At the IDEF exhibition in Istanbul Aselsa, the leading defence electronics Turkish company, unveiled a set of new products aimed at further improving its portfolio in the naval domain
The naval section of the huge Aselsan stand at the Istanbul Expo Center was dominated by a mast hosting a set of radars and other sensors part of the company portfolio. One new radar sensor was added, the Cenk 350N 2D AESA multifunctional radar. It works in the X-Band and has an instrumented range of over 250 km. The flat array, covering a 90° sector, is meant to be installed on a mast, four antennas covering the 360°. Quite compact, it ensures the surveillance and tracking functions, reducing the footprint and allowing smaller vessels to have a good air situational awareness; the identification function is ensured by the new IDENTIFFY SSR-850 IFF capable to operate with the most recent NATO identification standards. Should it be installed on bigger vessels armed with long-range missiles, it might be complemented by a longer range surveillance radar.
Among other roles, the Cenk 350N will track targets for the Göksur short range missile system, the 15 km missile produced by Tübitak that will soon become the point defence missile system in use by the Turkish Navy, which first successfultest took place on February 16th, 2025, from the TCG Beykoz. At IDED 2025 Aselsan unveiled the Göksur VLS, the vertical launch system of the missile. While usually launchers are grouped into a cluster with a certain number of cells, the new Aselsan proposal comes as a single launcher, which allows to distribute missiles along the ship, depending on available space. “On a fast attack craft you can install two of them, while on a frigate you may have a cluster of 16 or even 32 launchers,” an Aselsan source told EDR On-Line. The launcher can be fully embedded into the vessel, however it can also be installed only partly inside the hull, when depth does not allow other solutions.
The first launch was made by a single cell system installed at angle on the former French Navy ship now used for testing new solutions. The vertical launch system has not yet been tested in real, but this should happen soon, EDR On-Line understood.
The 20-cell Göksur launcher, with two 10-cell clusters per side, was also visible at IDEF, this solution being proposed for frigates up, the 2×5 version, seen at Euronaval 2024, being instead aimed at fast patrol boats.
While the threat from the third dimension against ships is becoming more and more dangerous, with the addition of drones of all kinds, another threat recently materialised in the naval domain, that against submarine infrastructures, such as oil and gas pipes and submarine cables. In the past monitoring them was mostly a maintenance issue, but following recent “accidents” the surveillance of those systems, which disruption might cause invaluable damages to the word life and economy, has become part of the defence world.
Aselsan portfolio includes the Deringöz 100M/600, an autonomous underwater vehicle capable to operate at depths up to 600 metres. At IDF the Turkish defence electronics champion unveiled the system little brother, the Deringöz 100L/300, the number sowing its maximum operational depth. It can operate for 8 hours, however with extra batteries the endurance can be increased up to 24 hours. It has an operational speed of 3 knots, maximum speed being 5 knots. It is fitted with a camera, a side scan sonar, a multibeam echosounder, an acoustic modem, and an obstacle avoidance sonar. Communications when surfaced are based on multiple systems such as Wi-Fi, RF Datalink, İridium, and 4G/LTE. For navigation the Deringöz 100L/300 is fitted with an inertial platform, a doppler velocity logger, an Ultra-Short Base Line positioning system, a GNSS receiver and a depth sensor. Aselsan proposes its new AUV for exploration, surveillance, mine countermeasure and protection missions.
Two more new systems were unveiled at IDEF 2025, both related to the subsea environment. The Düfas 100-CU, the C standing for Compact is a towed sonar which active fish was exhibited, the system being completed by a towed passive array with a 60 mm diameter. Its reduced footprint makes it optimal for operating on board small vessels.
Last but not least comes the Mercan 100 optronic periscope for submarines, a comprehensive system that includes the mast and does not penetrate the pressure hull.
Video courtesy Aselsan, photos by P. Valpolini