At the TEKNOFEST Mavi Vatan 2026 exhibition, Turkish defense company FNSS publicly presented for the first time the U-MAV (Multi-Purpose Modular Unmanned Amphibious Vehicle) — a floating multi-purpose modular ground robot complex. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the developer's press service. The vehicle is positioned as a universal amphibious platform for first-wave amphibious landing operations.

Role: First Wave of an Amphibious Landing

According to the company, the U-MAV is designed for use in the first wave of an amphibious landing. Its key mission is to weaken the enemy's defenses even before the landing of personnel and main equipment, i.e., to perform assault-reconnaissance and fire-support functions in the coastal zone, where the adversary typically concentrates its air-defense systems and firing points.

Specifications and Modular Architecture

The platform weighs around 8 tons. After entering the water, the complex is capable of independently crossing the distance to the shore: on water it reaches a speed of up to 7 knots, while on land its maximum speed is 70 km/h. One of its key features is its modular design: swapping equipment in the field takes about 40 minutes, allowing the U-MAV to be adapted to at least ten types of missions — from fire support and mine clearance to electronic warfare and casualty evacuation.

Autonomy, Navigation and Communications

The platform can operate in autonomous, remotely controlled, or combined mode. The inertial navigation system allows the U-MAV to determine its own position even when the satellite signal is lost or significantly degraded. The standard communications range is up to 3 km, which can be extended as needed using aerial drones. Upon loss of communication, the vehicle first enters a safe mode, after which it either automatically returns to base along a programmed route or continues executing its navigation task, depending on the configured settings.

Logistics and Deployment

For rapid long-distance deployment, the U-MAV is compatible with heavy transport helicopters and military transport aircraft, including the CH-47F Chinook, Mi-26, C-130 Hercules, A400M, C-17 Globemaster, C-5 Galaxy, An-124 "Ruslan" and, as stated in the materials, "Il-7" (likely a typo, referring to the Il-76).

Context: Growing Role of Ground Robots

Ground robot complexes are becoming an increasingly prominent part of defense forces' arsenals. It was recently reported that the Protector ground robot complex doubled its payload capacity and received a new type of communications, indicating a general trend of expanding the capabilities of autonomous ground platforms within amphibious and landing operations.

Contradictory Data

All the technical specifications cited (weight, speeds, communications range, reconfiguration time) were declared by the developer itself during the debut presentation and have not yet been confirmed by independent testing. Moreover, the list of compatible transport aircraft in the source materials includes the designation "Il-7," which does not correspond to any known serial military transport aircraft and, judging by context, is a truncation of the Il-76 designation. Until independent data becomes available, these figures should be regarded as the manufacturer's marketing parameters.