Aselsan Presents Turkey’s First Anti-Submarine Sonar

Turkey’s Aselsan revealed its domestic and national over-the-horizon anti-submarine warfare sonar, DÜFAS, on Tuesday.

The company released a promotional video showing the system aboard the Powhatan-class fleet ocean tug, A-590 TCG Inebolu, during trials.

The sonar system is tailored for surface combatants, serving purposes of long-range anti-submarine warfare and surveillance. Its components include a low-frequency towed active array, a low-frequency towed passive triplet array, separate winches for both active and passive arrays, signal processing and power cabinets, and an operator console.

If the vessel is equipped with torpedo countermeasure systems, DÜFAS offers an additional defense against torpedoes by advising on optimal evasion tactics.

The system boasts 360º omnidirectional transmission, employing a bistatic/multistatic sonar architecture, with capabilities for selecting pulse type and pulse length. In active mode, it autonomously detects and localizes targets, while in passive mode, it automatically detects, tracks, and classifies torpedoes over long distances.

As per Aselsan's specifications, the system functions within a speed range of 5 knots to 15 knots, withstanding speeds of up to 30 knots. Its active sonar supports continuous wave (CW), frequency modulation (FM), and FM/CW pulse types, delivering a source level exceeding 200 dB re 1 µPA.