Press ReleasesTürkiye Pioneers New Submarine Technologies with STM
STM will launch the production entirely in Türkiye of “CTD Probe” systems, which are used aboard oceanographic research and naval vessels to collect data on the physical properties of seawater.
STM and Bahçeşehir University will develop ocean sensing systems, which are used to collect data on the physical properties of seawater in scientific research and military platforms, 100% domestically. With support from the LEAP program of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, foreign dependency in this field is aimed to be eliminated.
STM Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş. has taken another critical step to bring domestic technologies to the Blue Homeland by developing progressive solutions in the Turkish defense industry within the scope of academia-industry cooperation.
The Oceanographic Sensing Devices Project of STM and BAU Inovasyon ve Danışmanlık A.Ş. (BAUMIND), a subsidiary of Bahçeşehir University; was entitled to be supported with domestic and national means in the frame of Technology-Oriented Industrial Move (HAMLE) Program of Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Industry and Technology.
The partners will develop an advanced CTD Probe, and expendable oceanographic devices with domestically developed sensors to collect oceanographic data.
CTD Probes calculate salinity, water density and underwater speed of sound by measuring the conductivity, temperature, and pressure of seawater. The other single-use systems are expendable temperature and sound speed measurement devices, which collect temperature and sound speed in terms of depth.
Devices will Provide Data to Sonars, the Eyes and Ears of Submarines
The primary objective of the program is to reduce Türkiye’s foreign dependency by developing local and national technologies in ocean science, while also enhancing the operational capabilities of submarines.
These systems play a critical role in ensuring that the sonar systems of submarines—the eyes and ears of the underwater platforms—make accurate measurements. Equipped with precise sensors, the CTD Probe will measure the conductivity, temperature, and pressure of seawater to finally calculate sound speed along with salinity and water density. The acquired data is then used to chart the propagation pattern of underwater sound, allowing the performance modeling of sonar systems.
These critical systems that are developed nationally are expected to be used in many national and international projects, especially in the ones that the Turkish Naval Forces Command has planned to realize in the future, as well as in scientific research activities.
Güleryüz: Türkiye to Support Underwater Studies with Modern and Local Systems
Özgür Güleryüz, General Manager of STM, underlined that R&D and academia-industry collaboration has been an institutional culture at STM, saying, "Being a key player in the Turkish Defense Industry, it is a responsibility for us to invest on R&D of systems not produced in Turkey in collaboration with universities. In the past, we developed the CTD Probe System jointly with Bahçeşehir University making maximum use of national capabilities in the submarine technologies field. Now, we shall also develop expendable devices measuring temperature and sound speed profiles as well as the sensors of the CTD Probe system."
Noting the origin of critical systems creating foreign dependence on platform projects, Güleryüz continued:
"In case of restrictions and embargoes, the schedule of projects may be affected adversely. For this reason, we are concentrating our effort in R&D on critical systems that are not produced domestically.
The oceanographic devices to be developed under the project will be used not only in the military field but also in many other areas, such as civil maritime operations and environmental studies. We will thus be contributing to studies such as those assessing underwater resources in the Blue Homeland, determining the physical properties of seawater, and underwater mapping using systems with a high localization rate. I send my congratulations to the esteemed teams from STM and BAU who have contributed to this project.”
About STM
STM has been serving the Turkish defense sector for over a quarter of a century in such areas as engineering, technology, and consultancy, working in fields that are critical for Türkiye and its allies. It applies its advanced capabilities and technologies to a broad range of strategic fields, ranging from naval platforms to tactical mini UAV systems, from satellite projects to cybersecurity, and from big data analytics to artificial intelligence applications.
