KOCAELİ, Türkiye — Turkish defense company FNSS has unveiled its new U-MAV (Unmanned Amphibious Assault Vehicle), also known as İ-ZAHA, at the TEKNOFEST Mavi Vatan (Blue Homeland) event at Gölcük Naval Shipyard Command in Kocaeli. The event runs from August 20 to 23.
The 8-ton unmanned vehicle is designed to operate ahead of the Turkish Naval Forces Command’s manned Marine Assault Vehicles (MAV/ZAHA). FNSS says the U-MAV can make initial contact with shore defenses before manned vehicles land, reducing the exposure of personnel during the highest-risk phase of an amphibious assault.
Mobility and Mission Options
The U-MAV is powered by a 300-horsepower engine, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 37.5 hp per ton. It can reach 7 knots in water and 70 km/h (43 mph) on land). Independent suspension and different tire options allow it to operate across varied ground conditions. FNSS also states that the platform has a low optical, thermal and acoustic signature.
Its mission payloads can be changed in the field in about 40 minutes, supporting 10 configurations: fire support, mine clearance, combat engineering, electronic warfare, reconnaissance, deception, counter-drone operations, obstacle marking, logistics support and casualty evacuation.
Autonomous Operation and Communications
The U-MAV can operate in autonomous, remote-controlled or hybrid modes. It uses an encrypted mesh network, satellite and inertial navigation systems, and an identification friend-or-foe (IFF) module.
Its inertial navigation system maintains a position estimate when satellite signals are degraded or jammed. Standard line-of-sight communications reach 3 km, with drone relays available to extend the range.
If the datalink is lost, the vehicle first enters a safe hold state and then either returns to base along a pre-programmed route or continues its mission, depending on its configuration.
An onboard mission computer processes camera feeds in real time and can transmit detection data instead of a continuous full-video stream when bandwidth is limited or communications are contested. Detected targets receive threat scores and status indicators and are tracked using timestamps. FNSS also says AI-supported cameras assist with orientation, target recognition and fire control.
Armor Integrity System
FNSS says the U-MAV is the first unmanned vehicle to integrate Armor Integrity, a structural monitoring system developed by Nurol Teknoloji.
Sensors detect the location, direction and severity of impacts, calculate the remaining structural capacity of the affected armor and send the information to the operator and chain of command. If communications are lost, the damage data is stored locally and transmitted after the link is restored.
Transport and FNSS Plans
The U-MAV can be transported by road, rail and sea and is compatible with heavy-lift aircraft including the CH-47F Chinook, Mi-26, C-130 Hercules, A400M, C-17 Globemaster, C-5 Galaxy, An-124 and Il-76.
FNSS CEO and board member Selim Baybaş said the vehicle combines the company's engineering capabilities, Marine Assault Vehicle experience and continuing R&D in unmanned and autonomous systems. He also highlighted FNSS's more than 35 years of industry experience and its ability to manufacture several platforms concurrently.
FNSS has not disclosed the U-MAV's price, production timeline or any customer orders for the platform.
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