Türkiye’s National Frigates Launched
The MİLGEM İstif (I)-Class Frigates, İZMİR and İZMİT (the 6th and 7th ships of the project), built for the Turkish Navy under the TAİS OG-STM partnership, have been launched. The frigates have now entered the dry dock outfitting phase.
An important milestone has been reached within the scope of the MİLGEM İSTİF (İ)-Class Frigate project being carried out by the Secretariat of Defence Industries (SSB) under the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye for the construction of three frigates to meet a need of Turkish Naval Forces Command. MİLGEM 6 – İZMİR (F-516), built at Anadolu Shipyard, and MİLGEM 7 – İZMİT (F-517), built at Sedef Shipyard by the TAİS OG-STM Joint Venture (JV) have been launched after an intensive construction period, and will now enter the dry dock outfitting phase.
Güleryüz: Localisation Rate of Over 80 Percent
Özgür Güleryüz, General Manager of STM, commenting on the importance of the construction of national frigates for the Turkish Navy, said:
“We have achieved another important milestone with our İZMİR and İZMİT frigates, which will be sister vessels to TCG İSTANBUL, Türkiye’s first national frigate. Our national frigates, built under the leadership of the Secretariat of Defence Industries (SSB) by the TAİS OG – STM JV have now been launched into the blue waters, and the dry dock outfitting activities of the two vessels can begin. The third ship, İÇEL (F-518), is scheduled to be launched in mid-year. TCG İSTANBUL, the first of the İ-Class frigates, which is integrated with weapon systems developed with maximum national contributions, was delivered to the Navy under the main contractorship of STM with an 80 percent localisation rate, but we will increase this rate on the vessels we have launched today through our nationalisation efforts. We consider our construction of a total of eight frigates to be a significant achievement, and we hope their modern and locally produced systems will bring maximum benefit to the Turkish Navy.”
8 Modern Frigates for the Turkish Navy
TCG İSTANBUL (F-515), the first of the MİLGEM İ-Class frigates to be constructed under the project, was built at Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command under the main contractorship of STM as a continuation of the MİLGEM ADA-class corvette project, and was delivered to Turkish Naval Forces Command at a ceremony held on 19 January, 2024. The signing ceremony for the sixth, seventh and eighth vessels in the MİLGEM project was held at the SSB on 6 April, 2023, and construction of all three was started simultaneously at the Anadolu, Sedef and Sefine shipyards by the TAİS OG – STM JV.
A ceremony to mark the first steel cutting for the national frigates (İZMİR, İZMİT and İÇEL) was held on 10 April, 2023 with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Construction of the vessels is expected to be completed in 36 months, ready to enter into the service of the Turkish Navy in 2026. A decision was taken during a meeting of the Defense Industry Executive Committee (SSİK) on 3 January, 2024 chaired by President Erdoğan to build four more MİLGEM İ-Class Frigates, numbered 9–12, bringing the number of İ-Class Frigates to be built within the scope of the project to eight. Construction of these latest vessels to be added to the programme will again be carried out by the TAİS OG- STM partnership.
Integrated with National Combat Systems
The İ-Class frigates are integrated with a national electronic warfare system featuring sensors and weapon systems with a high localisation rate, a new generation national combat management system and national air defence capabilities. The frigates will carry such advanced national solutions as the MİDLAS National Vertical Launch System, ATMACA Anti-Ship Missiles, the GÖKDENİZ Close Air Weapon System, a Cenk-S AESA Radar and the ADVENT Combat Management System. Nationalisation activities are continuing in many areas for such equipment as the 76 mm Naval Gun and various components of the Main Propulsion System, targeting an 80 percent localisation rate.
Differences between ADA-Class Corvettes and İ Class Frigates
The MİLGEM İ – Class Frigate, which has many features that differ from the ADA-Class corvettes in terms of structure- and configuration, is of critical importance for the Turkish defence sector, as most of its weapon electronic systems will be domestically designed and manufactured. The İ-Class Frigates stand out for their capabilities in underwater, surface warfare roles and in air defence, but also in outpost, reconnaissance, surveillance, target detection, identification, recognition and early warning missions. The İ-Class Frigates have an extended endurance compared to the Ada-Class Corvettes. The first national frigates, the length of which have been extended by 10 meters due to changes in the configuration and additions to the weapon systems employed in the ADA-Class ships, have a displacement of 3,100 tons, a length of 113 meters and a beam of 14.4 meters. MİLGEM İ-Class Frigates especially differ from ADA-Class corvettes in terms of their guided air-defence and surface–to-surface missile payloads along with complex sensors and EW Systems (RF and IR).