Roketsan Akya

Heavyweight torpedo
Maximum speed 45 kn (83 km/h; 52 mph)[1]
Guidance
system
Wire-guided with fiber-optic cable
Launch
platform
Submarine

Akya is a new-generation heavyweight torpedo developed by Roketsan for the Turkish Navy. As of 2021, its tests completed, and it went in serial production.[2] "Akya" is the Turkish name of Leerfish.[3]

History

The heavyweight torpedo project was initiated by the ArMerKom ("Research Center Command") of the Turkish Navy in 2009. Roketsan was signed for the realization.[4] The serial production of Akya started in 2021 after the test firings successfully completed in 2020, which began by July 2013. It is planned that the Reis-class, Preveze-class and Gür-class submarines will be eqipped with Akya.[5] It will replace the torpedoes of type Mk 14, Mk 23, Mk 24 (Tigerfish) Mod.2, Mk 37 Mod.2 & Mod.3 and SST-4 Mod.0.[6]

AKYA successfully completed its first live firing trial on 27 December 2023, when it was fired from submarine TCG Preveze and destroyed target ship ex-TCG Gazal.[7] The first delivery to the Turkish Navy was conducted in May 2024.[8]

Features

Powered by a brushless DC electric motor and counter-rotating propellers using high-energy electrochemical batteries, Akya is able to achieve a speed exceeding 45 kn (83 km/h; 52 mph) and a range of more than 50 km (27 nmi). It has a proximity fuze and an underwater shock-insensitive warhead 350–380 kg (770–840 lb) in weight.[6] Externally wire-guided with a fiber-optic cable, the heavyweight torpedo has active/passive sonar head and is capable of acoustic countermeasure, wake homing.[2] The 1,200 kg (2,600 lb) heavy torpedo is 7 m (23 ft) long and has a diameter of 533 mm (21.0 in).[5][9][6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "ROKETSAN & TÜBİTAK-SAGE & ARMERKOM Akya 533 mm Yeni Nesil Ağır Torpido". 24 November 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Akya" (in Turkish). Roketsan. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Akya Balığı – Lichia Amia" (in Turkish). Balık Net. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  4. ^ Alemdar, Ahmet (25 January 2021). "TCG GÜR denizaltımızdan AKYA Ağır Torpido atışı yapıldı" (in Turkish). defence Turk. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Roketsan'dan AKYA ve ORKA torpidolarının menzil bilgisine revize" (in Turkish). SavunmaSanayiST.com. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  6. ^ a b c "AKYA Ağır Torpido" (in Turkish). Milli Savunma. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  7. ^ Ozberk, Tayfun (2023-12-27). "SINKEX: Turkiye's [sic] first indigenous heavyweight torpedo AKYA sinks target at live test". Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  8. ^ "ROKETSAN Delivers AKYA Torpedo to the Turkish Submarines". TURDEF. 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  9. ^ Mehmet, Fatih (7 May 2021). "Milli ağır torpido AKYA'nın menzil bilgisi iki katına güncellendi: 30+km" (in Turkish). Defence Turk. Retrieved 26 March 2022.