METEKSAN, a Turkish defense company, jointly with ARES Shipyard, showcased their own maritime kamikaze drone, ULAQ KAMA, during the ongoing IDEF 2023 defense exhibition in Turkey. It is positioned as a development of previous unmanned boat projects under the ULAQ family.
Representatives from METEKSAN claim that their development is already so well-refined that in the case of the order, they are ready to independently produce 100 ULAQ KAMA kamikaze boats for the customer within one year, according to Naval News publication.
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As it is stated, the Turkish ULAQ KAMA kamikaze boats will be capable of being used not only for their primary purpose - attacking enemy maritime targets, but also for patrolling designated areas of the waters or conducting reconnaissance.
It is indicated that the ULAQ KAMA maritime drones will have the following characteristics: hull length - 6.37 meters, hull width - 1.2 meters, cruising speed - over 20 knots, cruising range - over 200 nautical miles, seaworthiness - up to 4 points, weight - 1.3 tons, with payload capacity of 200 kilograms of explosives or other useful cargo.
But the most interesting aspects lie in the declared specifications regarding the application of Turkish ULAQ KAMA kamikaze maritime drones. According to the developers, these unmanned boats can have three different control modes - fully autonomous, semi-autonomous, or remote-controlled (with operator involvement).
The declared equipment on board the ULAQ KAMA kamikaze boat includes a satellite navigation system receiver with object positioning (GNSS), television and thermal imaging cameras, which can also serve as navigation equipment, and a satellite communication receiver. Moreover, the control of the maritime drone can be carried out using an ordinary laptop with the appropriate software installed.
If we rely on the declared characteristics, then the Turkish ULAQ KAMA kamikaze drone will appear to be much more technologically advanced than, for example, our domestic development that is presented as MAGURA V5. However, this could create a new segment of cooperation between the Ukrainian and Turkish defense enterprises.
As Defense Express reported, Turkish Company Baykar Advanced Construction of UAV Production Plant in Ukraine. We also wrote, that Ukraine to Get New-Generation Weapons From Three Deals Signed With Turkish Baykar.
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