Türkiye’s defence solutions provider HAVELSAN unveiled BLUEVISION, an AI-powered maritime awareness system.
HAVELSAN press release
Maritime operators are expected to keep track of an increasingly complex environment. Small boats, floating objects, low visibility contacts and boat operating without reliable identification data can be difficult to detect, particularly in busy waterways or demanding weather conditions. While radar and Automatic Identification System (AIS) technologies remain essential, they do not always tell the whole story.
HAVELSAN has developed BLUEVISION to help close that gap. The AI-powered maritime awareness solution adds a visual layer to existing navigation and surveillance systems, helping crews and operators identify, track and assess objects that might otherwise go unnoticed.
The technology is already in operational use. BLUEVISION is currently employed on the SANCAR Armed Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), which entered service with the Turkish Naval Forces in 2026. Integrated with HAVELSAN’s ADVENT Combat Management System, it contributes to autonomous navigation and mission execution through real-time detection, tracking and risk assessment. As part of the SANCAR programme conducted under the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), BLUEVISION has successfully completed collision-avoidance and search-and-rescue focused test activities.
BLUEVISION combines electro-optical sensors, artificial intelligence and sensor fusion technologies in a single operational view. Information from cameras, AIS and other navigation systems is brought together on one interface, allowing operators to verify what they see and react more quickly when required.
The system can detect and track small boats, buoys, floating objects and persons in the water. Using real-time image analysis, it classifies detected objects, estimates their positions and highlights information that may require operator attention. Rather than identifying targets in isolation, BLUEVISION applies a track-generation approach, and every detectable target within the camera’s field of view can be tracked simultaneously and reported as a meaningful track enriched with position and risk information.
BLUEVISION works with both thermal and daylight cameras and can operate around the clock. Digital information is displayed directly on live video feeds, giving operators additional context without forcing them to switch constantly between different screens and data sources.
The system also functions as a digital lookout. When it identifies a potential collision risk or navigational hazard, it can alert operators through visual and audible warnings. By bringing different data sources together in one place, BLUEVISION helps reduce the burden of continuous manual observation and allows crews to focus on decisions rather than data collection.
In military applications, the system supports decision-making for safe navigation, collision avoidance and the tracking of unidentified maritime contacts, including the detection of dark boats and the visual verification of misleading or spoofed AIS information. In scenarios where the use of radar or active sensors is restricted, its passive electro-optical detection capability can also contribute to covert navigation. In autonomous and search-and-rescue operations, where missions may require continuous video monitoring over very long periods, BLUEVISION can automate the detection process and reduce the loss of attention that results from an operator watching the same scene for extended durations.
Beyond SANCAR, BLUEVISION has been integrated into RAFNAR boats through cooperation with VN Maritime and Piloda Shipyard. The solution is also being used in commercial maritime applications, including container boats operating in challenging navigation environments.
BLUEVISION can be configured for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Search and Rescue (SAR), and submarine periscope observation missions. Its software based architecture allows new functions and capabilities to be added as operational needs change.
Drawing on HAVELSAN’s experience in combat management systems, autonomous platforms and maritime technologies, BLUEVISION brings artificial intelligence closer to day-to-day maritime operations, helping crews make better-informed decisions at sea.
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