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Qatar’s Barzan Holdings Debuts Armed Unmanned Surface Vessel for Multi-Role Maritime Operations.
Qatar’s defense conglomerate Barzan Holdings has officially unveiled an armed unmanned surface vessel at DIMDEX 2026 in Doha. The debut highlights Qatar’s push to field autonomous maritime systems aimed at surveillance, infrastructure protection, and rapid response in contested waters.
At Dimdex 2026 in Qatar, Barzan Holdings has officially debuted its armed Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), presenting a domestically developed platform designed from the outset for mission flexibility at sea. In a context of heightened concern over maritime infrastructure, sea lines of communication and grey-zone activity in the Gulf, the new vessel positions Qatar among the regional actors investing heavily in naval unmanned systems. By combining a modular architecture, a robust combat systems suite and a tailored command-and-control backbone, the Barzan USV is intended to provide scalable capability for both national defense and cooperative security operations. Its presentation in Doha underlines how unmanned surface platforms are becoming central tools for coastal states seeking persistent surveillance and responsive firepower without exposing crews to risk.
Qatar’s Barzan Holdings has unveiled a domestically developed armed unmanned surface vessel at DIMDEX 2026, underscoring the Gulf state’s growing focus on autonomous maritime security and coastal defense capabilities (Picture Source: Army Recognition Group)
The Barzan Unmanned Surface Vessel is a 39-foot (11.9 m) platform built from fiber-reinforced plastic using vinylester and ISO-grade resins, a construction choice that enhances durability and corrosion resistance in warm, saline waters. The hull has a 3.1 m beam, a shallow 0.76 m draft and an overall height of 5 m, giving the craft a compact signature while enabling operations close to shore, around harbor approaches or in constrained waterways. Propulsion is provided by twin 350 hp FNM 42HPE inboard diesel engines driving Castoldi TD284 HCT water-jet units, delivering speeds above 30 knots, high maneuverability and the ability to operate in shallow areas while maintaining control at low speed. The vessel has an approximate displacement of 8,200 kg, carries 1,200 liters of fuel and offers a payload capacity of 940 kg, supported by a Quick Gyro MC X7 stabilizer, a 15 kVA generator and a 24k BTU marine air-conditioning unit for mission equipment.
The platform’s combat and sensor fit is organized around a modular, payload-agnostic concept that allows Barzan to configure the USV for different roles, including armed patrol, force protection and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The baseline fit includes a 4-axis gyro-stabilized electro-optical/infrared camera for ISR, a high-precision 12.7 mm remote-control weapon station and a ruggedized multi-spectral maritime searchlight with real-time filter selection.
The architecture also supports a range of optional payloads, including long-range acoustic devices, sonar systems, anti-submarine warfare packages, anti-surface warfare mission kits, electronic warfare equipment and mission modules dedicated to patrol and area security. With 240 V AC power from the onboard generator and generous payload capacity, the USV can host multiple effectors simultaneously, giving operators the option to combine lethal and non-lethal means on a single unmanned platform.
Behind the boat itself sits the Barzan command-and-control ecosystem, which is designed to manage not only this USV but also unmanned platforms in the air, land and maritime domains. The Barzan C2 System provides a unified operational picture that integrates sensor feeds, mission data and platform status for tactical, site, national and strategic-level operators. It supports mission planning, execution and post-mission analysis, enabling commanders to refine tactics based on recorded data and analytics.
The system incorporates video management and automated analysis for threat detection, geographic information systems for accurate navigation and planning, and comprehensive sensors-and-effectors management to coordinate the USV’s weapons, ISR and electronic warfare payloads. Multi-language support aims to simplify adoption in multinational environments, while obstacle-avoidance functions compliant with maritime collision regulations enable safe semi-autonomous or autonomous navigation in busy sea lanes. Compliance with NATO and ISO 9001/12207 standards is intended to reassure potential partners regarding quality, reliability and interoperability.
The Barzan USV offers coastal forces a combination of persistence, speed and survivability that is difficult to achieve with manned craft of similar size. High sprint speeds and water-jet maneuverability allow the vessel to intercept, shadow or deter suspicious contacts such as fast inshore attack craft, while its shallow draft supports operations close to shore installations, critical energy infrastructure and harbor entrances. Long loiter endurance, supported by efficient diesel propulsion and stabilized sensors, enables extended ISR patrols without crew fatigue, and the combination of ISR camera, searchlight and optional acoustic or non-lethal payloads provides a graduated response across the escalation ladder. When armed with the 12.7 mm remote weapon station and anti-surface warfare payloads, the USV can deliver precise fire against hostile boats or asymmetric threats while keeping personnel safely ashore or on a mother ship.
The introduction of an armed indigenous USV at Dimdex 2026 reinforces Qatar’s ambition to expand its domestic defense-industrial base and to position itself as a provider of tailored solutions for Gulf and broader regional navies. A modular, standards-compliant platform that can be equipped for ISR, patrol, electronic warfare or anti-submarine roles offers a flexible tool for states facing diverse maritime challenges, from piracy and smuggling to the protection of subsea cables and offshore energy assets.
By emphasizing multi-domain unmanned systems management and multinational-ready C2, Barzan is also aligning the system with potential joint operations involving partners that are modernizing their own surface fleets with unmanned adjuncts. In a region where maritime security is increasingly contested by state and non-state actors using unmanned and asymmetric means, such a capability supports deterrence by making coastal defense networks more resilient, distributed and difficult to target.
The debut of Barzan Holdings' armed Unmanned Surface Vessel at Dimdex 2026 signals a clear shift toward networked, multi-role unmanned combatants in Gulf waters, with Qatar presenting not only a platform but an integrated C2 and mission-management solution. With its modular architecture, payload-agnostic design, robust performance envelope and compliance with international standards, the USV is positioned to become a key element in layered maritime security concepts built around persistent surveillance, rapid response and reduced risk to personnel. As regional navies reassess how to safeguard critical infrastructure and shipping against increasingly complex threats, Barzan’s new platform offers a template for how indigenous industry can deliver scalable, exportable unmanned capabilities tailored to the specific operational conditions of the Gulf and beyond.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.