Turkey plans to start construction of the first hull of a near-sea diesel-electric submarine this year.
The STM500 project submarine will be the smallest boat built by Turkey.

TTX: Displacement – 540 tons, length – 42 m, width – 8.5 m, maximum speed – 18 knots, economical speed – 5 knots, immersion depth – up to 250 m, cruising range – 3500 miles, crew – 18 people, autonomy – 30 days.
Armament: 4 torpedo tubes (8 torpedoes, or cruise missiles).

The submarine’s diesel engines allow it to travel up to 3,500 nautical miles, while its batteries alone can power the craft for up to 75 nautical miles. It can also be fitted with an air-independent propulsion system, extending the vessel’s range to 4,000 nautical miles.

tactical class UAVs

The STM-500 can also be equipped with an optronic periscope, an electronic warfare support measures antenna, and various types of sonar, including cylindrical array, cylindrical transducer array, and own-noise array systems.

The sub can accommodate 18 crewmembers and a six-member special forces team, staying submerged for 30 days. It has four torpedo tubes and can carry eight cruise missiles.

Mini-submarines are highly effective in littoral operations because they have smaller magnetic and acoustic signatures, making them difficult to detect by enemy sonar.