FNSS Savunma Sistemleri AŞ unveiled its İ-ZAHA multirole unmanned amphibious vehicle during the TEKNOFEST Mavi Vatan event held at the Gölcük Naval Arsenal Command in Turkey’s Kocaeli province, in the presence of Turkish Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler. The event was principally organized by the Turkish Ministry of National Defense and the Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3 Vakfı).
Minister Güler examined the vehicle during the unveiling ceremony, where Selim Baybaş, FNSS general manager and board member, briefed him. Baybaş said the company had converted ZAHA vehicles into an unmanned version within a short period, noting that the vehicle had been delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces.
Multimission Amphibious Platform
İ-ZAHA was designed to travel continuously from sea to shore and to be the first asset to come into contact with the opposing force’s coastal defenses before crewed vehicles, allowing operators to remain in a safe area throughout the mission. The platform weighs 8 tons and reaches speeds of 7 knots in water and 70 kilometers per hour on land.
The vehicle relies on interchangeable payload modules that can be changed in approximately 40 minutes. These modules allow it to be configured for 10 different formations or missions: fire support, mine clearance, engineering operations, electronic warfare, reconnaissance, tactical deception, counter-drone operations, navigation and positioning, logistical support, and casualty evacuation.
Autonomous Operation and Extended Connectivity
İ-ZAHA can operate autonomously, by remote control, or in a hybrid mode combining both methods. Its operating range is 3 kilometers, with the possibility of increasing this range in all versions through relay support using an unmanned aerial vehicle.
The platform supports multimodal transport by road, rail, and sea. When rapid long-distance transport is required, it can be carried by air using helicopters and heavy-lift transport aircraft, including the CH47F Chinook, Mil Mi-26, and C-130 Hercules, A400M, C-17 Globemaster, C-5 Galaxy, An-124, and Il-76 aircraft.
What Does the System Add in Practice?
The vehicle incorporates an AI-supported image-processing architecture capable of analyzing camera feeds in real time and transmitting data over a wireless link. According to the information released, this helps maintain low-latency target awareness in environments where bandwidth is limited.
The system displays detected elements according to threat level, type, and status, using color indicators and detailed intelligence information cards. It also presents priority targets to the operator through automated target-detection and fire-control systems, accelerating the engagement process and reducing the monitoring burden. Detected targets can be tracked and saved with timestamps, while a specific target or rule can be applied immediately to the live feed.
İ-ZAHA is the first unmanned vehicle to integrate the Armor Integrity system for monitoring structural integrity, developed by Nurol Teknoloji. The announcement therefore combines an unmanned amphibious platform, interchangeable mission modules, and visual-analysis and communications capabilities designed to operate under changing conditions.