“Another country interested in purchasing Turkish-made naval ships” STM says

Following the recent sale of naval vessels to Portugal, another country has expressed interest in acquiring the same ship model, highlighting the growing success of Türkiye’s defense exports.

STM General Manager Ozgur Guleryuz, speaking exclusively to the TRT Haber at the IDEX 2025 defense industry fair in Abu Dhabi, confirmed the development. “A country has approached us, saying, ‘We want the exact same ship you built for Portugal. It is an excellent platform, and we are working on adjusting our budget,’” he stated.

Expanding export markets

Guleryuz emphasized that interest is not limited to Portugal or the unnamed country. “We have been engaging with various nations across Europe, the Far East, and South America. Our export achievements are significant, and we aim to advance further,” he said.

STM is also making strides beyond naval platforms, with its loitering munition system, Kargu, achieving export success. “We have sold Kargu to more than ten countries so far. Now, we are rapidly working on its armor-piercing munition version. The tests have been completed, and this version will soon enter service,” Guleryuz added.

At IDEX 2025, STM is engaged in serious negotiations with multiple countries regarding the new Kargu variant and other defense products.

Autonomous underwater vehicle NETA nears sea trials

Guleryuz also provided updates on STM’s latest innovation, the National Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (NETA), which was displayed internationally for the first time.

“The platform is undergoing intensive testing, and we have already signed the first contract domestically. Several countries have shown keen interest in NETA during the fair,” he said.

The company is currently conducting pool tests, with sea trials expected to commence soon.

According to Guleryuz, there is substantial global demand for autonomous underwater systems, but only a few companies can deliver high-quality solutions. “We strongly believe that NETA will achieve remarkable success worldwide, even in its initial phase,” he noted.

The STM NETA 300 is capable of conducting Mine Countermeasures (MCM) operations at depths ranging from 2 to 300 metres and autonomously surveys minefields using Side Scan Sonar and Gap Filler Sonar, enabling operators to identify and classify mines or mine-like objects as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Syntactic Aperture Sonar (SAS) can be integrated as an option to achieve a wider swath range and ultra-high along-track resolution.

Military operations:

• Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)
• Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA)
• Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
• Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
• Port security

Civilian and industrial applications:

• Seabed and environmental assessment
• Pipeline inspection
• Geophysical survey
• Offshore renewables
• Marine archaeology

Upcoming FPV drone introduction

STM is preparing to unveil its First-Person View (FPV) drone product, which has gained increasing relevance, particularly in light of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“We see tactical UAVs as part of a larger family,” Guleryuz stated, underlining STM’s engineering expertise. “We don’t limit ourselves to specific products; we develop solutions based on market needs. We have made significant progress on FPV drones and expect to showcase our product within a week or two.”

The company aims to leverage FPV drones’ cost-effectiveness while addressing their limitations. “Our goal is to mitigate certain drawbacks while maximizing efficiency,” Guleryuz explained.

STM’s upcoming FPV drone reportedly will be designed for both offensive and defensive applications in multiple configurations.

STM’s Portugal deal

STM, one of Türkiye’s leading naval defence company, has secured a contract to build logistics support vessels for the Portuguese Navy on 2024, outperforming some of the world’s foremost naval and military shipbuilders.

Two Auxiliary Oiler Replenisher and Logistics Ship (AOR+) will be designed and built in Türkiye, with STM as the main contractor. This marked the first instance of Türkiye exporting military ships to a European Union and NATO member state through STM.

Under the AOR+ Project (Navio Reabastecedor de Esquadra e Logístico, NRE+ in Portuguese), STM will act as the main contractor. Two ships will be designed and constructed in a private Turkish shipyard, with construction scheduled to commence in 2025.

The contract was officially signed in Lisbon on 17 December 2024.