UÇA naval mines: Türkiye is trying to radically change the approach to naval warfare

Naval mines, weapons often underestimated in the modern military context, are important in the history of military affairs. They have been and remain a threat to all types of ships, from small boats to giant aircraft carriers.

Naval mines first became widely used during the American Civil War in the 1860s. Initially, they were relatively simple devices filled with explosives and equipped with mechanical triggers. Since they became popular, their design and functionality have improved a lot.

Modern naval mines are incomparably more complicated than their predecessors. They are often equipped with a variety of sensors and mechanisms to detect, identify and detonate only specific targets. Can be detected by active or passive sensing of sound waves, magnetic anomalies, pressure, or a combination of these.

UÇA Naval Mines: Turkey's New Weapon in Naval Warfare

A combination of technologies in Turkey's defense industry has resulted in the creation of the UÇA, a guided naval mine capable of creating a "surprise effect" on the battlefield. This new development was presented at the 16th International Defense Industry Exhibition (IDEF 2023), which takes place in Istanbul from July 25 to 28.

The UÇA project was started by Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi AŞ, Koç Savunma and TÜBİTAK SAGE with their own funds. It involves the conversion of MK-84 general-purpose bombs into shock sea mines by integrating the GÖKÇE (KGK) guided wing kit and a smart module for detecting targets and launching a mine.

Using Turkey's field-proven national technology, the GÖKÇE KGK and MK-series bombs are being developed into systems capable of flying considerable distances from the launch point and delivering accurate strikes against targets.

Thanks to the aerodynamic characteristics and capabilities of the UÇA, aircraft and attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be able to remotely mine the exits and passage routes of enemy naval bases, minimizing the risks to themselves.

Developed entirely from Turkey's domestic and national resources, UÇA's naval mines are a candidate for the world's first long-range smart naval mine. It will be transported by airborne platforms capable of carrying MK-84 general purpose bombs such as F-16, F-4, Bayraktar AKINCI, AKSUNGUR. The UÇA mine will be dropped from high altitudes and at high speeds, and then, using a glider flight, will approach the mining point.

With the function of absorbing radio waves, the UÇA mine will be able to hit the sea at the target, remaining unnoticed by radars. Thanks to the acoustic absorbing coating, it will be able to settle on the seabed and wait for the target ship, remaining unnoticed by underwater sonars.

The UÇA naval mine will act as an effective guided strategic munition using sensors to detect and classify targets by acoustic, magnetic and pressure parameters, limiting the operations of enemy ships and submarines.

The mine will be equipped with an underwater acoustic friend-foe (IFF) detection system, which can make it extremely dangerous.

Disappointing conclusions

Sea mines are a means of defense, since their main purpose is to ensure the security of the country's territorial waters, blocking the enemy's path to strategically important objects. They are cheap, easy to manufacture, and effective, making them an attractive choice for many countries, especially those with fewer military resources.

However, in the context of Turkish development, such mines are quite likely to be offensive weapons, which may not be a cause for concern. So how do the current characteristics of this weapon indicate that fact? that it will be very difficult to detect and hit him.