IZMIR, Turkey \u2014 An armed, operational unmanned surface vessel manufactured by U.S. defense contractor Sierra Nevada Corporation washed ashore on Turkey\u2019s Black Sea coast on March 20, 2026, prompting a security response that culminated in the vessel\u2019s destruction in a controlled offshore detonation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The vessel, identified as an AEGIR-W variant, came aground on a beach in the Y\u00fcceler neighborhood of \u00dcnye district in Ordu province. Locals discovered the craft and informed the authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to a statement issued by the Ordu Governorate, Turkish Navy explosive ordnance disposal specialists conducted a technical inspection of the vesselon March 21.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The examination determined that the craft remained operationally active and was carrying a warhead. Given the assessed risk, authorities made the decision to tow the vessel approximately four kilometers from the shoreline and destroy it in a controlled detonation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n