HAVELSAN announced that its Armed Unmanned Surface Vehicle (AUSV), SANCAR, has completed acceptance tests and is set to be delivered to Türkiye’s security forces. The platform, developed in partnership with Yonca Shipyard, is now ready to enter service.

HAVELSAN General Manager Dr. Mehmet Akif Nacar said the program recently passed its acceptance phase following live-fire tests.

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“We are developing our SANCAR AUSV in cooperation with Yonca Shipyard. We successfully conducted its firing tests. The platform hosts five of HAVELSAN’s indigenous solutions. The most important is ADVENT Rota, a command-and-control mission management software that integrates the Turkish Navy’s ADVENT combat management system into autonomous platforms. In addition, our SUBSTAR Ship Data Distribution System, the BLUEVISION autonomous navigation system, and the GNSS-KASK precision satellite positioning solution are all deployed on SANCAR,” he stated.

Dr. Nacar underlined that SANCAR can be operated either within the ADVENT framework or as a standalone platform.

“We have a mature command, control and mission management capability. Moreover, we can integrate these five indigenous products into other platforms to make them autonomous. In other words, it doesn’t have to be this platform—we’re ready today to autonomize any suitable platform,” he said.

During firing trials, the 12.7 mm remote-controlled weapon system engaged targets successfully. With acceptance completed, serial production will make additional deliveries possible.

Measuring 12.7 meters in length with a displacement of 9 tons, SANCAR can reach speeds above 40 knots, operate up to 400 nautical miles at 10 knots, and remain functional in Sea State 4. Its systems include radar, sonar, electro-optical cameras, AIS, 360-degree surveillance, depth sounder, and GNSS-assisted navigation. The platform supports modular payloads ranging from RCWS to missile systems and mine countermeasure equipment.

According to HAVELSAN, the AUSV is the first of its class to be fully integrated with the ADVENT combat management system and will play a role in mine countermeasure operations. It is designed to deploy from next-generation vessels or operate independently. Software development continues in line with NATO interoperability standards, which could enable broader international use.

SANCAR is the first member of HAVELSAN’s planned family of unmanned surface vehicles. The company said additional platforms are under development for both military and civilian applications.