Turkiye displays "Kasif-3" unmanned underwater vehicle for first time VIDEO

The unmanned underwater vehicle "Kasif-3" which is one of the most critical equipments in Turkiye's deep-sea drilling activities, has been displayed for the first time.

Its software has not been affected by embargoes on Turkiye, and this equipment can only be produced by 3-4 countries in the world, TRT Haber reports.

"Kasif" is actually an underwater worker, and we often heard his name in the works of the Fatih and Kanuni drilling ships. Kasif-3 can successfully perform the commands given to him with his robotic arms, even under very difficult conditions at a depth of hundreds or even thousands of meters.

Turkey's 4th drilling ship docked at Taşucu Port on 19 May, and preparations for new drilling have already begun. At the same time, work on the remote-controlled underwater robot that will take part in the new ship continues at full speed.

The obtained information and images regarding "Kasif-3" are classified as “state secret”.

As Turkey has experienced serious difficulties while using unmanned aerial vehicles of other countries, unmanned underwater vehicles of foreign countries have also similar risks. Because these vehicles clearly display the areas where search and scanning activities are being carried out, and report the results to the ship. In a way, it has access to the most sensitive information of drilling activities.

If you do not carry out such an operation with completely domestic and national vehicles, it is inevitable that critical information will be in the hands of other countries. For this reason, "Kasif" not only performs very important duties, but also ensures that information and images, which are perhaps “state secrets”, are kept “inside” in Turkey's drilling activities.

3,000 metres under the sea

Turkiye’s Armelsan Defence Technologies Inc which is qualified on underwater defense systems, not only supports the construction process of "Kasif", but also carries out critical works in many different fields, from mine hunting ships to anti-submarine warfare sonar, from diver detection sonar used in TCG Anadolu to submarine rescue device.

In an interview with TRT Haber, Armelsan’s General Manager Can Emre Bakim described "Kasif" as “the hand, foot, eye and ear of drilling activities,” saying that it can work even at a depth of 3,000 meters, transmits live images to the drill ship, and performs gasket replacement, wellhead cleaning, cutting and mowing activities on his own, within the framework of the instructions from the drill ship.

"Kasif", which can carry out its activities on a 24-hour basis, is a platform that takes responsibility even if things turn into an undesirable place. "In case of an accident or some risks, Kasif also undertakes the task of closing the well," he added.

Bakim says that "Kasif-3" has a hybrid engine, adding that with the transition to the hybrid model, the number of countries in the world that could catch up with this technology suddenly decreased.

He noted that there are just 3 or 4 countries that can produce this platform as a hybrid, and Turkey is one of them.

According to him, Turkey is the second country in the world that uses unmanned underwater vehicles most actively. "Kasif-1" has been working on the Fatih Drilling Ship for nearly two years and has served more than 10 thousand hours. Meanwhile, "Kasif-2" worked for over 5,000 hours at a depth of thousands of meters on the Kanuni Drilling Ship.

Bakim states that the Kasif platform will have very important duties in the process of bringing the gas from Turkiye’s Mavi Vatan (Blue Motherland) offshore gas field to the shore.

“We will bring the gas from the Black Sea to the shore in 2023. After this, underwater robots will be needed for the monitoring and repair of the pipeline and the operation of the field. In this respect, the number of the Kasif underwater unmanned vehicles, will probably increase in the coming years and will be used more actively in the field.

TRT Haber said that "Kasif" was not affected by embargoes because its software is completely national.

Export potential of "Kasif"

The general-manager said that we will export the Kasif platform to friendly and brotherly countries in the near future, adding that “we are making the final preparations for Kasif-3. After about two months, we will move the platform to Taşucu Port and integrate it with Turkey's 4th drilling ship”.

He said that “there are gas-oil explorations in the deep sea, and deep-sea mining will be carried soon, so there is a need for underwater robots all over the world”.