ASELSAN unveils TUFAN and KILIÇ naval drones

ASELSAN unveiled two new kamikaze naval systems at the SAHA 2026 exhibition in Istanbul, per reporting from Anadolu Agency, Breaking Defense, The Defense Post, and Interesting Engineering. The systems shown were TUFAN, an unmanned surface vessel (USV), and KILIÇ 200, an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), both described in press coverage as one-way attack platforms with multi-domain autonomy (Anadolu Agency; Breaking Defense; Interesting Engineering).

According to Interesting Engineering and The Defense Post, TUFAN is about 8 meters (roughly 26.2 feet) long and 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) wide, with reported top speeds near 57.5 miles per hour and an operational range of about 230 miles. Those reports also describe communications suites including radio links, satellite connectivity and 4G LTE, and assert the vessel can operate solo or as part of coordinated swarms (Interesting Engineering; The Defense Post).

Reporting states KILIÇ 200 is approximately 137.8 inches long with a diameter near 12.8 inches, a base range of about 115 miles extendable to 230 miles with an additional battery module, and an onboard warhead; sources add it includes AI-based visual localisation and target detection capabilities (Interesting Engineering; Anadolu Agency).

Breaking Defense published a comment attributed to ASELSAN CEO Ahmet Akyol: "Securing beyond the boundaries of naval domain requires a new level of autonomy, integration and operational flexibility," which appeared in coverage of the SAHA 2026 stand unveiling (Breaking Defense).

Industry observers at SAHA 2026 framed the new systems alongside several other Turkish one-way attack platforms showcased by Baykar and Kayaci Defense, illustrating a broader national emphasis on long-range, cost-effective strike and autonomous maritime tools (Anadolu Agency; Breaking Defense). Editorial analysis: companies and militaries deploying comparable low-cost kamikaze USVs and AUVs typically prioritize scalability, communications resilience, and swarm coordination to compensate for single-use lethality, and those trade-offs appear central to public coverage of these systems.

Editorial analysis: autonomous maritime strike platforms with layered communications (radio + satellite + cellular) and onboard AI for visual localisation increase demands on robust sensor fusion, degraded-navigation handling, and secure command-and-control links. Coverage indicates these systems are intended to operate in contested maritime environments where GPS denial and electronic warfare are realistic constraints (Interesting Engineering; Breaking Defense).

• •Reporting to follow: live trials, export customer announcements, and formal Turkish Naval Forces integration statements that would document operational concepts or rules of engagement (Anadolu Agency reported initial remarks by Turkish Naval Forces leadership at the expo).
• •Technical indicators: published specifications or test reports showing autonomous waypoint navigation under GNSS denial, demonstrated swarm coordination, and resilience of communications links.

All performance figures and capability descriptions in this summary derive from public reporting by Anadolu Agency, Interesting Engineering, Breaking Defense, and The Defense Post; none of the sources published full technical test data or independent verification of ranges, speeds, or warhead performance. If ASELSAN issues formal technical datasheets or third-party test results, those should be examined for confirmation.