AKSUNGUR Drops aselBUOY Sonobuoys From a UAV for the First Time
TUSAŞ’s AKSUNGUR unmanned aerial vehicle completed a submarine-detection mission at the Turkish Naval Forces’ TURNAs-26 Unmanned Maritime Systems Exercise by dropping three ASELSAN aselBUOY 100P underwater acoustic listening systems into the Mediterranean. According to TUSAŞ, it was the first time an aselBUOY was dropped from an unmanned aerial vehicle.
How the Mission Was Flown
TUSAŞ said AKSUNGUR took off from Ankara and, under satellite control, transited to waters off Antalya. Powered by the indigenous TEI-PD170 engine, the aircraft carried three aselBUOY 100P units and one additional sonobuoy. In the mission area it descended to 1,000 feet, released the systems from a pod, then climbed to 6,000 feet to begin listening for signals.
Four Hours on Station, Analysis in Ankara
AKSUNGUR spent about four hours in the mission area, relaying data from the aselBUOYs to an integrated acoustic data transfer center at the ground control station in Ankara. Underwater targets were detected from the acoustic data processed there. The full chain — carrying the buoys to the area, dropping them, and evaluating the data at a remote ground station — was thus carried out.
What Is a Sonobuoy?
A sonobuoy is a buoy-type sensor dropped into the sea from an aircraft or another platform that listens to underwater sounds and relays them by radio. In anti-submarine warfare it is used to pick up the noise a submarine makes. The aselBUOY 100P is described as a NATO A-size passive directional sonobuoy.
Why It Matters
TUSAŞ said the activity showed the importance of AKSUNGUR’s long endurance, high payload capacity and satellite control for joint missions with maritime patrol aircraft.
What Is TURNAs-26?
TURNAs-26 is the Naval Forces Command’s Unmanned Maritime Systems Exercise, which began on October 21 off the Gulf of Antalya and in the Eastern Mediterranean. According to the Ministry of National Defence, it involves 18 ships, 11 aircraft, 9 unmanned aerial vehicles, 7 unmanned underwater vehicles, 9 unmanned surface vehicles, 17 companies and 41 systems.
Originally reported by Envanter Medya.
