India fears that Pakistan may have access to the technology.
Ankara: A staunch friend of Pakistan has recently embarked on three major naval projects. The first is the MUGEM aircraft carrier, the second is the TF-2000 destroyer and the third is the MILDEN submarine.
This was announced by the Ministry of Defense of that country itself during the weekly press conference, which was shared on the ministry’s social media account. The name of this country is Turkey, which has a deep friendship with Pakistan.
India fears that Pakistan may have access to the technology which could raise concerns in the Arabian Sea. Pakistan has also purchased warships from Turkey.
According to the spokesman of the Turkish Ministry of Defense, the cutting steel ceremony of MUGEM and TF-2000 was held at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard, while the ceremony for the MILDEN submarine was held by the Golcuk Naval Shipyard. The video released by the Ministry of Defense shows that only officers of the Turkish Navy and representatives of the shipyard attended the ceremony.
Turkey first publicly announced the MUGEM project in February 2024, when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the Design Project Office at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard. Since then, the project has gained widespread attention.
MUGEM has an optimised hull, allowing it to carry out a wide range of missions. It can be operated from deep water to shallow water. Apart from this, its speed in the sea will be faster than the rest of the aircraft carriers. It can withstand all weather and conditions of the sea. Its distinctive bow design reduces fuel consumption by 1.5% and improves underwater noise transmission. This will make it difficult for submarines to detect Turkish aircraft carriers.
The Turkish Navy under the MILGEM program launched the TF-2000 project in July 2017 in response to the need for air defense destroyers. The TF-2000 destroyers will be able to detect short/medium/medium/long-range guided missiles and ballistic missiles with low/medium/high altitude, as well as destroy non-ballistic missiles.
A total of 2000 tons are planned for the TF-8,300 destroyers, which will be the largest ships built under the MILGEM programme. The destroyer will have an overall length of 149 metres, a width of 21.5 metres and a draft of 5.75 metres. The TF-2000 destroyer will be equipped with a number of dangerous weapons. Its primary gun will be 127 mm, which will provide powerful fire support for surface fighting. The destroyer will also be equipped with a 96-cell (32+64) indigenous Vertical Launch System (MİDLAS), which is capable of launching a variety of advanced warfare materials.
The weapons to be deployed from MİDLAS include indigenous surface-to-air missiles, potentially SIPER air defense systems, and the much-awaited GEZGİN ground-attack missiles.
With the aim of creating and creating a new class of submarines, the MILDEN project is considered an ambitious effort by Turkey’s defense sector. The submarine will be equipped with indigenous electrical suite, communication and sensors. The development of this submarine being built under the National Submarine Development Program is being overseen by the Research and Development Command of the Turkish Navy. Its command was established in March 2012. After the completion of the conceptual design of the submarine last year, its construction work has also started as per the plan. These submarines are targeted to be handed over to the Turkish Navy in the first half of the 2030s.
The MİLDEN platform is set to become a major achievement in Turkey’s defense industry, demonstrating indigenous capabilities as well as advanced technologies. The submarine, with a length of more than 80 metres, has a surface displacement of about 2,700 tonnes. The submarine will have an Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, which substantially enhances its stealth and operational endurance. This system allows the submarine to stay in the water for a long time without coming to the surface, which reduces the likelihood of its detection and increases its strategic importance.
