Havelsan Unveils Çaka Unmanned System

At IDEF 2023, Turkish defence company Havelsan Unveils Çaka Unmanned System. According to Havelsan the Çaka submersible kamikaze unmanned surface vessel (s-kusv) is a game changer. This trimaran design has an 8.5m hull with 3.3m beam and 3.2 tonne displacement.

On the surface, the Çaka reaches over 60 knots powered by a 550 hp diesel engine and surface drive propeller. But its key capability is to dive, running silently on electric motors and waterjets. While slower underwater, this allows the Çaka to remain stealthy, only briefly surfacing via popup to acquire targets using EO systems.

Operational Capabilities

With a 250 nautical mile range, the Çaka allows little reaction time once attack is cleared. Havelsan is developing autonomy for future swarm operations. For now, it can be directed via data link from land, air or naval units. Onboard AI enables target recognition, with human confirmation required pre-attack.

Advanced Underwater Operations

For underwater navigation, the Çaka uses inertial guidance and dead reckoning. It can loiter for long periods, surfacing at programmed intervals to receive the recognised maritime picture. Once a target is identified, the Çaka accelerates to strike with a kinetic warhead up to several hundred kilograms.

As a naval “Loyal Wingman,” Havelsan envisions the Çaka will be cost-effective compared to torpedoes, especially in swarms. Its underwater mobility exceeds mines, and makes it immune to countermeasures.

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Strategic Impact

According to Havelsan, the Çaka is a cost-effective unmanned strike weapon compared to heavyweight torpedoes, especially when employed in autonomous swarms. Its underwater mobility exceeds static mines. And its mobility makes it immune to standard mine countermeasures.

Prototype Development

After concluding concept development, Havelsan signed an MoU with partners Roketsan, Asisguard, and Kraken Marine to build a prototype. This invisible threat aims to defend naval forces by taking the underwater fight to the enemy.

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