Turkish navy starts construction of three new warships

ISTANBUL — The Turkish navy has begun the new year by announcing the construction of three warships based on domestic designs: a submarine, an aircraft carrier and the lead ship of the highly anticipated TF-2000 air-defense destroyer series.

The shipbuilding programs are closely linked to the political and naval ambitions of Turkey, honing the country’s long-range force projection and strike capabilities, in particular.

The new work brings the total number Turkish naval ships under construction to 31, according to service officials. The additions are meant to bolster the country’s local shipbuilding chops, a key element in the government’s preference for building weapons at home, versus importing them.

The first weld for the National Submarine (MİLDEN) was completed at Gölcük Naval Shipyard. Due to the general secrecy surrounding submarine operations, the Turkish Navy has shared only limited details about the project.

The MİLDEN is a diesel-electric submarine with a displacement of approximately 2,700 tons and a length exceeding 80 meters. It features an Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, enabling extended submerged endurance compared to existing submarines. The submarine is equipped with domestically developed weapons, systems and sensors designed to increase payload capacity and diving depth.

Initial steel-cutting ceremonies for the surface vessels were held at Istanbul Naval Shipyard in Istanbul.

When fielded, the TF-2000 ships are meant to detect and intercept guided and ballistic missile threats while offering traditional naval combat capabilities.

Work on the project began in 2017, and the design has evolved through several iterations. The current configuration features a ship measuring 149 meters in length, 21.3 meters in width, and a draft of 5.75 meters, with a displacement of 8,300 tons.

The TF-2000 is powered by a CODOG propulsion system, allowing it to achieve speeds of 26 knots or more. It is armed with a 127mm main gun, two 25mm remote-controlled weapon stations, and a 35mm Gökdeniz close-in weapon system. The ship’s air defense capabilities consist of a combined 96-cell vertical launch system developed under Turkey’s own MİDLAS program.

Loaded into the VLS cells are Siper and Hisar air defense missiles, with the addition of Gezgin cruise missiles. The main sensor suite includes the ÇAFRAD phased array radar system, which provides a detection range of 450 km.

According to information from the Turkish Navy, the National Aircraft Carrier (MUGEN) will measure 285 meters in length, 75 meters in width, and have a draft of 10 meters, with a projected displacement of 60,000 tons — more than twice that of Turkey’s largest current warship, the TCG Anadolu. The MUGEN’s dimensions closely resemble those of the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers.

The aircraft carrier will feature a short take-off and barrier arrested recovery (STOBAR) configuration with a single runway and a ski jump angled at approximately 12–14 degrees.

The design includes a single island on the starboard side, with one aircraft elevator positioned forward of the island and another aft. Preliminary plans indicate three take-off spots: one for the TB-3 UCAV combat drone near the bridge level, another diagonally across the port side for the Hürjet manned aircraft, and the third at the port quarter for the Kızılelma unmanned jet. The ship will have three arresting wires and an angled deck for landings.

Cem Devrim Yaylali is a Turkey correspondent for Defense News. He is a keen photographer of military ships and has a passion for writing about naval and defense issues. He was born in Paris, France, and resides in Istanbul, Turkey. He is married with one son.

伊斯坦布尔——土耳其海军在新的一年伊始宣布，将建造三艘基于国产设计的军舰：一艘潜艇、一艘航空母舰以及备受期待的TF-2000系列防空驱逐舰的首舰。

造船计划与土耳其的政治和海军雄心密切相关，尤其有助于提升该国的远程力量投送和打击能力。

据军方官员称，这项新工程使土耳其在建海军舰艇总数达到31艘。新增舰艇旨在增强该国的本土造船能力，这是土耳其政府倾向于自主制造武器而非进口武器的关键因素。

土耳其国家潜艇（MİLDEN）的首道焊接工序在格尔居克海军造船厂完成。由于潜艇作战的普遍保密性，土耳其海军仅透露了该项目的有限细节。

“米尔登”号是一艘排水量约2700吨、长度超过80米的柴电潜艇。它配备了不依赖空气推进（AIP）系统，与现有潜艇相比，水下续航时间更长。该潜艇配备了国产武器、系统和传感器，旨在提高有效载荷能力和潜航深度。

水面舰艇的首批钢材切割仪式在伊斯坦布尔海军造船厂举行。

TF-2000 舰艇投入使用后，旨在探测和拦截制导导弹和弹道导弹威胁，同时提供传统的海军作战能力。

该项目于2017年启动，设计方案经过多次迭代演变。目前的方案是建造一艘长149米、宽21.3米、吃水5.75米、排水量8300吨的船舶。

TF-2000型护卫舰采用CODOG推进系统，航速可达26节以上。它配备一门127毫米主炮、两座25毫米遥控武器站和一套35毫米“格克德尼兹”（Gökdeniz）近程防御武器系统。该舰的防空能力主要依靠土耳其自主研发的“米德拉斯”（MİDLAS）计划下的96单元垂直发射系统。

垂直发射系统（VLS）的发射单元装载有“西珀”（Siper）和“希萨尔”（Hisar）防空导弹，以及“格兹金”（Gezgin）巡航导弹。主要传感器套件包括ÇAFRAD相控阵雷达系统，其探测距离为450公里。

根据土耳其海军的消息，国家航空母舰（MUGEN）长285米，宽75米，吃水10米，预计排水量6万吨——是土耳其现役最大军舰“阿纳多卢”号（TCG Anadolu）的两倍多。MUGEN的尺寸与伊丽莎白女王级航空母舰非常接近。

该航空母舰将采用短距起飞和拦阻着陆（STOBAR）配置，配备一条跑道和一个倾斜角度约为 12-14 度的滑跃甲板。

该设计方案包括右舷的一座舰岛，舰岛前后各设一部飞机升降机。初步方案显示设有三个起飞点：一个位于舰桥附近，供TB-3无人作战飞机使用；一个位于左舷斜对面，供“胡尔杰特”（Hürjet）有人驾驶飞机使用；第三个位于左舷后方，供“克孜勒玛”（Kızılelma）无人机使用。该舰将配备三根阻拦索和一个用于飞机着陆的斜角甲板。

杰姆·德夫里姆·亚伊拉利是《防务新闻》驻土耳其记者。他热衷于拍摄军舰，并对海军和国防议题充满热情。他出生于法国巴黎，现居土耳其伊斯坦布尔。他已婚，育有一子。