ULAQ KAMA Kamikaze Unmanned Surface Vessel
Deployment of ULAQ KAMA Kamikaze Unmanned Surface Vessel USV in Naval Operations.
ULAQ is the name of the Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) product family developed by the strong alliance of ARES Shipyard and Meteksan Defence, which includes different platform types, capabilities and functions.
ULAQ PSV Port Security Vessel is eliminating human factor either by its remote control capability, or by its sophisticated software to execute predetermined autonomous missions. By eliminating the human factor, it surpasses the current platform solutions. ULAQ PSV Port Security Vessel is a messenger, an envoy from the ancient history with his extraordinary skills and extreme warrior ship capabilities.
ULAQ KAMA is the Expendable Unmanned Surface Vehicle (XUSV) developed by Meteksan Defense Industry Inc. and Ares Shipyard Inc.
The ULAQ KAMA is an autonomous, semi-autonomous, or remotely controlled platform equipped with explosives to detonate on impact, offering high-speed, long-range capabilities, agility, and a low-profile silhouette.
Below Meteksan examines naval operational uses of a platform/weapon like ULAQ KAMA from the perspective of naval professionals:
Technological Trends
Technological progress has evolved from enhancing human muscle power to automation-based systems, which amplify human perception and decision-making. Automation, the capacity of machines to perform tasks without human control, finds broad use in both military and civilian sectors.
In security applications, technology advancements improve human perception and decision-making. Nowadays, however, innovations often mature in non-military fields before adapting to military contexts, and military influence on technology development is waning.
One of the areas where this trend is most evident is the development of Unmanned Systems. With technological advancements, unmanned systems equipped with AI supported capabilities are emerging to execute more complex tasks. The technological maturity achieved and expected in Unmanned Systems makes widespread military applications inevitable.
Another factor supporting the trend of the proliferation of Unmanned Systems is the transition of critical technologies that were previously monopolized by manufacturers becoming accessible to many states and non-state actors. Consequently, these technologies find extensive military and civilian applications and create an untapped market that supports their further advancements.
Defense Planning Overview
Defense planning describes the systematic approaches used by governments and military to shape national defense strategies, policies, resource allocation, and capabilities. This entails structured methods for various defense aspects. This article provides a concise overview, focusing on the creation, sustenance, and modernization of forces to meet security needs. Key factors impacting defense planning include:
- Current and future threats and risks.
- Existing and future forces’ status.
- Force utilization concepts and doctrines.
- Characteristics of potential operational environments.
- Resource allocation and priorities.
- Projected technological advancements and military applications.
- Incorporation of past lessons for new capabilities.
- These factors interact cyclically, forming a cohesive defense planning strategy for informed security decisions.
Operational Planning Approach
Defense planning and operational planning are complementary processes that are carried out together to ensure effective utilization of military resources and the achievement of national security objectives. Essentially, operational planning focuses on the effective and efficient use of existing capabilities to create the desired kinetic effects on operational objectives with the aim of achieving strategic goals.
While the foundational principles of operational planning stay constant, the approach and objectives may vary depending on the specific operational domain. For example, in maritime operations, a strategic objective such as destroying or weakening the enemy’s military and economic power at sea can be established. Planners of maritime operations identify operational centers of gravity that will enable them to achieve this strategic objective, determine operational and tactical tasks aimed at affecting these centers of gravity, synchronize them, and ensure their coordination.
In this context, maritime elements may conduct tasks like ensuring sea control, denying the adversary the use of the sea, controlling and protecting Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC), conducting power projection, ensuring maritime security, controlling choke points etc.
In the execution of these tasks, the courses of action, which generally include the following options, are formulated and implemented through the operational planning process:
- Establishing qualitative and quantitative superiority in the operational area to deter the adversary from pursuing the intentions that led to the crisis; and if deterrence proves ineffective, utilizing this superiority to render the adversary ineffective.
- Maintaining continuous maritime situational awareness in the operational area to ensure the freedom of movement for own forces (mobility) and to prevent the adversary/potential adversary to do so (counter mobility).
- Executing the mission while minimizing risks to own forces.
- Engaging the adversary while staying beyond the reach of their sensors and weapons.
- Possessing both agility and firepower advantages/options to create surprise effects.
- Maximizing the advantages offered by the geography and implementing options to mitigate disadvantages.
- Preventing the adversary from exploiting geographical advantages and capitalizing on their disadvantages.
- Ensuring uninterrupted use of naval bases during operations and protecting the forces berthing there.
Use of ULAQ KAMA in Naval Operations
After this conceptual overview, we return to the use of ULAQ KAMA in naval operations. Examining the potential use of a platform like ULAQ KAMA from the perspective of defense planners and operational planners can provide in-depth insights and understanding of their evaluation process. Illustrated in general terms below is a theoretical assessment process between two senior defenses planning and operational planning officers serving in a high-level naval headquarters:
Imagine you’re a naval operations planner. Your defense planning colleague presents a USV with following capabilities:
- Rapid, affordable production.
- 200+ NM range, speeds over 50 knots.
- Minimal chance of detection due to design (small RCS, ultra-low IR).
- Operable in narrow waters, harbors, open seas even in GNSS-denied conditions.
- Precisely delivers 200 kg explosive payload at target’s waterline upon impact.
- Solo or swarm attacks.
- Anticipates and counters target evasion.
- Agile against defensive fire.
- Deploys from coast or small vessel like a tugboat.
- Lingers in an area until detection of a suitable target.
- Discriminates between targets.
- Safely returns or self-destructs to avoid collateral damage.
- Operates autonomously, semi-autonomously, or remotely with humans in or on the loop.
