Havelsan, VN Maritime and Piloda Defence Partner to Build Manned and Unmanned Naval Systems

Following the contract for 40 naval units for the Italian Coast Guard, the collaboration between the Italy-based shipyard and the Turkish boat builder is expanding to the development of Unmanned and Hybrid Surface Vessel platforms for the Guardia di Finanza, and other government institutions. Production will take place at the Piloda facilities.

Piloda Shipyard, through its Piloda Defence division, Havelsan and VN Maritime Technologies have signed a strategic framework cooperation agreement for the development, marketing, integration and delivery of hybrid surface vessels, configurable for manned, unmanned or mixed-mode operations. The platforms will be manufactured at Piloda and VN Maritime facilities, with operational sites in Naples, Brindisi and Torre Annunziata.

The agreement represents the evolution of an already established industrial cooperation. In 2025, Piloda Shipyard and VN Maritime launched the joint production of 40 fifteen-metre vessels for the General Command of the Port Captaincies Corps – Coast Guard, a program worth a total of €159.2 million. With the new agreement, the partnership extends to hybrid and unmanned platforms, identifying, the Guardia di Finanza and other Italian government and security institutions as potential end users.

Hybrid vessels: one platform, three operational modes

The defining element of the agreement lies in the hybrid vessel concept: a naval unit capable of operating manned, unmanned or in mixed mode, requiring no structural modifications to switch between configurations.

Hybrid platforms deliver true multi-role capability, enabling operations across the entire mission spectrum: from autonomous surveillance and coordinated swarm missions to fully manned operations including patrol, search and rescue, transport, and boarding activities.

The hybrid configuration also addresses a concrete regulatory need. In the absence of consolidated international legislation for fully autonomous vessels, the hybrid design enables immediate operational deployment by Italian institutions, with the option of embarking personnel when required by circumstances or regulations.

A functioning prototype has already been presented and tested by institutional delegations at the international Seafuture 2025 exhibition, held at the Naval Base of La Spezia’s Military Arsenal.

Hull technology: stability and operational continuity

The platforms are based on the patented ÖK Hull technology, licensed from Icelandic company Rafnar and further developed by VN Maritime. The hull is designed to reduce slamming impact by up to 95% compared to conventional V-hull forms. This translates into direct operational advantages: longer vessel lifespan, reduced maintenance requirements and greater comfort for personnel and onboard equipment.

Hull stability also has a decisive impact on onboard system performance. Underwater sensors remain submerged, ensuring continuous data flow; weapon and surface surveillance systems – cameras, searchlights, electro-optical sensors – require less stabilization, eliminating the need for additional stabilizers.

READ ME: HAVELSAN Opens New Flight Simulator Production Center

The role of the three partners and the focus on Italy

The agreement assigns each partner a defined role. Piloda Defence serves as the production hub and system integrator on Italian territory, providing its shipyard infrastructure and the expertise gained through over fifteen years of technical support to Coast Guard and Guardia di Finanza units.

HAVELSAN is a global technology company delivering advanced defense software solutions alongside a strong portfolio in autonomous systems. Through its “Digital Troops” concept, HAVELSAN has developed unmanned air, land and naval platforms, many of which have been actively deployed within the Turkish Armed Forces, providing valuable operational experience. Building on this background, HAVELSAN aims to extend its autonomous capabilities into joint production and industrial cooperation models, supporting the development of next-generation hybrid maritime platforms.

VN Maritime Technologies provides the naval design and high-performance hull technology, with the ability to adapt the design to the different operational requirements of Italian institutions.

Objectives and outlook

The three partners are targeting the signing of the first purchase order in the first half of 2026. The cooperation provides for the development of variants of different sizes and configurations, with applications ranging from defence and maritime security to environmental monitoring, including for agencies responsible for marine environmental protection. The objective is to strengthen the fleets of Italian institutions with next-generation platforms manufactured on national territory.

“We are not just building vessels: we are investing in an industrial model that brings advanced skills and technologies to Italy, and specifically to our production sites. The partnership with VN Maritime enables us to accelerate the development of increasingly sophisticated platforms, including unmanned solutions, while keeping our roots firmly in the manufacturing quality that has distinguished us for over a century. Although these are pre-commercial products, we are confident that the robustness of the projects and the experience gained in over 15 years of technical support to military units will enable us to effectively tackle production at scale. Piloda Defence is the first entity with which Havelsan has signed an exclusive agreement: this confirms the strength of our trajectory in the institutional defence sector.”

Donato Di Palo, CEO of Piloda Shipyard and Co-Founder of Piloda Group

“This cooperation represents a natural evolution of our long-standing focus on high-performance maritime platforms. By combining VN Maritime’s advanced hull design and operational know-how with Havelsan’s autonomy technologies and Piloda’s industrial capabilities in Italy, we are delivering a new generation of surface vessels that are not only technologically advanced, but also immediately deployable for real-world missions. Our objective is clear: to provide reliable, mission-ready platforms tailored to the evolving needs of Italian and European institutions.”

Ahmet Yasin Erdogan, Director of B&D and Co-Founder of VN Maritime Technologies.

“Autonomy is not only about removing the operator from the platform, but about enhancing mission effectiveness through reliable, real-time situational awareness and control. Within this partnership, our focus is to integrate advanced command and control systems, autonomous navigation and sensor fusion technologies into a robust maritime platform. By combining these capabilities with VN Maritime’s hull performance and Piloda’s production strength, we are enabling hybrid vessels that can operate safely, efficiently and interoperably within modern naval and security environments.”

Deniz Remzi Dumlu, C4ISR Director, Naval Surface Platforms

About Piloda Defence

Piloda Defence is the department of Piloda Shipyard dedicated to the design and construction of naval platforms for multi-purpose applications. With operational headquarters in Naples, Brindisi and Torre Annunziata, it integrates advanced engineering skills with the experience gained in over fifteen years of technical support for Coast Guard and Guardia di Finanza units. Activity ranges from the development of new SAR units (such as the PD15 and PD21 models) to the creation of unmanned surveillance solutions.

About Havelsan

HAVELSAN is Türkiye’s leading engineering and technology company providing integrated, scalable and mission-critical solutions for defense, security and civilian sectors. With strong capabilities in command and control, simulation and training, cybersecurity, autonomous systems and digital transformation solutions, HAVELSAN supports partner nations and organizations in building resilient and future-ready technology infrastructures across air, land, sea and civil domains.

About VN Maritime Technologies

VN Maritime Technologies is a defense-focused maritime technology and boat-building company delivering high-performance surface platforms for naval forces, coast guards, government security agencies and professional users. The company specializes in fast patrol craft and RHIBs, integrating advanced hull, propulsion, and mission systems to support manned and unmanned operations.

Catch all the latest defense news from around the world—join us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram & TikTok.