The new generation digital underwater phone D-Satel, developed by Koç Savunma in cooperation with TÜBİTAK BİLGEM, is expected to be a new milestone in the Turkish defense industry. Domestic and national D-Satel technology will make Türkiye one of the leading players in the global market.
Koç Savunma (Koç Information and Defense Technologies Inc.), the innovative brand of the Turkish defense industry, and TÜBİTAK BİLGEM (TÜBİTAK Informatics and Information Security Advanced Technologies Research Center) are preparing for the 100th anniversary of the Republic with a strong project that connects underwater and above water seamlessly and digitally. Bringing digitalization to a different platform in underwater communication, the New Generation Digital Underwater Telephone (D-Satel) was introduced to the public with a launch held at the TÜBİTAK Gebze Campus Pond Test Field with the participation of Koç Savunma and TÜBİTAK BİLGEM senior executives.
The D-Satel technology, which will be produced and developed in cooperation with TÜBİTAK BİLGEM and Koç Savunma, is expected to be put into use on Turkish-type frigates (TF-2000) and later on all new ships, starting with MİLGEM 6, 7 and 8 ships, which are one of the important milestones of the Turkish defense industry.
Speaking at the introductory meeting of D-Satel, TÜBİTAK BİLGEM President Ali Görçin said: “I believe that this cooperation between the public and private sectors will lead to new initiatives in this field with its technology and the added value it will offer to our country. Transforming the experience and knowledge gained from underwater phone development activities for surface ships and REİS class submarines into a domestic and national digital underwater phone that can compete on a global scale, expresses a strong potential in terms of the domestic and national character of our defense products. D-Satel, which constitutes an important trump card for the competition of the Turkish defense industry in international markets, will undertake critical tasks as a technology that strengthens our domestic and national stance while meeting world standards in the field of digital warfare technologies of the future. Such collaborations, which cover both product development, sales and export and after-sales services, will also encourage well-designed business models in the Turkish defense industry, as in the example of Koç Savunma – TÜBİTAK BİLGEM.”
Will be active in the global market
Koç Savunma’s Chairman of the Board Erkut Tekinkaya pointed out that the Digital Underwater Telephone (D-Satel) project is important in terms of showing the level of digitalization in the defense industry and said:
“We are proud that the cooperation between TÜBİTAK BİLGEM, the successful name of our defense industry in R&D studies, and Koç Savunma, which brings innovative technologies to our country, has reached a brand new level with D-Satel. The D-Satel project, which accelerated the digital transformation in the defense industry, came to the fore in line with the new operating conditions that constitute the agenda of defense, and the urgent need for faster and more flexible communication. In addition to the existing underwater phone communication capabilities with voice and morse codes, the need to use various digital protocols that allow short-code messaging today accelerates the transfer of underwater communication to digital platforms. The Digital Underwater Telephone (D-Satel) technology, which will be developed in cooperation with TÜBİTAK BİLGEM and Koç Savunma, can work in integration with existing systems with its backward compatibility feature beyond its digital communication capabilities. This provides a great advantage to defense in terms of providing integrity in domestic and national communication platforms and terms of economic values. I wish that such projects, which strengthen the position of our defense industry in global markets, will increase in number and will be beneficial for our country.”
Koç Savunma will develop technology
Within the framework of the business sharing determined by the agreement between Koç Savunma and TÜBİTAK BİLGEM, Koç Savunma will cover the development of transducers, mechanical design, integrated logistics support, warranty, maintenance, spare parts supply, marketing, and sales as well as technology development costs. TÜBİTAK BİLGEM will develop the software and hardware components of the main unit during this period. Thus, it is reported that the first product will be ready for use within two years, including testing activities.
A new business model in the Defense Industry
One of the important outputs of the Digital Underwater Communication Telephone (D-Satel) project was the business model maintained by TÜBİTAK BİLGEM and Koç Savunma. The contract for the development of the Digital Underwater Telephone (D-Satel) was signed between Koç Savunma and TÜBİTAK BİLGEM on May 24, 2022. The product will be put on the market under the Koç Savunma brand, and service and license payments will be made to TÜBİTAK BİLGEM for each sale. Koç Savunma, one of the innovative brands of the Turkish defense industry, will carry out the production of D-Satel, which they will develop in cooperation with TÜBİTAK BİLGEM, as well as the marketing and after-sales services of these products on a domestic and global scale.
