Türkiye tests new underwater mine-hunting drone in first open-sea operation Photo / Video

Türkiye’s leading defence shipbuilding company, STM, has completed the first open-sea trials of its new unmanned underwater vehicle, STM NETA 300 — a key step in advancing the country’s autonomous maritime capabilities.

STM NETA 300 was developed under the "Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)" programme and is designed to serve as a deep-sea guardian for the Turkish Navy, Caliber.Az reports, citing STM’s X page.

🌊 #MaviVatan’ın insansız neferi Akdeniz’de! 🇹🇷🐬

Milli İnsansız Otonom Sualtı Aracı ailemizin ilk üyesi #STMNETA 300’ün deniz testleri başarıyla devam ediyor. ⚓

Türk Donanması’nda görev yapacak STM NETA 300’ün öncelikli harekât görevi mayınların tespiti olacak.💣

Ayrıntılar… pic.twitter.com/6cXlo5bODk

— STM (@STMDefence) May 9, 2025

The system was first unveiled at the SAHA EXPO on October 22, 2024 and is intended primarily for mine countermeasure (MCM) missions.

STM CEO Özgür Güleryüz said the company has launched sea trials following initial pool tests, during which the team evaluated the vehicle’s sensors, cameras, and autonomous navigation systems. “We managed to deploy the STM NETA 300 into open waters by integrating our expertise in naval engineering, autonomous platforms, and command-and-control systems. We are now ready to begin performance testing,” Güleryüz noted.

He added that future development would focus on medium and large-class AUVs tailored for deeper and more complex underwater operations.

The STM NETA 300, developed entirely with domestic technology, can operate at depths of up to 300 metres. Equipped with side-scan sonar and gap-filling sonar systems, it offers high precision in detecting and neutralising underwater mines. In its standard configuration, the 70kg vehicle can be carried by two people, reaches speeds of up to five knots, and has an operational endurance of up to 24 hours.

Thanks to its integration with synthetic aperture sonar (SAS), the STM NETA 300 provides broad-area scanning and can be deployed easily from surface platforms. In addition to mine warfare, the vehicle is also suitable for reconnaissance, surveillance, rapid environmental assessment, anti-submarine operations, explosive ordnance disposal, and port security missions.

By Aghakazim Guliyev