Last week, the residents of Yosler neighbourhood in Turkey’s Ordu Province were in for a major surprise when an unidentified foreign object washed up on their shores. The province, which lies on the coast of the Black Sea, immediately alerted the authorities about the unique find,
Civilians who noticed the unidentified object alerted authorities, and gendarmerie teams were dispatched to secure a perimeter around the site.
Officials who inspected the vessel was a AEGIR unmanned surface vessel (USV) belonging to U.S.-based Sierra Nevada Corporation, and was laden with ammunition.
The AEGIR USV is an advanced autonomous combat vessel, approximately 10 meters long, capable of reaching speeds of over 25 knots and an impressive operational range of approximately 900 kilometers. It can carry a payload of up to 300 kg.
Turkish experts also found that the vessel remained operational, following which it was decided to tow it offshore. The vehicle was destroyed in a controlled blast, and nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution during the operation, according to Turkiye Today.
A U.S. naval drone has washed ashore in Turkey, Turkish outlet SavunmaSanayiST reports.
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 21, 2026
According to the report, the Sierra Nevada-built device lost control during a mission and ended up in a coastal area.
It is believed to be a naval drone, likely an experimental development. pic.twitter.com/wDjKbv5C0m
While there is no official confirmation about how the vessel ended up in Turkish shores, the possible explanation is that the vessel was used in testing in connection to the war in Ukraine. However, there were no earlier reports about AEGIR USV being used in Ukrainian service or undergoing trials there. The officials are yet to publicly acknowledge any transfer of AEGIR USV to Ukraine.
However, experts believe it was unlikely that any such testing of USV could go unnoticed by the Russians, especially during daytime hours. They believe Ukrainian troops could have been operating the USV before losing control of it and going astray, according to The Aviationist.
Though there were speculations that the Russian military could have disabled the vessel, it appears unlikely, as there has been no update from the Russian Ministry of Defence in this regard over the last two days.
