ASELSAN [BIST:ASELS] has unveiled the KILIÇ family of kamikaze UUVs as an asymmetric e during the SAHA EXPO 2026 defence exhibition alongside TUFAN KUSV.
ASELSAN’s KILIÇ family of kamikaze UUVs aim for underwater-based strike capability with an asymmetric nature provided by long endurance, as unveiled during SAHA EXPO 2026.
KILIÇ comes in two configurations: KILIÇ 10 and KILIÇ 200, with different arrangements to perform strikes in different manners.
KILIÇ 200: High Power and Performance for Critical Targets
KILIÇ 200 as the larger variant powered by a single waterjet and adopts a layout not so different from ASELSAN’s DERİNGÖZ line of UUVs meant for ISR operations.
KILIÇ 200 can be deployed by trucks or USVs, which are either easy to conceal or hard to spot, respectively.
Whereas a torpedo is used against a surface platform in the event of a firefight between two platforms, KILIÇ 200 leans on a more asymmetric approach that prioritises targeting when idle at port.
KILIÇ 10: Flexible Deployment Coupled with Mast-Assisted Targeting
KILIÇ 10 is the smaller variant that can be deployed in multiples by platforms as small as RHIBs, which makes it ideal for sabotage operations at shorter ranges by naval special forces.
The kamikaze UUV is powered by four small waterjets, which, coupled with the already small size, contribute to the stealthiness against acoustic sensors.
In addition to this, unlike KILIÇ 200, KILIÇ 10 is fitted with a folding mast carrying optics for target identification at the final approach.
Ukraine Proving the Potential of Kamikaze UUVs
The idea of a loitering/idling underweapon has been something not visited often by leading manufacturers of underwater weaponry due to the trade-offs in speed for endurance.
However, Ukraine proved that the low acoustic signature and still enough of a warhead to disable important naval assets that are idle at port are indeed promising as not direct attack weapons but rather something asymmetric.
Türkiye, bordering the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea, has plenty of room for the deployment of KILIÇ kamikaze UUVs set to work alongside the conventional naval assets that conventionally provide defence and offence.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor:Özgür Ekşi
