The Turkish defence industry is eliminating invisible threats in the depths of the Blue Homeland with unmanned systems. ASELSAN has successfully tested the DERİNGÖZ Autonomous Underwater Vehicle in the field. During the test dives, the vehicle succeeded in autonomously detecting naval mines. This critical development, announced on the company's official social media accounts on April 27, heralds a brand new era in underwater defence warfare. With DERİNGÖZ, the most dangerous explosives in deep waters are located with high precision without risking human life.
Mine Detection and Modular Architecture
Finding mines under the sea is much more difficult than detecting land mines. Traditional GPS signals do not work underwater. Furthermore, visibility is very limited in deep waters. ASELSAN engineers developed the DERİNGÖZ system precisely for these challenging physical conditions.
DERİNGÖZ uses advanced acoustic sonar systems and AI-powered algorithms. In recent field tests, the vehicle successfully located both bottom and moored naval mines at various depths. Moored mines are suspended at a certain depth in the water column. Bottom mines rest directly on the seabed. Autonomously detecting these two different profiles within the same mission requires a high degree of sensor fusion. Moreover, the system performed this task fully autonomously, without any operator intervention.
Furthermore, DERİNGÖZ possesses an extremely flexible and modular system architecture. Users can easily change the vehicle's sensor packages in the field according to mission requirements.
Protection of Critical Infrastructures
Today, naval mines pose a significant threat not only to warships but also to civilian maritime traffic. Especially drifting mines after regional conflicts frequently disrupt global maritime trade. In the past, detecting these mines involved high-cost minehunter vessels or divers.
DERİNGÖZ radically changes these risky and expensive operations. Furthermore, the system is not limited to mine-hunting missions. The marine vehicle provides port security, inspects underwater natural gas pipelines, and continuously monitors critical infrastructures. Türkiye has made vast natural gas discoveries in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. The security of these energy pipelines is now a matter of national survival. Therefore, DERİNGÖZ significantly increases the navy's operational flexibility by conducting periodic inspections of these pipelines unmanned.
Full Independence in the Depths
DERİNGÖZ's success in field tests proves Türkiye's strength in unmanned marine systems. Türkiye is now fully carrying its UAV success underwater. With this domestic platform, ASELSAN provides our navy with a unique asymmetric advantage in underwater defence warfare.
In the coming period, autonomous underwater vehicles like DERİNGÖZ are expected to rapidly multiply in the navy's inventory. Türkiye is progressing towards becoming a power that protects its underwater energy lines and coastal security entirely with domestic intelligence and exports these technologies in the global market.
