Azerbaijani Navy Receives Turkish Salvo BEK
Salvo boat during Azerbaijani Navy exercises, August 2025.
Azerbaijan is trying to build a modern and developed armed forces. Following current trends, it has begun to develop the direction of unmanned boats. The first examples of this class have recently entered service with the navy and have even been tested as part of exercises. Due to the lack of its own developments of this kind, the Azerbaijani Navy purchased a Turkish boat of the Salvo type.
As part of the exercise
In the first half of August, the Azerbaijani Navy conducted large-scale exercises in the Caspian Sea. Ship and boat crews, marines, etc. practiced protecting energy infrastructure and the coast. On August 14, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry published a short video dedicated to the exercises.
The video showed the maneuvers of ships and the actions of land units - as expected, from spectacular angles and to upbeat music. Most of the forces and means shown were long familiar to specialists, but the video also included an interesting novelty. For just a few seconds, a boat of a characteristic appearance got into the frame.
This product could easily be recognized as the unmanned boat Salvo of Turkish manufacture. The video only showed the boat passing through the water area. They did not demonstrate its combat training use. What this UAC did during the exercises and what tasks it solved is unknown.
Experimental BEK with two combat modules, May 2022.
Other questions also remain unanswered. It is not known when Salvo entered service with Azerbaijan, how much of this equipment was purchased, how its operation is organized, etc. However, it is obvious that the Azerbaijani fleet became interested in a promising topic and decided to supplement his staff with modern foreign-made equipment.
During the exercises, the Navy was to test the Turkish unmanned combat craft in conditions as close as possible to a real battle. Such experience will be useful in terms of general issues of equipment operation. In addition, it will help to draw up and/or adjust plans for the development of the unmanned part of the Navy.
It can be assumed that the Azerbaijani Navy is already actively working on organizing the permanent service and operation of new BEKs. Such equipment will be able to perform various routine tasks or participate in certain operations. In addition, Salvo or other types of boats will now be regularly involved in various exercises. Perhaps the video from the next maneuvers will show the operation of such equipment.
Foreign development
Azerbaijan has purchased a Salvo boat (or boats) from Turkey. The two countries have long and fruitfully cooperated in the military-technical sphere, and such cooperation is continuing in the BEK sphere. At the same time, the volume and cost of the order for the boats remain unknown.
The Salvo BEC was developed by the Turkish company Dearsan Shipyard from Istanbul. Aselsan, Roketsan and Yalttes participated in the project as suppliers of individual components. Work on the creation of the new boat began at the turn of the last decades and soon yielded results.
Dearsan revealed the existence of the new project at the end of 2021. In February of the following year, at the DIMDEX-2022 exhibition in Qatar, the official presentation of Salvo products took place. They presented two unmanned boats of different sizes with a unified set of equipment, weapons, etc.
In the spring of the same year, tests of the new boat began at Turkish sea ranges. The running and maneuvering qualities were checked, the control equipment was tested, etc. At the end of May, the first demonstration firings were held using a remotely controlled combat module. Due to its importance, representatives of third countries and the press were invited to this event.
Later, Salvo boats were repeatedly demonstrated at various exhibitions in order to find buyers. However, no particular commercial success was achieved. As far as is known, only Azerbaijan has acquired such equipment to date. However, it is unlikely that it will buy a large number of boats.
Multipurpose boat
Initially, the Salvo project offered two versions of an unmanned boat with different sizes and unified equipment. Subsequently, only the larger one was demonstrated at exhibitions and practical events. The second modification was probably abandoned.
Combat module with machine gun
The Salvo product is a boat of traditional architecture, equipped with remote and autonomous control systems, and capable of carrying various devices and weapons. Such a BEK is intended for patrolling, reconnaissance, target designation or independent attack of surface and coastal targets.
The boat is built in a fiberglass hull with traditional lines. Its total length is 14,8 m with a width of 3,8 m and a draft of 750 mm. The hull has a flat deck on which some of the units and devices are mounted. Thus, two combat modules are installed on the bow and stern, and the base of the telescopic mast is located between them.
In the basic configuration, the Salvo BEK is equipped with two diesel engines with water jets, and also has a separate diesel generator. A version with one running engine and a propeller has also been developed. The power plant units are selected by the customer from the proposed list of options. The most powerful engines with water jets allow speeds of up to 60 knots. The maximum cruising range is 550 nautical miles.
The boat has a control system with a high degree of autonomy. It integrates satellite navigation, surveillance radar, optical-electronic station, communication systems, etc. Optical and radar surveillance equipment is installed on a telescopic mast.
The BEK can independently navigate along a given route and conduct surveillance. It provides an independent response to certain events and factors. The boat can also be controlled by an operator at a remote station at any time. The ability to work as part of a "swarm" is not reported.
The Salvo boat can carry two combat modules with different weapons. The developer demonstrated a UAV with a machine gun module in the bow and a stern launcher for Roketsan Cirit guided missiles. It was reported that other systems and weapons could be used.
The Azerbaijani BEK, which took part in the recent exercises, has a simplified weapons system. It only had a combat module for a machine gun, and without the standard weapons. In addition, there was no aft module or launcher. Perhaps, at the current stage of development, they decided to do without weapons. Accordingly, the first training firing of the new BEK will take place later.
Modern solutions
The concept of an unmanned boat with one or another equipment, capable of solving various tasks, has recently attracted increased attention. A number of countries with the corresponding scientific and industrial potential are developing such equipment, studying its capabilities and adopting it into service in their navies.
Other countries that also want to touch modern trends have to buy imported products. Now Azerbaijan is among them. It is currently mastering its first BEK of Turkish manufacture. Whether this direction will be developed and whether the Azerbaijani Navy will buy new similar boats is still unknown.
Information