ARES Shipyard’s new ‘suicide commando’, the ULAQ KAMA Expendable USV (XUSV), has been developed to proactively repel hostile threats – or to die trying.
The Turkish boatbuilder recently unveiled the prototype of this latest addition to its ULAQ series of armed USVs, which was developed in partnership with Meteksan Defence and launched in December 2020, encouraged by Turkey’s ‘Blue Homeland’ defence programme. The seagoing drone is intended to work in conjunction with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), either via remote control or by utilising AI for autonomous operations.
The ULAQ class has been prepped to undertake missions related to surveillance and reconnaissance, mine counter measures, surface/anti-submarine warfare; and firefighting and search and rescue. “The ULAQ can be controlled from both a mothership, such as a frigate or aircraft carrier, and a shore control station [SCS] – the mission can be handled and handed over between them,” ARES tells Ship & Boat International. “The ULAQ can be remotely controlled by these stations, or, while cruising autonomously, it can be monitored by the same sites.”
As the ‘Expendable’ part of the ULAQ KAMA’s branding indicates, this latest variation of the craft is a bit of a ‘suicide commando’ – or, as ARES puts it, “the most effective weapon to strike at hostile intentions, and always ready to sacrifice itself for this cause”. Given its remit of plunging deep into enemy territory, the ULAQ KAMA’s main design considerations have included long range, high speed, low radar signature and high seakeeping capabilities.
In short, this isn’t a patrol craft to be messed with – a point ARES not so subtly makes when it markets the XUSV as providing “trust for friends, fear for foes”, or warns: “Only those who face it will understand the impact of ULAQ KAMA.” However, the boat’s readiness for conflict also highlights the importance of ensuring that its AI is primed for full situational awareness, especially when it comes to clearly differentiating between potential threats and friendly/neutral boats and individuals. This also explains why ARES and Meteksan Defence intend to supply the ULAQ KAMA only to Turkey and its naval allies.
It’s not all about aggro, though: the XUSV’s ‘expendability’ stretches to its ability to handle UXO disposal, shielding human crew from powerful detonations.
The ULAQ KAMA measures 6.37m x 1.2m and draws a shallow 300mm. The boat has a maximum weight of 1.3tonnes and a payload capacity of 200kg. Powered by an engine-driven waterjet, the XUSV can achieve an operational speed in excess of 20knots, increasing to 50knots and over. Although the engine manufacturer for the forthcoming XUSV has not yet been specified, it’s known that ARES signed a contract with Turkish diesel engine manufacturer Tümosan in 2022, making this supplier a likely option – and one that would keep the project ‘in-house’ domestically.
In terms of seaworthiness and range, the ULAQ KAMA can handle conditions up to sea state 4 and cover more than 200nm before refuelling is required. Equipment includes an anti-jammer GNSS system, a differential GNSS receiver, daylight cameras (including a stabilised pan-tilt model) and satcomms. A thermal camera is offered as an optional extra.
The ULAQ KAMA is operable in remote-drive, semi-autonomous and fully autonomous modes. “It can seamlessly navigate in areas with no GPS/GNSS access or where signals are disrupted, and can perform single or swarm missions for target detection, diagnosis, and destruction,” ARES says.
The builder adds: “Considering that one of the most important elements of asymmetric warfare is directly proportional to the number of platforms, we have built our production infrastructure to…deliver more than 100 ULAQ KAMAs to our end users in less than a year after the requirement is notified.”
