In Greece it is known that in order to serve the objectives of the Turkish "Blue Homeland", the most important role will be played by the "neighbours'" Navy, with their frigates constituting a very important force for Ankara to attempt to challenge our sovereignty in the Aegean and the South-Eastern Mediterranean.
The Turkish Navy launched the Stack-class frigate project, which is part of MİLGEM, in 2017 to renew its frigate fleet.
Four (4) ships are to join the Turkish Navy
In this context, the outfitting of the first ship of the class (F-515) ,the frigate TCG ISTANBUL, which according to Turkish media, along with TCG DERYA, TCG First Lieutenant Arif Ekmekçi and MARLIN SİDA, will join the Turkish Navy in an official event to be held on January 19, was held, which points out:
"The Turkish Naval Forces Command is getting stronger with naval platforms built with local and national resources. At the ceremony to be held this week with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the list will include 4 new naval platforms.
The naval platforms to be included in the inventory are:
TCG İSTANBUL (F-515), the 5th of the MİLGEM Program and the first of the STACK CLASS frigates, is Turkey's first frigate designed with national resources and produced with domestic resources.
TCG DERYA (A-1590) Maritime Replenishment Combat Support Ship (DİMDEG), which is the Turkish Navy's largest naval platform after the amphibious assault ship TCG ANADOLU (L400).
TCG Lieutenant Arif Ekmekçi (A-575) Commander's Support Ship (TCG Lt. Arif Ekmekçi)
MARLIN Armed Unmanned Marine Vehicle (SİDA), which is the world's first USV with electronic warfare capability.
On the other hand, this year the TCG PİRİREİS, the first submarine of the Reis class, will be included in the inventory with the New Type Submarine Project, while the TCG AKHİSAR and TCG KOÇHİSAR , the first of the HİSAR Class High Seas Patrol Vessels, are expected to enter the Naval Forces Command's inventory this year.
Meanwhile, the construction activities of the 3 STIF class frigates are continuing, while contracts for the 4 STACK class frigates for which the decision was made in SSİK are expected to be signed in the near future."
Future Frigates of the Turkish Navy
These are:
(F-515) TCG ISTANBUL (officially delivered on 19 January 2024)
(F-516) TCG İZMİR (contract signed)
(F-517) TCG İÇEL (contract signed)
(F-518) TCG IZMIT (contract signed)
General characteristics of frigates
Length: 113,2 metres
Width: 14,4 metres
Depth: 4,05 metres
Displacement: 3,000 tons fully loaded
Main propulsion: 2 units of 5766 hp diesel engines from MTU, 1 unit of LM2500 gas turbines from General Electric
Crew: 123
Weapon Systems: 1 76mm (Oto Melara production on first ship, MKE production on other ships) gun, 16 ROKETSAN Atmaca anti-ship missiles, 16 HİSAR-RF air defence missiles on 16 ROKETSAN MIDLAS launchers, 1 35mm CIWSk, 1 35mm CIWSk, 1 35mm CIWSk, 25mm STOP
Cruising range: 5,700 nautical miles at 14 knots
Speed: 29 knots
These frigates form the basis of the future frigate fleet of the Turkish Navy. It is foreseen that the 4 frigates will be commissioned by 2027.
At the same time, the "BARBAROS class frigate half-life modernization project" was launched. With the modernization it is planned to use the ships for many years.
Barbaros class frigates (MEKO-200TN-IIA/B)
(F-244) TCG BARBAROS (ordered 23 May 1997)
(F-245) ORUÇREİS (ordered 23 May 1997)
(F-246) SALİHREİS (ordered on 22 July 1998)
(F-247) KEMALREİS (ordered on 08 June 2000)
General characteristics of the Barbaros class frigates
Length: (II-A) 116,7 metres, (II-B) 118 metres
Width: 14,8 metres
Depth: 4,25 metres
Displacement: 3,350 tonnes
Main propulsion: two LM2500 gas turbine engines manufactured by General Electric and two 20V1163 diesel engines manufactured by MTU
Crew: 170 people
Weapon systems: 1 Mk-45 127 mm gun, 8 RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, 3 25 mm Sea Zenith CIWS (8 on two ships, 16 on two ships) Mk-41 air defence missile system
Cruising range: 4,100 nautical miles at 18 knots
Speed: (with gas turbine engine) 32 knots (59 km/h), (with diesel engine) 22 knots (41 km/h)
The Barbaros class frigates are the most modern and newest frigates actively serving in the Turkish naval forces. The average age of the ships is 25 years.
As the ships are planned to serve for many years, the "BARBAROS Class Frigate Half-Life Modernization Project" was launched in 2017. As part of the project, the ships' weapons and electronic systems will be renewed.
More than half of the Navy's frigates are more than 30 years old and are waiting to be replaced. The average age of frigates in the Turkish Navy is 36 years.
The Turkish Navy's current stock of frigates is completed by:
Gabya class frigates
(F-490) TCG GAZİANTEP (ordered 24 July 1998)
(F-491) TCG GİRESUN (ordered 24 July 1998)
(F-492) TCG GEMLIK (ordered on 27 August 1998)
(F-493) TCG GELİBOLU (ordered on 22 July 1999)
(F-494) TCG GÖKÇEADA (Ordered on 27 September 1999)
(F-495) TCG GEDİZ (Ordered on 01 September 2001)
(F-496) TCG GOKOVA (Ordered on 11 April 2002)
(F-497) TCG GÖKSU (Ordered on 04 April 2003)
Yavuz-class frigates (MEKO-200TN)
(F-240) TCG YAVUZ (ordered 17 July 1987)
(F-241) TURGUTREIS (awarded 4 February 1988)
(F-242) FATIH (commissioned 22 July 1988)
(F-243) YILDIRIM (ordered on 21 July 1989)
The partitioning of the Aegean and the impact of the ISTANBUL-class frigates
The addition of the Istanbul class frigates to the Turkish fleet creates greatly increased sea area air defence capabilities in the Aegean, covering the remaining surface ships of the Turkish fleet, but also area denial conditions for the Greek fleet.
At the same time, the Turks are attempting to create with the ATMACAs they will install on the Asia Minor coast, conditions of area denial in parts of the Aegean or even anti-access to a large part of the Archipelago, for our Navy, while with the SIPER anti-aircraft missiles they will install in the same areas they will attempt to exercise control over the airspace of the islands of the East Aegean and the Dodecanese.
The addition of the Istanbul-class frigates to the Turkish fleet, which thanks to the MIDLAS system will be able to launch up to 64 air defence missiles and ATMACA anti-ship missiles, changes the situation in the Aegean, particularly in parts of the Aegean where there is no dense island cluster, creating greatly increased area air defence capabilities, covering the remaining surface ships of the Turkish fleet, but also creating area denial conditions for the Greek fleet.
These areas of the Aegean are:
1. Sporades - Agios Efstratios - Limnos - Lesvos - Lesvos - Chios - Skyros - Sporades
2. Samos-Icaria-Mykonos-Mykonos-Tinos-Andros-Evoia-Skyros-Chios
3. Santorini-Crete-Crete-Cassos-Karpathos-Karpathos-Rhodes-Tilos-Astypalaia-Santorini
4. Crete-Kassos-Karpathos-Karpathos-Rhodes-Rome-Kastelorizo-Strongyli-Crete
5. South of Crete
6. Limnos-Imvros-Samothraki-Samothrace-Thassos-Chalkidiki-Limnos which includes the area of "Baboura", known for its huge underwater oil deposits.
