HAVELSAN, the Turkish company, has begun production work in Italy under a partnership with VN Maritime Technologies and Piloda Shipyard’s defense arm, Piloda Defence.
The companies said the agreement, announced in March in Naples, calls for platforms to be built at Piloda and VN Maritime facilities, with operations based in Naples, Brindisi and Torre Annunziata. The deal expands an industrial partnership already underway.
Piloda and VN Maritime last year began joint production of 40 15‑meter vessels for the Italian Coast Guard under a contract worth 159.2 million euros.
The new agreement broadens the cooperation to include hybrid and unmanned platforms. Potential users include the Guardia di Finanza and other Italian security agencies.
At the center of the project is a hybrid design that can operate in manned, unmanned or mixed modes without structural changes. The companies say the platforms are intended for missions ranging from patrol and search‑and‑rescue to autonomous surveillance and coordinated swarm operations.
A prototype was previously demonstrated at the Seafuture 2025 exhibition at the La Spezia naval base.
The platforms use the ÖK Hull design, licensed from Iceland’s Rafnar and further developed by VN Maritime. The hull reduces impact forces compared with traditional V‑shaped designs and improves stability for sensors and onboard equipment.
Under the agreement, Piloda Defence will serve as the production hub and systems integrator. HAVELSAN will provide command‑and‑control, autonomous navigation and sensor‑fusion systems, while VN Maritime will adapt the hull and platform design to Italian requirements.
The partners aim to sign a first procurement order in the first half of 2026 and plan to develop additional variants for defense, maritime security and environmental monitoring. The long‑term goal is to supply Italian agencies with next‑generation platforms built domestically.