Roketsan Begins Delivering AKYA Heavyweight Torpedoes To The Turkish Naval Forces
On May 9, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense announced in a post on its X account that the Turkish Naval Forces had begun to receive the AKYA heavyweight torpedoes developed by Roketsan. Although the Ministry did not specify which submarines received the first batch of deliveries, the video attached to the post shows AKYA being loaded onto TCG Preveze (S-353), which is based on the Type-209T1/1400 Class Submarines developed by the German company Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft AG. However, it is unclear whether the footage was taken during test firings or during delivery.
The development of Turkey’s first domestic heavyweight torpedo, Akya, began in 2008 with an agreement signed by the Defense Industries Agency and the ROKETSAN-TÜBİTAK-SAGE-ARMERKOM business partnership. The Akya Project’s first test-fire, which aims to replace the US-made Mk-48 and German-made DM2A4 torpedoes used in the Turkish Navy’s Ay, Gür, Preveza, and Reis Class submarines, took place in 2013. On December 27, 2023, the AKYA Torpedo underwent its first live fire test against a real surface target in Antalya Bay, following more than 70 test-fires since 2013. Akya, fired from the TCG Preveza submarine as part of the test, quickly sank a decommissioned Navajo class fleet tugboat 10 kilometers away. After the successful test, the Defense Industries Agency (SSB) and ROKETSAN signed the AKYA Heavyweight Torpedo Mass Production Agreement on January 18, 2024.
According to Roketsan, the AKYA is a new generation heavyweight torpedo capable of targeting both surface targets and submarines of various classes. The torpedo is 7 meters long and weighs 1,200 kilograms. The torpedoes have an external guidance capability via fiber optic cable, as well as an Active/Passive Sonar head with Counter-Counter Measure and wake homing. These torpedoes have a range of approximately 50 kilometers and a maximum speed of more than 45 knots.
Roketsan is also developing the 324 mm New Generation Lightweight Torpedo named Orka, by combining the knowledge gained during the development of the AKYA torpedo with ASELSAN’s achievements in the anti-torpedo Tork project. Orka, which can engage subsurface targets and be launched from surface platforms and aircraft, stands out for its high speed, target detection with an active/passive sonar, and internal guidance capabilities. The torpedo, which will be used in heavy-load unmanned aerial vehicles like Bayraktar Akıncı and TAI Aksungur, is set to be mass-produced next year.