IDEF 2025 Series – Instalment 3
One of the more interesting announcements at IDEF 2025 wasn’t about a new missile or a shiny prototype—it was about branding. The transformation of the ULAQ unmanned surface vessel (USV) program into an independent company marks a notable, if somewhat predictable, shift in Turkey’s defense industry landscape.
The ULAQ brand—born from the collaboration between ARES Shipyard and Meteksan Defence—has been on the scene since 2020. From the beginning, both companies deliberately emphasised the ULAQ name rather than their own, marketing it as a unified, standalone platform. It worked. The cooperation was tight, the product was coherent, and now, that collaboration has matured into what they’re calling ULAQ Global, a company in its own right.
Yes, ULAQ has grown up and moved out of the house—but it’s still living in the same neighbourhood. While the new company is officially independent, it’s financed and managed by people already embedded in ARES and Meteksan. The apple, as they say, hasn’t fallen far from the tree.
What has propelled this transformation is not just strategic branding—it’s export success. Turkish defense firms ARES and Meteksan recently exported the ULAQ 11 Port Security Vessel (PSV) to Qatar’s Ministry of Interior. Valued at QAR 21.3 million (USD 5.85 million), the contract was signed during Milipol Qatar 2024, and marks a milestone: Turkey’s first-ever export of an unmanned surface vehicle.
The USV is expected to be delivered within 1 or 2 months, pending final tests and any modifications requested by the Qatari side.
According to Qatar’s Ministry of Interior, follow-on orders may be placed if the platform performs well during evaluation—an encouraging sign that ULAQ is more than just a one-off sale.
The ULAQ family itself was introduced in 2020 and has since evolved into a modular, multi-role USV platform, covering missions from ISR to surface warfare and infrastructure protection. The creation of ULAQ Global reflects confidence in its future and a belief that autonomy at sea is no longer just a trend—it’s a necessity.
According to ARES’ press release, ULAQ Global intends to deliver high-tech, next-generation systems for both domestic and international markets. Their stated aim is to provide “high-value-added solutions tailored to the security needs of allied and partner nations.”
Marketing speak aside, this move represents a strategic play: turning a successful joint project into a self-contained export machine with its own brand identity. It’s the latest example of Turkey’s defense industry not just making platforms, but building companies around them.
With global interest in unmanned naval systems growing, ULAQ Global may have entered the scene at just the right time. Navies planning for the next decade are well aware that the surface battlefield is getting crowded—and more autonomous.
Let’s see if this new chapter in ULAQ’s journey proves to be as disruptive as its debut.
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