The activities to design, develop and manufacture domestic warships, which started with the MİLGEM project, continue to meet the needs of Turkey’s Naval Forces Command. Anadolu, Sedef and Sefine shipyards will simultaneously construct 3 Istif class frigates in partnership with STM. In addition, new patrol ships will be included in the inventory during this process. Here are the details…
Within the scope of MİLGEM, 6 warships are coming in 3 years: The first one will be delivered this year!
MİLGEM, or with its full name Milli Gemi, is a project initiated by the Turkish Navy in the 90s by using its own resources to design, develop and build completely domestic corvettes. It officially came to life in 2004 when the Istanbul Shipyard Command established the MİLGEM Project Office.
The main purpose of the project was to produce war and security ships and export them to friendly countries, completely in line with our own wishes and needs, independent of external sources. Indeed, the project was successful. Currently, 4 domestic vessels are in service. It is also exported to countries such as Pakistan.
Turkey’s floating castle! TCG Anadolu enters the inventory
TCG Anadolu, which will be the flagship of Turkey, was viewed before it entered the inventory. So what are the features of TCG Anadolu?
Within the scope of MİLGEM, TCG Heybeliada (F-511) on September 27, 2011, TCG Büyükada (F-512) on September 27, 2013, TCG Burgazada (F-513) on November 4, 2018, and TCG Kınalıada (F-513) on September 29, 2019. -514) entered service and began to work within the Naval Forces Command.
In December 2021, Defense Industry President İsmail Demir announced that the tender process for 6, 7 and 8 ships had started. He also said that the locality rate of these MİLGEMs, which has already exceeded 70 percent, will reach much higher levels.
As a matter of fact, this process was also completed and the project was given to Anadolu, Sedef and Sefine shipyards in partnership with STM. Within the scope of the project, 3 shipyards will construct 3 ships simultaneously within 36 months. In other words, they will enter the inventory in 2026.
But it’s not just these ships. TCG Istanbul (F-515), which has already been launched on January 23, 2021, will also be included in the inventory after completing its tests in 2023. In addition, the first 2 of the Hisar class offshore patrol ships, the project of which was undertaken by ASFAT affiliated to the Ministry of National Defense, will also be delivered in this process.
TCG Akhisar (P-1220), the construction of which was first started in August 2021, will be delivered to the Turkish Naval Forces in 2023. TCG Koçhisar (P-1221) will follow right after. After the delivery of the second ship, a tender will be held for the production of 8 Hisar class offshore patrol ships.
If we look in general, in the next 3 years, 4 I-class frigates, 1 of which will be delivered this year, and 2 Hisar-class offshore patrol ships, 1 of which will be taken into the inventory again this year, will be put into use by the Naval Forces.
MİLGEM features
| Class | Island class corvette | stacker class frigate |
| Type | Patrol and anti-submarine warship | multipurpose frigate |
| Away | 2,300 tons | 3,000 tons |
| Length | 99.56 m | 113.2m |
| Width | 14.40 m | 14.40 m |
| water withdrawal | 3.89 m | 4.05 m |
| Installed power | 30,000 kW CODAG | – |
| thrust | 1 gas turbine, 2 diesels, 2 shafts |
1 gas turbine, 2 diesels, 2 shafts |
| Speed | Economic 15 knots, Max 30 knots |
Economic 14 knots Maximum 29+ knots |
| Range | 3,500 nautical miles (6,480 km) at 15 knots | 6,570 nautical miles (6,480 km) at 15 knots |
| Durability | 21 days (logistics support) 10 days (without support) |
– |
| Person capacity | 93-106 | 123 |
| sensors and processing systems |
GENESIS CMS, SMART-S Mk2 search radar, Sonar, GPS, LAN, ECDIS, UniMACS 3000 IPMS, X-band radar, fire control radar |
3D Search Radar E/0 Sensors Fire Control Radars Illumination Radar Navigation and LPI Radars Laser Warning System Infrared Search and Tracking System Hull Mounted Sonar Torpedo Confusing/Deception System |
| electronic warfare and traps |
Aselsan ARES-2N, Laser/RF systems, ASW jammers, SSTD |
Electronic Warfare Suit Electronic Support Electronic Assault Chaff Decoy Deceptive System |
| armament | -1 x 76 mm OtoMelara Super Rapid cannon, -2 x 20 mm Aselsan STAMP II, -8 x Harpoon Block II LSM BB (Horsegun), -21 x RAM (PDMS), -2 x 324 mm Mk.32 triple launchers or Mk.46 torpedoes |
-1 × MKEK National Sea Gun 76/62 mm -2 × 25 mm (0.98 in) Aselsan STOP -1 X Aselsan GÖKDENİZ CIWS -16 × Roketsan Hawk -16 MDAS -2 × 324 mm (13 in) Twin torpedo launchers |
| Aviation possibilities | -S-70B Seahawk ASW helicopter, -Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) |
-S-70B Seahawk ASW helicopter -Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) |
| Other | 20 tons weapons storage capability, JP-5 aircraft fuel, aerial refueling (HIRF) and maintenance systems | – |
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