21.08.2026 23:11
Turkey is preparing to add a new dimension to its technological capabilities in the defense industry in the field of health. Robotic surgery was successfully tested on TCG Anadolu with the support of physicians on land over a 5G connection. The study is considered an important step in enabling specialist physicians to provide remote surgical support to military personnel operating hundreds of miles away when needed.
Türkiye has opened the door to a new era in healthcare services at sea. Using 5G technology on TCG Anadolu, a robotic surgery application was tested with remote support from physicians on land. The study, conducted in collaboration with Kocaeli University and the Naval Forces Command, stood out as the first prototype application for remote surgery on a combat warship.
ROBOTIC SURGERY ERA ON A WARSHIP Within the scope of TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland, organized under the main leadership of the Ministry of National Defense and the Turkish Technology Team Foundation at the Gölcük Shipyard Command, an area was created on TCG Anadolu where robotic surgery could be used.
Kocaeli Deputy and former Rector of Kocaeli University, Prof. Dr. Saadettin Hülagü, stated that the study was developed to enable remote intervention for the urgent surgical needs of personnel on overseas missions.
Prof. Dr. Saadettin Hülagü Hülagü noted that the vibration levels of TCG Anadolu were found suitable for robotic surgery and, with the integration of 5G technology, the first prototype application was carried out.
DOCTORS CAN INTERVENE FROM HUNDREDS OF KILOMETERS AWAY The project's goal is that if a soldier on an overseas mission requires urgent surgical intervention, a specialist physician on the mainland can support the operation process through the robotic system.
Rector of Kocaeli University, Prof. Dr. Nuh Zafer Cantürk, stated that the robotic surgery system at the hospital and the system on the ship were synchronized.
Prof. Dr. Nuh Zafer Cantürk Cantürk noted that the project is not limited only to remote surgery, and it is planned to proceed to direct remote robotic surgery after the stages of tele-consultation, tele-mentoring, tele-proctoring, and experimental robotic surgery.
LATENCY REDUCED TO 135 MILLISECONDS One of the most striking technical elements of the study was reducing communication latency to a low level.
Cantürk said that thanks to 5G technology, latency could be reduced to below 200 milliseconds, and in the application carried out, a value of approximately 135 milliseconds was achieved.
This value is significant in terms of allowing the hand movements of the surgeon on land to be applied almost simultaneously by the robotic system on the ship.
GALLBLADDER AND APPENDIX SURGERIES CAN ALSO BE PERFORMED Cantürk, Rector of Kocaeli University, stated that with the development of the system, many surgical procedures including gallbladder, appendix, and gynecology surgeries could be performed with this method.
In the next phase of the project, the transition from tele-mentoring application to tele-surgery is targeted.
TCG ANADOLU'S MEDICAL INFRASTRUCTURE DRAWS ATTENTION Commander of TCG Anadolu, Navy Staff Colonel Nadir Kılınç, stated that the ship has advanced medical facilities.
TCG Anadolu features a 32-bed patient unit, an 8-bed intensive care unit, a burn treatment unit, two operating rooms, a dental treatment unit, imaging systems, a blood bank, and a laboratory.
Kılınç expressed that the application carried out is an important beginning for performing surgical interventions that may be needed when the ship is hundreds of miles away from the homeland.
NEXT TARGET: REAL REMOTE SURGERY Prof. Dr. Önder Kara from Kocaeli University stated that the first step of the approximately 1.5-year project has been taken, and in the next phase, it is planned to move to tele-surgery by using two surgical consoles reciprocally.
Kara stated that after studies to be conducted on animal models first, stages for using the system on living human models would follow.
With this study conducted by Türkiye, it is aimed to provide robotic surgery support from land to sea via 5G connection and, in the future, to offer specialist physician support to military personnel hundreds of miles away from the mainland.