controlled joint-stock company chaired by its founder, Kerim Kalafatoğlu, and describes itself as an entirely self-financed business. Its management structure and ownership history are covered in the “Who owns Ares Shipyard?” file. Current revenue and headcount figures are not officially disclosed.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Ares Shipyard located?
The yard operates in the Antalya Free Zone. According to the company’s Wikipedia article, the facilities cover roughly 40,000 square meters across five enclosed buildings; the company does not confirm this figure on its official website.
Is Ares Shipyard a state-owned company?
No. It is a private shipyard founded by the Kalafatoğlu family and describes itself as an entirely self-financed business.
Which countries has Ares Shipyard sold boats to?
Deliveries verified by sources cover Qatar, Oman, Nigeria, Iraq and Northern Cyprus (TRNC). In 2024, Qatar became the first export customer for the ULAQ unmanned surface vehicle.
What do the numbers in ARES boat names mean?
The numbers in model names indicate the vessel’s approximate length in feet. The ARES 35 FPB, for example, is 12.04 meters long, and the ARES 150 BOLD is 48.09 meters.
Does Ares Shipyard build civilian vessels?
Yes. The company also builds civilian platforms such as service and support vessels, passenger vessels and the crew transfer vessels delivered to Turkish state oil company TPAO. The superyacht brand ARES Yachts was announced in 2023.
Sources and verification note
The information in this file was compiled from the sources below; numerical data is reported only as it appears in those sources. Accessed: August 13, 2026.
- https://ares.global/about-ares
- https://ares.global/vessels
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ares_Shipyard
- https://www.defenceturkey.com/en/content/ares-shipyard-world-s-greatest-composite-hull-ship-manufacturer-early-delivers-the-multi-role-patrol-crafts-to-qatari-coast-guard-command-2907
- https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/ares-build-122-patrol-boats-turkish-coast-guard/
- https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/10/qatar-becomes-first-export-customer-of-turkish-ulaq-armed-usv/
- https://breakingdefense.com/2026/02/turkish-shipbuilder-to-launch-ares-naval-in-saudi-arabia-with-two-shipyards-ceo/
- https://www.turkishdefensehub.com/ares-shipyard-launches-first-ares-18-sar-boat-for-turkiyes-coastal-safety-authority-599
