Sea trials of the prototype of Turkey's first indigenous armed unmanned surface vessel (AUSV) have begun, the Ares Shipyard and Meteksan Defence announced in a joint press release on 12 February. The companies, which launched the Ulaq AUSV programme in October 2020, said the vessel would also conduct guided missile firing tests at the end of the first quarter of this year. The prototype AUSV is armed with four cells of Cirit and two L-UMTAS missiles from Roketsan. It will be equipped with communication, intelligence, and electronic warfare systems. Made of advanced composites, the Ulaq has a speed of 65 km/h and a range of 400 km. It has day/night vision capabilities, an encrypted communication infrastructure, and uses artificial intelligence. It can be operated from vehicles and headquarters or from naval platforms such as aircraft carriers or frigates.
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