ROKETSAN and Altınay Defense Technologies have signed a lithium-based battery supply agreement for Türkiye’s national heavyweight torpedo program, AKYA.
The agreement was signed during SAHA EXPO 2026 in Istanbul and marks a new step in Türkiye’s efforts to strengthen domestic capabilities in critical naval weapon subsystems.
Under the contract, Altınay Defense will undertake the serial production of high-power and high-energy-density lithium-based battery systems for the AKYA heavyweight torpedo. The battery system was developed by Altınay Defense to meet ROKETSAN’s performance and quality requirements for demanding underwater operational conditions.
Critical Subsystem for AKYA
The lithium-based battery system is designed to support AKYA’s speed, maneuverability and mission endurance. Its advanced energy management architecture aims to optimize mission duration while providing reliable performance under challenging maritime conditions.
For a heavyweight torpedo, battery performance is a mission-critical factor. It directly affects underwater endurance, propulsion efficiency, operational flexibility and overall system reliability.
The agreement is also expected to increase the localization rate of the AKYA program by replacing critical foreign-dependent subsystems with nationally developed solutions.
Türkiye’s National Heavyweight Torpedo
AKYA is ROKETSAN’s next-generation heavyweight torpedo developed with national capabilities.
The system is launched from submarines and is designed to engage both submarines and surface targets. According to ROKETSAN’s official product data, AKYA has a range of more than 50 kilometers, a speed of more than 45 knots, active/passive sonar guidance, fiber-optic wire guidance and wake homing capability against surface targets.
The torpedo uses a brushless DC electric motor and counter-rotating propeller system. Its warhead is designed to create an underwater shock effect, while its fuze supports proximity and impact modes.
Strategic Importance
The battery supply agreement between ROKETSAN and Altınay Defense is important because it strengthens Türkiye’s domestic naval weapons ecosystem.
AKYA is one of the key systems designed to increase the Turkish Navy’s deterrence in the Blue Homeland. By localizing high-performance battery technology, Türkiye can improve supply security, reduce external dependency and support serial production sustainability for one of its most strategic underwater weapons.
The deal also shows how Turkish defense companies are increasingly building complete national supply chains around critical platforms and weapons, from propulsion and guidance to energy systems and warheads.
