During the January 2, 2025weekly press conference the Turkish Ministry of Defence spokesman announced the celebration of the first welding of the MILDEN indigenous submarine and the steel cutting of the MUGEM indigenous aircraft carrier and TF-2000 anti-anti warfare (AAW) destroyer
According to the Turkish MoD representative, the cutting steel ceremonies of the MUGEM (Milli Uçak Gemisi – National Aircraft Carrier in Turkish language) and TF-2000 AAW destroyer were conducted at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard, while the welding ceremony for the MILDEN (Milli Denizaltı – which means national submarine in Turkish) was held at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard. Videos released by the Defence Ministry showed the three ceremonies with the participation of military and shipyard representatives.
The three events that took place at the same time marked a key historical moment in the development of the Turkish Navy and the national shipbuilding and naval defence industry. Together with the three main combatant and frontline surface and underwater platforms which will make the core of the future Fleet of the Navy, a total 31 platforms are concurrently being built, according to the Turkish MoD representative.
No further details were provided on the type and number of platforms belonging to each class of vessels, but based on recent announcements and other information, in addition to the new three platforms, where ASFAT is the prime for the TF-2000 programme, the Turkish military and private shipyards are building or are contracted to build seven new I-class frigates (by the STM & TAIS Shipyards joint venture as prime with Anadolu producing three ships, Sedef two and Sefine two), the first two plus four of ten planned Hisar-class OPVs (two currently being built at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard with ASFAT as prime and four planned at Dearsan (as prime)-Desan-Özata business partnership), five Reis-class submarines (Gölcük Naval Shipyard) under the New Type Submarine Project (YTDP), the first two national MCMVs (Dearsan), in addition to eight new fast landing ships or LCT (Anadolu), and the future launch of construction of the national fast attack boats (STM being contracted for the design phase), without forgetting the unmanned surface and underwater platforms.
This in addition to the naval platform under construction and order by export customers.
Photos by P. Valpolini
