The Turks are preparing new suspicious plans in their desperate attempt for naval supremacy in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
Gürcan Okumuş, Director General of the TÜBİTAK-SAGE Advanced Defence Research Institute, said: "(Use of SOM on submarines) Such a study is not currently planned for the SOM missile family. Different missile options that can be used on ( Turkish) submarines are currently being studied."
It is known that Roketsan is preparing to launch the ATMACA missile from a Turkish Type-214 submarine.
The company's Director General Murat Iki, on May 02, 2023, conveyed the latest developments regarding the ATMACA missile to be launched from the submarine.
"There will be a possibility of launching cruise missiles against ships from submarines belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces.
Our aim is to produce all the guided munitions we need at sea according to Roketsan's current capabilities," he had said.
The ATMACA Anti-Ship Missile, developed by Roketsan, is Turkey's first national anti-ship missile. The ATMACA missile, which has a maximum range of 250+ kilometers, has an active radar and has many advanced features, such as sea-skimming.
It was developed in response to the needs of the Turkish Navy, and has the capability of "Advanced 3D Mission Planning".
Thanks to this feature, ATMACA operators can plan in advance the route to be taken to its destination by adding legs of the route.
At the same time, ATMACA, which features the KEMENT Tactical Data Link developed by Meteksan Defense, can update its route information even after launch.
Since it has a low radar cross-section and can fly close to the water surface, the target can be detected by an enemy ship at a distance of 18-20 kilometers. Given the ATMACA's speed of 0.85 Mach, this gives the target ship's crew very limited reaction time.
It is known that 30 June 2023 is the formal deadline for Naval Grup to exercise its option to acquire the 4th FDI Frigate for the Greek Navy.
However, due to the elections it is expected that this deadline will be extended for a few months, giving the Greek side the right to move with ease.
However, the latest interview with former Defence Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos does not leave much room for manoeuvre, since, as he himself implied, the funds are not available.
The contract signed by Greece and France stated that Athens has the option of acquiring a fourth frigate for the same price it bought the others, which is certainly tempting.
