SAHA 2026: Turkey markets modular undersea systems to European buyers
The Multi-Purpose Mini Submarine, certified by Türk Loydu, successfully finished its initial uncrewed dive tests off the coast of Karamürsel in April 2026. (Photo: Datum AŞ)
At SAHA 2026 in Istanbul, the cumulative weight of Turkey’s subsurface announcements pointed in a clear direction: cheap ways to combat expensive things at sea, delivered from platforms small enough to move by truck.
The clearest expression of that came not from one of Turkey’s established primes, but from Datum AŞ, an Istanbul Technical University-partnered underwater technologies firm which unveiled Turkey’s first indigenous mini-submarine at the show.
The Multi-Purpose Mini Submarine, which completed its initial uncrewed dive tests off the coast of Karamürsel on 14 April 2026, is certified by Türk Loydu and carries a localisation rate exceeding 80%. Its
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
-
RTX confirms US Marine Corps and US Navy acquire Hadalus UUV
RTX told Shephard that the Hadalus UUV has been procured by the US Marine Corps and the Office of Naval Research for operational experimentation as the company prepares additional demonstrations with the US Navy, NATO and AUKUS partners.
-
Europe’s naval contractors benefit from growing refit and upgrade demand
Rheinmetall’s order to modernise the German Navy frigate Bayern points to a wider European shift towards extending warship service life as new-build programmes face delay.
-
The UK joins the movement towards joint procurement
The UK will spend an estimated US$3.89 billion over the next decade in joint naval programmes, a lot of which will be in cooperation with Norway.