Turkish defense company STM announced the construction of the STM 500 diesel-electric submarine this week.

The 500-ton mini-sub is expected to be built by 2026, while the “full project” might take two more years.

Turkish Defence Industries Presidency head Ismail Demir said that the vessel will be equipped with advanced weapons and equipment for tasks such as “reconnaissance and surveillance, special forces operations and anti-submarine warfare.”

He added that the sub has been designed to operate in the open sea and shallow waters.

Can Launch Underwater Drones

The vessel features four tubes accommodating eight torpedoes or guided missiles each and can launch unmanned underwater vessels.

Sonars “including a cylindrical array and a cylindrical transducer array, as well as passive ranging, passive intercept array, and own-noise array, can be installed,” along with an optronic mast and an electronic warfare support measures antenna.

The vessel also will feature a combat management system to process the sensor information.

Features

The 42-meter (138-foot) sub has a surface displacement of 485 tons and submerged displacement of 540 tons with a maximum speed of 18+ knots and cruise speed of 5 knots.

It can accommodate a crew of 18 and an additional 6 Special Forces personnel and survive underwater for a month continuously, diving to more than 250 meters (820 feet).