SANCAR Armed Unmanned Surface Vehicle

Keep Your Eyes Not on the Sky, But on the Horizon

Early morning. The sea is calm. There’s nothing unusual on the coastal radar, yet a young officer at the coast guard trusts his instincts. “Something’s out there,” he says. In the past, that hunch might have triggered expensive manned operations—surveillance helicopters, naval patrols, divers. Today, the answer is far quieter, far smarter: SANCAR.

Not just a machine, but a force multiplier — built to answer the evolving demands of modern naval warfare. From asymmetric surface warfare to mine countermeasure operations, from coastal intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance to search-and-rescue missions in the most unforgiving conditions.

Where danger lurks unseen, where manned units would risk too much, SANCAR moves in

 Autonomous  Relentless  Rapid

It’s not just about what you can see. It’s about what you don’t miss.

Unmanned Surface Vehicles

Technology is reshaping the nature of maritime operations. Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) are no longer limited to radar screens or innovation labs. They now occupy a prominent position in strategic planning, defense investment agendas, and naval modernization roadmaps.

Autonomy, modularity, and multi-system integration are not futuristic ambitions anymore—they are the foundational demands of 21st-century naval operations. These platforms don’t just assist with missions; they’re redefining how naval superiority is established.

And as the transition from large, conventional ships to agile, intelligent platforms accelerates, the naval battlefield undergoes a silent revolution.

The Global Rise of USVs: From Platforms to Strategic Shifts

The U.S. Navy’s evolving surface warfare concept with unmanned assets, Israel’s full-autonomy doctrine for coastal defense, and South Korea’s and China’s aggressive adoption of naval robotics—these all revolve around the same question:

How do we effect more on the surface in both war and peace?

Simple question. Complex answer. Because it’s not just about technology. It’s about interoperability— how seamlessly your systems, platforms, and allies connect. It’s about sustainability — how long you can endure, adapt, and remain operational in the harshest environments. It’s about reliability — knowing your assets won’t fail when the mission can’t afford it. And above all, it’s about a strategic vision — seeing beyond today’s threats, anticipating the next conflict, and shaping the future operational domain before others do.

True maritime superiority is earned not by having the loudest presence, but by having the intelligence and network enabled capability and game changer on the surface.

HAVELSAN’s answer with SANCAR isn’t just engineering. It’s a philosophy in action.

 What USVs Bring to the Modern Navy

1. Minimized Risk: High-risk missions—mine detection, narrow waterways, surveillance in hostile areas—can now be conducted without risking human life.
2. Economic Efficiency: Significantly lower operational costs compared to large, manned vessels. More coverage, less resource use.
3. Multi-Mission Capability: Antisurface Warfare (ASuW), Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR), Patrol, reconnaissance, port security, coastal surveillance, search and rescue, minecountermeasure (MCM) operations—delivered via one smart, modular platform.
4. Decision Support & Real-Time Action: With advanced sensors, software modules and AI, SANCAR doesn’t just collect data—it understands it, reacts, and makes critical decisions.

These aren’t just tools for today—they’re building blocks for tomorrow’s Navy.

SANCAR: A Silent Strategist of the Digital Seas

What makes SANCAR remarkable is not what it does—it’s how it does it. This isn’t just a machine that follows orders. It’s a strategic thinker on sea surface.

Filtering radar signals, classifying potential threats, determining appropriate response levels—SANCAR transforms situational awareness into actionable intelligence in real time. It doesn’t just detect anomalies; it evaluates intent, defines operational risks, and instantly recommends the most effective response options. In critical moments, it doesn’t hesitate — it acts, autonomously or on command.

Whether it's acting as a passive observer or an armed deterrent equipped with guided missiles and remote weapon systems, SANCAR adapts to every mission profile seamlessly.

From covert surveillance in contested surface to protecting high-value assets, neutralizing surface threats, or conducting high-speed interdiction operations — SANCAR extends the reach and resilience of any naval task force, becoming an indispensable asset in both peace and combat scenarios.

Dijital Troops: Unified Intelligence Across Domains

HAVELSAN’s “Dijital Troops” vision is more than a framework. It’s a redefinition of what constitutes a military unit.

In today’s defense landscape, it’s not uniforms that unify forces—but shared intelligence.

BAHA (air), BARKAN (land), and SANCAR (sea)—three domains, one synchronized goal.

Thanks to advanced algorithms and C4ISR capabilities, SANCAR can operate as part of a cross-platform team, exchanging data in real time with aerial and ground units. It interprets inputs from BAHA, coordinates responses with BARKAN, and executes its own tasks—all autonomously.

This is not just task sharing—it’s cooperative mission execution as multi-domain operation Not just network-centric warfare—it’s network-conscious intelligence.

Use Case Scenarios: Where and How SANCAR Operates

·       Autonomous and Safe Navigation

·       Intelligence, Reconnaissance and Surveillance

·       Guidance Operations

·       Zone Safety Operations

·       Anti-Surface Warfare

·       Mine Countermeasures

·       Asymmetric Warfare Coastal Defense

Port and Base Protection

In each of these roles, SANCAR isn’t just “useful”— it’s fundamental.

Tested in the Field, Proven in Reality

Every system works in theory. But the battlefield doesn’t care about theory. Every system works in theory. The real measure is the field — unpredictable, unforgiving, and merciless.

SANCAR AUSV recognized as an operational force multiplier and officially inducted into the Navy’s frontline assets.

SANCAR successfully operated from Tactical Operations Center of TCG Istanbul which is first National Frigate in Türkiye, it wasn’t just following orders — it was making decisions. Scanning complex maritime traffic, classifying emerging threats, recommending response options, and when authorized, acting autonomously.

This isn’t just functionality—it’s trust operationalized.

This is more than operational capability, this is operational trust as a real preparation for unpredictable chaos of real-world missions.

A system that doesn’t just exist on paper. It fights. It thinks. It endures. And it proves itself, where it matters most.

Logistical Simplicity, Operational Sophistication

Designed for real-world ease, SANCAR’s lightweight composite hull, modular payloads, and mobile ground control station mean it can be deployed quickly, transported efficiently, and repurposed easily.

Fewer maintenance cycles, high redundancy, and field-ready architecture result in a lower total cost of ownership—without compromising performance.

SANCAR AUSV - Türkiye’s Vanguard of Unmanned Surface Warfare

·       The first Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) in Türkiye to execute Mine Countermeasure (MCM) mission.

• The first USV ever integrated into the ADVENT Combat Management System of a Turkish Navy frigate.
• The first unmanned platform equipped with a fully operational ADVENT ROTA C2 which is designed and developed for Unmanned Systems.
• The first USV developed in compliance with NATO standards for interoperability and mission readiness in Türkiye.
• The only USV in Türkiye capable of conducting joint operations alongside manned and unmanned assets simultaneously thanks to her Tactical Data Link infrastructure.
• The first unmanned surface platform equipped with Türkiye’s most robust, secure, and resilient naval communication architecture — enabling uninterrupted, encrypted, multi-domain data exchange in contested environments.

Feel the Power, Trust the Silence

Naval superiority is no longer measured by tonnage—but by intelligence. SANCAR is not a vessel—it’s a partner in command. A watchful eye, a strategic actor, a deterrent force. Always ready. Always present.

“Don’t look to the sky. Look to the horizon. SANCAR is there—intelligent, prepared, decisive.”

Author - Bilal Metin Altinoz, MSc , Özgür Çetin