The remotely operated marine vehicle “CANSU” produced by the Coast Guard.

The CANSU, a remote-controlled maritime vehicle produced by the Coast Guard Command to rescue citizens in need of assistance at sea, was showcased. Providing information about the maritime vehicle, Coast Guard Colonel Ertuğrul İsmet Bayır stated, “The CANSU vehicle produced by our Command is designed to reach individuals who have fallen into the water or need assistance by being directed remotely, in order to safely transport them to secure areas.”

The Coast Guard Command continues its activities at full speed to ensure life and property safety within its area of responsibility, prevent all kinds of illegal activities, and sustainably protect marine resources. Teams working 24/7 in the blue homeland ensure the safety and security of citizens. The Coast Guard teams, which play an active role in combating irregular migration, successfully carry out medical evacuations, protect the marine environment and resources, and ensure maritime safety. Within the Coast Guard Command, there are 307 floating units in total, including 218 ships (4 SG Corvettes and 214 ships of various types and sizes) and 89 small boats. Additionally, there are 23 airborne units, including 14 helicopters, 3 airplanes, and 6 tactical UAVs, as well as 20 mobile radar units. A total of 9,346 personnel serve within the Coast Guard Command, with 520 of them being women and 8,826 being men. At the International Defense, Aviation, and Space Industry Fair SAHA EXPO, the Coast Guard Command showcased the remote-controlled maritime vehicle named “CANSU”. Coast Guard Colonel Ertuğrul İsmet Bayır provided information about the Coast Guard and the maritime vehicle.

Colonel Bayır stated, “The Coast Guard Command fulfills its duties in all maritime jurisdiction areas, which we refer to as the ‘Blue Homeland’, on a 24/7 basis without regard to time. Among the primary duties of the Coast Guard Command are maritime search and rescue, maritime safety and security, and the enforcement of law enforcement activities in our seas. Our Command also successfully conducts duties such as combating irregular migration, medical evacuation, and protecting the marine environment and resources, while also ensuring the maritime security of strategically important facilities.”

Bayır continued, “As the protector of our Blue Homeland seas, we will exhibit our floating and airborne units at our stand area; including the model of TCSG-GÜVEN, models of Kaan Class Boats, the model of AB-412 EP SG helicopter, the model of CN 235 SG Aircraft, and the remote-controlled maritime vehicle ‘CANSU’ produced by our Command. TCSG-GÜVEN: One of the 4 SG corvettes built with domestic and national capabilities, this ‘Friend Class’ vessel has the capacity to successfully carry out tasks such as search and rescue operations, combating irregular migration, combating marine pollution, and trafficking. Kaan Class Boats: These are high-speed SG boats in our Command’s inventory, constructed with domestic and national resources, featuring a durable hull made of composite material and high maneuverability.”

Bayır mentioned that they had also carried out a very successful operation in a cable car accident, stating, “Our search and rescue operations at sea effectively fulfill the duties of combating irregular migration, ensuring maritime safety and security, and the sustainable use of our marine resources. The AB-412 EP SG Helicopter and CN 235 SG Aircraft are among our units equipped with modern radar and optical systems capable of conducting effective operations even in challenging weather and sea conditions, and they can operate at night and during the day. Our helicopters and personnel carried out a very successful operation during the tragic cable car accident on April 12, 2024, facilitating the evacuation of many citizens to safe areas. This vehicle produced by our Command is designed to reach individuals who have fallen into the water or need assistance by being directed remotely, in order to safely transport them to secure areas,” he stated.

Regarding training processes, Colonel Ertuğrul İsmet Bayır said, “Officers and non-commissioned officers serving in the Coast Guard Command are trained at the Naval War Academy, the Naval Non-Commissioned Officer Vocational School, and the Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy Presidency in accordance with the Personnel Regulation of the Gendarmerie General Command and the Coast Guard Command. Officers and non-commissioned officers graduating from these schools undergo basic training for 30 weeks on law enforcement and maritime topics at the Coast Guard School Command. In addition to these basic trainings, all personnel participate in courses and training sessions organized within the Coast Guard Command throughout their careers to enhance their knowledge and familiarity with their duties. These courses and trainings primarily cover search and rescue, law, environmental protection, combating irregular migration, smuggling, lifesaving and first aid, branch training, aquaculture, and similar topics. Furthermore, specialized courses (such as commando courses, helicopter/CASA pilot courses, personnel rescue courses, and frogman courses) are also provided to personnel.”

Emphasizing that the Coast Guard does not procure ships or boats from abroad, Colonel Ertuğrul İsmet Bayır continued: “Our Command’s floating platforms, which have high technology and capabilities, consist of ships and boats built in our country’s shipyards. No ship/boat procurement is made from abroad. In the near future, it is planned to use domestic and national engines for the first time in the National Coast Guard Ship project, which is set to be implemented. Thus, it is aimed to achieve an indigenization rate of over 85% in shipbuilding. There are very few countries in the world with such a rate. Under the Control Boat Project, which has gone down in history as the largest mass production boat project in Turkey and the world, 93 out of 107 Control Boats produced by ARES Shipyard, which will operate in all coastal areas of Turkey, have been included in our Command’s inventory. The Coast Guard Network Project, carried out with HAVELSAN A.Ş., and the Coast Surveillance Management System, which is our homeland security project also conducted with HAVELSAN A.Ş., are also among our domestic and national projects in terms of localizing information systems. In ammunition projects, the localization rate is 99%, and except for 40 mm shells of foreign origin, all ammunition used by the Coast Guard Command is produced domestically. 100% of ballistic protective helmets and vests are produced domestically.