Kamikaze Drones on the Caspian: How Azerbaijan Is Changing the Balance of Power on the High Seas

The visit of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva to the Naval Forces (Navy) headquarters on September 6, 2026, was marked by a number of key events in the sphere of military development and a demonstration of the latest weaponry, writes the newspaper "Kaspi."

The head of state and the first lady first laid flowers at the monument to the national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev in front of the Naval Forces headquarters, paying tribute to the memory of the great leader.

Presentation of new unmanned naval vehicles

During the visit, the head of state was presented with advanced technological developments from the joint production facility of "Military-Industrial Company MİRAS" LLC (Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan) and the Turkish company "DEARSAN Shipbuilding Industry."

President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were briefed on the purpose and tactical-technical features of the armed unmanned naval vehicles SALVO (SİDV) and kamikaze unmanned naval vehicles KAYRA (KİDV), developed using advanced technological innovations.

Following this, practical tests of the manufactured unmanned naval vehicles were conducted.

In conclusion, an operational meeting was held under the chairmanship of the President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, at which current and prospective issues of military development were discussed.

The head of state and the first lady then familiarized themselves with the work carried out at the joint Azerbaijani-Turkish production facility.

Key aspects

The visit of the President of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev to the Navy headquarters on September 6 of this year holds key strategic significance, as it marked a large-scale transition of the national naval fleet to next-generation technologies.

The central event of the visit was the presentation and practical testing of the latest unmanned naval vehicles.

Suffice it to say that the introduction of unmanned strike boats fundamentally changes the balance of power in the Caspian Sea waters, providing Azerbaijan with capabilities for asymmetric warfare on water and protection of strategic infrastructure based on the experience of modern conflicts.

Secondly, this testifies to the development of the national military-industrial complex. And the fact that the presented weaponry was developed at the joint production facility of Azerbaijan's "Military-Industrial Company MİRAS" LLC and the Turkish defense company "DEARSAN Shipbuilding Industry" is a vivid testament to the success of integration and allied relations with Turkey in the sphere of advanced military technologies.

This fact speaks to Azerbaijan's aspiration to localize the production of advanced weapons domestically, reducing dependence on imports of finished equipment.

Strengthening control in the Caspian region

In the context of a changing geopolitical situation, the Caspian Sea is a zone where the most important transport corridors intersect (for example, North–South and the Middle Corridor) as well as oil and gas infrastructure. The modernization of the Navy underscores Baku's readiness to firmly ensure the security of its energy resources and maritime borders.

It should be recalled that the visit concluded with an operational meeting on military development issues, which the President held directly at the Navy headquarters. This indicates that the use of naval drones has now been officially integrated into Azerbaijan's overall military doctrine, and based on the test results, the command received new tasks for the further rearmament of the army and navy.