ANKARA, Türkiye — Türkiye’s MARLIN unmanned surface vessel (USV) has successfully completed mine-laying trials using the domestically developed MALAMAN smart bottom mine, adding a new mine-warfare capability to the Turkish Navy’s first operational unmanned naval platform.
The trials, reported by Türkiye’s state-owned Anadolu Agency on August 17, 2026, involved deploying MALAMAN mines in both remotely controlled and fully autonomous modes. The work included the design and production of a dedicated mine carriage and release mechanism, along with mission-planning interfaces and algorithms for autonomous mine-laying. Validation and testing were conducted at Sefine Shipyard using training versions of the MALAMAN mine.
MARLIN USV
MARLIN was developed by Sefine Shipyard and ASELSAN under the coordination of Türkiye’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB). It entered Turkish Naval Forces service in January 2024 as Türkiye’s first USV in the naval inventory.
The 15-metre platform has a beam of about 3.85 metres, a displacement of around 21 tonnes and a payload capacity of at least four tonnes. It can reach speeds of at least 35 knots and has an endurance of up to 72 hours. Its modular architecture allows different sensors, weapons and electronic-warfare equipment to be integrated.
MARLIN has previously been tested and configured for anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and electronic warfare missions, and has also conducted missile-firing trials.
MALAMAN Smart Mine
MALAMAN is a Turkish-developed smart sea-bottom mine intended for deployment from surface vessels, submarines, aircraft and unmanned platforms. Its development involved KoçSavunma, MKE and TÜBİTAK SAGE.
The mine uses pressure, magnetic and acoustic data for target detection and classification. It is designed for water depths of 5 to 100 metres and uses a pressure-resistant composite casing designed to blend with the seabed.
MALAMAN has a diameter of 533 mm, making it compatible with submarine torpedo tubes. It is approximately 1.8 metres long and weighs about 600 kg, including around 400 kg of insensitive underwater explosive. The system entered Turkish Naval Forces inventory in 2026, while earlier work included fit checks with Türkiye’s REIS-class submarines and integration work for use from Turkish Navy landing ships.
New Unmanned Mine-Laying Capability
The integration gives MALAMAN another deployment option while allowing mine-laying missions to be conducted without exposing a crewed vessel. The successful remote-controlled and autonomous trials demonstrate different levels of operator involvement.
The demonstration also expands MARLIN’s mission set into mine warfare alongside its existing surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, electronic-warfare and other tested roles. It represents the first reported pairing of MARLIN with the MALAMAN smart bottom mine.
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