Cavitation tunnel supports Turkish naval stealth research
The KATMANSIS cavitation tunnel opened in a ceremony on 17 December 2021. (Photo: SSB)
Turkish efforts to develop indigenous stealthy propulsion systems for submarines and surface vessels should be aided by the recent opening of the KATMANSIS large cavitation tunnel testbed in Istanbul.
Speaking at the opening ceremony for the testbed on 17 December at the Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Faculty of Naval Architecture and Ocean Sciences, Ismail Demir, the head of the Turkish defence procurement body SSB, claimed that KATMANSIS will ‘play a vital role in our national technological transition’.
This tunnel was built by Turkish firm Gürdesan to a design by Polish company CTO and ITU. It is 5.5m long, 1.5m tall
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
-
Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development
Ukraine’s battlefield has rewritten the rules of uncrewed systems development. For Syos Aerospace, real-time operator feedback, lean serial production and a system-of-systems philosophy are central to its operating model.
-
AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise
The AUKUS partnership is accelerating uncrewed undersea capability while its submarine arm inches forward, and Australia’s decision to settle for three in-service Virginia-class boats raises questions about industrial risk, dependency and whether Pillar II may deliver meaningful capability long before Pillar I can.
-
Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America
With a growing pipeline of naval modernisation programmes in South America, South Korean companies could be set to expand their presence in the region as recent contract wins highlight growing collaboration.
-
AUKUS plan B? Japan’s submarines stopgap gains traction
Australia’s Collins-class life of type extension has revived debate over whether Canberra needs a contingency plan as risks to every stage of the AUKUS pathway mount. With Japan newly open to exports, the case for a diesel-electric stopgap is gaining traction.