Turkey’s Subsea Transfer Vehicle for Special Operations Forces

Turkish naval technology firm unveils design and specification for its Subsea Transfer Vehicle Designed for Special Operations Forces

IRIA Staff - December 18, 2021

Turkish Defense Technology Company Kuasar Marin unveiled designs for their latest submersible Swimmer Delivery Vehicle (SDV). The firm made a social media announcement for the upcoming project KM-STC10, a submersible semi-submarine SDV that would be used by the Turkish Special Forces. The STC stands for Subsea Transfer Craft which indicates the vessel’s capability to transport personnel in a concealed and covert manner underwater.

According to Kuasar Marin’s co-founder Mr. Noyan Kilinc, KM-STC10 has been designed keeping Turkish Special Forces requirements under consideration, however, the manufactures can make amendments to the design subject to the clients’ needs.

Kilinc further stated that “Our project is a preliminary project that was developed with the use of the company’s own resources. The development and design process has been completed to the level where we will be able to bid on tenders for the needs of our country’s and friendly countries’ armed forces.”

Kuasar Marin is also working on the concept to be used around the world to acquire a reach into further markets for KM-STC10.

The preliminary design process for the vessel has completed the following steps:

• Preliminary engineering and feasibility studies have been carried out;
• Vehicle architecture development has been completed;
• Candidate system/equipment solutions have been determined;
• Preliminary system integration definitions have been created;
• Initial agreements to work with desired solution partners, and other activities have been completed.




Specifications

KM-STC10 is designed to be a watercraft that enables military personnel to cruise both above and below the water surface with high speeds and stealth maneuverability.

Keeping these key requirements under consideration, the submersible vessel has been designed with a flat bottom to provide it with better control and maneuverability while cruising on the water surface.

The upper part has been designed to minimize the resistance while it travels beneath the water surface. KM-STC10 can operate at a depth of 30 meters with a speed of 4 knots. While at the surface, the vehicle can reach the speed of 25 knots. It uses a water jet propulsion system that is powered by diesel engines, while below the water it uses electric motors propulsion wings powered by onboard batteries and electric generators.

KM-STC10 can be operated by a team of two people while it can be used to transfer six people at one time. The diesel engine and electric motors are placed at the vehicle’s rear end in a pressurized chamber that keeps the system dry and working while the vessel fills up to operate underneath the waters. The vehicle can be transferred to the operation site through the ship and also through aerial transportation with a parachute.

Some other feature of KM-STC10 includes Gyroscopic Integration System, DGP and DR Navigation System, Electronic Chart Display Systems as well as VHF communication setup. It will also be equipped with a night vision camera, thermal sensors, and forward-looking active sonar system that can be operated underwater.


Some other key features of KM-STC10:

Length: 10.58m
Width (at Beam): 2.21m
Displacement Capacity: 4800 kg
Surface Speed: 25 knots (46.4 km/h)
Underwater Speed: 4 knots (7 km/h)
Range (on Surface): 280 km (at maximum speed)
Range (underwater): 25 km (at maximum speed)
Propulsion System: 250 kW Diesel Engine, 2 x 10kW thruster, 1 x Waterjet
Power Source: 2 × 20 kWh Battery Packs




Manufacturer’s Profile:
Kuasar Marin Engineering Inc. is a Turkish naval design and engineering firm based in Istanbul focusing on the defense and shipping industry. The company was initiated by a group of retired Turkish Navy officers who had previously worked on the MILGEM project.

MILGEM project is a national warship program managed by the Turkish Navy. The project is subjected to developing multipurpose warships, frigates, and destroyers that gave rise to a substantial advancement in Turkish Naval warfare equipment through projects like Ada Class anti-submarine corvettes, Istanbul Class Multipurpose Frigate, and Babur Class Corvettes which is currently been deployed and operated by the Pakistan Navy.

Having worked on the MILGEM project, the founders of Kuasar Marin have significant experience in designing and building military-grade naval equipment. Apart from KM-STC10, Kuasar Marin is currently working on several projects such as Pakistan’s 3200-tonne Jinnah-class frigate and the Turkish Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessel.

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