STM begins sea trials of new NETA 300 autonomous underwater system to support Turkish Navy mine hunting operations.

On May 7, 2025, STM, a Turkish company specializing in naval systems, confirmed that its new Unmanned Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (UAUV), the STM Neta 300, continues undergoing sea trials following its initial tests in the Mediterranean Sea. The STM Neta was first introduced on October 22, 2024, at the SAHA defense exhibition. The system was developed entirely using STM’s internal resources, drawing on its competencies in naval engineering, command and control systems, and autonomous platform development. STM Neta 300, the first member of a planned family of underwater vehicles, is designed for mine countermeasure (MCM) operations and will primarily be used by the Turkish Navy. A first domestic sales contract has been signed.
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The Neta project began in June 2023, driven by the Turkish Navy’s operational requirements for modern autonomous systems to support mine hunting. (Picture source: STM)

The project began in June 2023, driven by the Turkish Navy’s operational requirements for modern autonomous systems to support mine hunting. STM initiated development to meet this need with an indigenous solution. The STM Neta 300 completed its pool trials before entering the sea trials phase, where it has been tested for sensor functionality, camera operation, and autonomous navigation. STM states that the vehicle is being evaluated for operational deployment on Turkish mine-hunting ships. The company has also announced plans to field the Neta 300 during the 2025 NATO REP(MUS) experimentation event focused on unmanned maritime systems.

The STM Neta 300 was designed to be a two-person portable and modular system, with a compact structure that allows deployment from various surface platforms. It has a length of 2.7 meters, a diameter of 205 mm, and a base weight of 70 kg. When equipped with an additional battery, its weight reaches 85 kg. The 2.1 kWh battery configuration enables 12 hours of endurance, while the 4.2 kWh configuration supports up to 24 hours. Its operational depth limit is 300 meters. Propulsion is provided by a direct drive DC brushless motor linked to a three-blade propeller. Fins are used for course control. The vehicle can reach speeds of up to 5 knots, with a nominal cruise speed of 3 knots.

The Neta 300 uses an inertial navigation system, a Doppler Velocity Log, an altimeter, and GPS for navigation. Standard communication equipment includes acoustic modems and Wi-Fi, with optional support for Iridium, RF, and LTE modems. The hull is made of marine-grade aluminum. The system is supported by dedicated mission planning and debriefing software and includes external charging and Ethernet data ports.

For mine detection, the STM Neta 300 is equipped with side-scan sonar and gap-filling sonar. These allow it to survey minefields autonomously and assist in identifying and classifying underwater mines or mine-like objects. Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) can be integrated to increase swath range and resolution. STM indicates that the system can be employed in additional roles such as Search and Rescue (SAR) by leveraging its scanning capabilities and precision navigation to locate submerged wreckage and targets across wide areas.

STM representatives stated that the development of Neta 300 and 1000 will be followed by additional vehicles tailored to specific operational requirements, including the lightweight Neta 100 for shallow water missions and a future Neta 600. (Picture source: STM)

The vehicle supports a wide range of military and civilian operations. In military applications, STM Neta 300 can perform Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), and port defense. Civilian and industrial applications include seabed and environmental assessments, geophysical surveys, pipeline inspections, offshore renewable energy observations, and marine archaeology. Payload options include forward-looking sonar, high-definition cameras with LED lighting, light sound velocity probes, and pressure and temperature sensors. STM offers a software development kit to allow integration of third-party payloads.

At the SAHA EXPO 2024 exhibition, STM also introduced the Neta 1000, a larger variant of the Neta 300. The Neta 1000 has a length of 5.4 meters, a body diameter of 324 mm, and a maximum weight of 360 kg. It is designed with the same cruise speed as the Neta 300 but can reach dash speeds of 8 knots. Its endurance is 32 hours with a 10 kWh battery and synthetic aperture sonar, and 55 hours with a 20 kWh battery. The propulsion architecture is similar to that of the Neta 300, with enhanced power systems. STM plans to equip both platforms with similar payloads.

STM representatives stated that the development of Neta 300 and 1000 will be followed by additional vehicles tailored to specific operational requirements. These include the lightweight Neta 100 for shallow water missions and a planned Neta 600, one of which is expected to be introduced in 2025. STM has also confirmed that it is working on an Extra-Large UUV (XLUUV) with an estimated displacement of 10–12 tonnes, a length between 10 and 15 meters, and a body diameter between 1.2 and 1.5 meters. Such platforms may reach ranges of 1,000 to 2,000 nautical miles and be used for strategic missions such as the protection of undersea cables and pipelines. STM emphasized that the autonomy layer, including AI-based algorithms, is central to this development. These algorithms are being developed in-house and follow a spiral approach to add capabilities gradually, including autonomous decision-making for unexpected underwater events.

Gürkan Gezgin, STM’s Industrial Cooperation Manager and a former Turkish Navy submarine officer, stated that STM’s initial goal is to address current operational needs, with an eye on future export potential. He also noted that AI-enabled underwater vehicles will become more prominent over the next 10–20 years and may eventually operate alongside manned submarine fleets. STM is not excluding future variants of XLUUVs for other uses, including special forces delivery. However, the company acknowledged that deployment of such systems would depend on user confidence in autonomy levels, especially for weaponized variants.

STM Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş. has operated in Türkiye’s defense industry for over three decades, providing engineering, consultancy, and technology development in key domains including naval systems, tactical mini UAVs, command and control systems, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics. According to the company, its work on unmanned underwater systems is carried out in close coordination with Turkish defense authorities. STM plans to offer the Neta vehicle family to allied and friendly nations once operational testing is complete.