An unmanned surface vessel manufactured in the U.S. was found washed ashore in the Ünye district of Ordu, on the Black Sea coast, on March 21.
Following an investigation conducted by Istanbul Underwater Defense Group Command, the Aegir-W USV — which was found to be operational and loaded with ammunition —was destroyed in a controlled detonation 4 kilometers off the coast.
The 10-meter USV can carry a 300 kg payload, reach a speed of 45 km/h and has an operational range of 900 km. The Aegir-W can operate autonomously or be controlled by a human operator, depending on mission requirements. Aegir USVs were developed and constructed by the U.S.-based Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), which is owned by Turkish entrepreneurs Eren and Fatih Özmen.
There is no official information regarding which countries have purchased the Aegir-W USV, however, it is known that this model has been tested by the U.K. Royal Marines. Based on the circumstances in the Black Sea, the USV was most likely being used by the Ukrainian Navy.
Also, a foreign country’s drone crashed in Manyas, Balıkesir, on Dec. 10, 2025. Five days later, a drone that entered Turkish airspace over the Black Sea was intercepted by F-16 fighter jets and shot down near Ankara. Another drone was found crashed in Kocaeli on Dec.19, 2025. Officials said that it could not be determined which country all three aircraft belonged to.
USV STRIKES OIL TANKER CLOSE TO ISTANBUL
On the other hand, an unmanned surface vessel (USV) of unknown origin struck the Altura, a Sierra Leone flagged tanker which is owned by a Turkish company, Pergamon Maritime, on March 26 in the Black Sea, 15 miles off the coast of the Bosphorus Strait. Following the collision, an explosion occurred on the tanker, causing material damage. The vessel, which departed from Novorossiysk, Russia to Istanbul, was carrying 140,000 tons of crude oil.
