>According to the latest Savunma ve Havacılık magazine a contract was signed between Turkish Naval Research Center Command (ARMERKOM), Tübitak, Roketsan and Undersecretariat for Defense Industries for developing and prototyping of a heavy weight torpedo. The value of the contract is 24 million euros.
ARMERKOM has the lead in designing the 533mm torpedo named Akya, after a local fish. Tübitak is developing the sonar where as Roketsan is working on the warhead and guidance. Roketsan has signed a memorandum of understanding with the South Korean company LIG Nex1 for developing a guidance and control system for the Akya. LIG Nex1 is the sole guided munitions producer in South Korea. Among its products are Blue Shark light weight torpedo and White Shark heavy weight torpedo. Both torpedoes are currently used by South Korean Navy. It was reported in January 2009 that South Korea was helping Turkey in developing an indigenous torpedo.
The Korean White Shark torpedo has a weight of 1.100 tons, 6 meters length, 30 km range and a 370kg warhead. If Akya should be based of White Shark then it specifications will be similar. The White Shark torpedo has only accosting homing and as it lacks any wire connection to the submarine it cannot be controlled once fired.
Turkish Navy may prefer a simple homing fire and forget torpedo for the first ever torpedo to be produced in Turkey as it is simpler to produce and integrate into the submarines and their command and control systems. But the main target is to develop and produce a wire guided torpedo integrated in the command and control systems.
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