HAVELSAN’s shipborne VTOL UAVs at sea

Shipborne VTOL UAV integration: HAVELSAN fixed-wing VTOL UAV on a naval flight deck — Featured image: HAVELSAN fixed-wing VTOL UAV on a naval flight deck. Photo © Anadolu Ajansı.

Türkiye’s HAVELSAN is moving fast at sea. The company validated launch, recovery and mission control for BAHA, BOZBEY and BULUT on naval decks and unmanned surface vessels. As a result, shipborne VTOL UAV integration is now a practical tool for long-range maritime ISR.

Key Facts

Contract milestone: DESAN Shipyard will integrate BOZBEY on a 99 m Multi Purpose Mission Ship (MPMS) for Malaysia’s Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). The package includes training, logistics and support.

Endurance & payload: BULUT: 5 kg / 6 hrs; BOZBEY: 3 kg / 6 hrs; BAHA: 2 kg / 2 hrs. These figures enable persistent ISR from compact decks.

Ops concept: UAVs connect with USVs and shipboard C2. Therefore, units extend sensing range, speed decisions and maintain ISR through GCS handover.

What the New Deal actually covers

HAVELSAN signed with DESAN to field BOZBEY on the new MPMS. The aim is simple: add a long-range eye that raises deterrence. Importantly, the scope spans training, logistics and through-life support, not just flight demos.

The MPMS is built for multi-week patrols. It has space for small craft and UAV operations. Consequently, fixed-wing VTOL aircraft can lift off vertically, cruise efficiently on wings and return to the deck with minimal gear.

Why shipborne VTOL UAV integration matters

Deck space is scarce. A system that takes off vertically yet cruises on wings saves room and adds endurance. Therefore, BAHA, BOZBEY and BULUT fit small decks while offering hours of coverage.

In this configuration, shipborne VTOL UAV integration expands a surface combatant’s reach by tens of miles without committing manned aviation or larger deck assets. It provides a rapid, attritable means to push sensors outward, build a fused picture of maritime traffic, and cue interceptors or USVs—vital for constabulary tasks, EEZ protection and grey-zone deterrence.

“Fixed-wing VTOL gives commanders the endurance of a small fixed-wing aircraft with the handling flexibility of a multirotor—ideal for compact decks and sea states that punish conventional launch-and-recovery.”

The platforms: BAHA, BOZBEY and BULUT

BAHA is a sub-cloud VTOL UAV optimized for border and coastal security. It carries a 2 kg payload, flies for up to two hours, and its compact logistics and electric VTOL make it suitable for small deck spaces.

BOZBEY steps endurance up to around six hours with a 3 kg payload and an 80 km-class data link—attributes aligned with deck-launched maritime ISR. Its modular architecture supports EO/IR/LRF payloads, and the system is designed for joint operations alongside other unmanned systems.

BULUT brings the heaviest useful load of the trio—about 5 kg for six hours—providing headroom for multi-sensor suites or specialized maritime payloads. Autonomous VTOL and runway independence directly support shipborne VTOL UAV integration on vessels with constrained deck equipment.

CONOPS: from ships and USVs to a fused maritime picture

HAVELSAN’s command-and-control software synchronizes air, surface and shore nodes. In practice, a BOZBEY or BULUT can launch from a ship, pass tasking and telemetry to a USV, and return live video and coordinates to the shipboard control station. Trials on ships and USVs validated these workflows, reducing operator load while accelerating the sensor-to-decision cycle.

Electronic-warfare resilience and ground-control-station handover are central to long-range maritime missions. Anti-jamming features and multi-node control sustain ISR continuity as the ship transits or as sea states and line-of-sight change. In archipelagic waters, this turns shipborne VTOL UAV integration into a practical, 24/7 ISR fabric.

Implications for Türkiye and partners

For Türkiye’s defence-industrial base, the Malaysian MPMS program offers a first export reference for fixed-wing VTOL on a naval platform in the BOZBEY class. It couples software-defined autonomy with deck operations and unlocks a repeatable maritime ISR package for coast guards and navies seeking modernization without carrier-scale aviation.

Allied customers gain a modular, attritable option for domain awareness, anti-smuggling, SAR overwatch and disaster response—missions where endurance and launch flexibility trump raw speed. With shipborne VTOL UAV integration, commanders can re-role sensors in hours and push the reconnaissance boundary while holding crewed aviation in reserve.

How this links to the autonomy trend

Maritime autonomy is moving from “demo” to “duty.” Integrating VTOL fixed-wing UAVs with ships and USVs scales mass in sensing and decision-making. For a broader view of distributed teaming concepts that complement shipborne VTOL UAV integration, see our primer on swarm technology: internal link.

Conclusion

HAVELSAN’s sea trials and the Malaysian MPMS integration deal show that shipborne VTOL UAV integration has matured into an exportable capability. With sub-cloud endurance, autonomous recovery and C2 spanning ships and USVs, BAHA, BOZBEY and BULUT convert decks into persistent ISR launchpads—widening surveillance radii, compressing decision times and hardening day-to-day deterrence.

References

Anadolu Ajansı: “Gemi ve insansız deniz araçları İHA’larla havadan görecek.” aa.com.tr
HAVELSAN — BOZBEY product page: specs and features. havelsan.com
HAVELSAN — BAHA product page: specs and features. havelsan.com
HAVELSAN — BULUT product page & datasheet. havelsan.com | PDF
Naval News: “DESAN Shipyard cuts first steel of MPMS for Malaysian Coast Guard.” navalnews.com
Naval News: “DESAN Shipyard to build MPMS for Malaysian Coast Guard.” navalnews.com
Janes: “Turkish Land Forces Command inducts BAHA VTOL UAS.” janes.com
Internal link — Defence Agenda: “Unleashing the Power of Swarm Technology.” defenceagenda.com