The ''Barbaros''-class frigates are among the most modern
frigate
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
s in the
Turkish Navy. They were designed in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and are part of the
MEKO group of modular warships, in this case the
MEKO 200 design. Two ships were built in Germany and two in Turkey with German assistance. They are larger than the previous s and are also faster due to using
CODOG machinery rather than pure diesels.
The first two vessels (F-244 and F-245) are defined as the ''Barbaros'' class (
MEKO 200 TN Track II-A) while the last two vessels (F-246 and F-247) are defined as the ''Salih Reis'' class (
MEKO 200 TN Track II-B) by the Turkish Navy.
''Salih Reis'' subclass ships are built with 8-cell Mk. 41 VLS and longer than ''Barbaros'' class vessels to accommodate 16-cell Mk. 41 VLS upgrade in the future while ''Barbaros''-class vessels built with
Mk.29 Sea Sparrow launchers that planned to be replaced by 8-cell
Mk. 41 VLS.
Modernization projects
Barbaros class vessels (F-244, F-245) have received an 8-cell Mk41 vertical launcher system (VLS) module, which replaced the obsolete Mk.29 Sea Sparrow launcher, while Salihreis class vessels (F-246, F-247) have received a second 8-cell Mk 41 VLS module which brings the total number of cells to 16. Additionally the old AWS-9 3D air search radars in all 4 vessels has been replaced by modern
Thales SMART-S Mk2 3D radars.
On 3 April 2018 a contract was signed between
ASELSAN–
HAVELSAN Joint Venture and the secretariat for Defense Industry (SSM) regarding the Barbaros Class Frigate mid-life upgrade project. Project includes a heavy upgrade which including new weapons systems, a new combat management system, new radars and sensors, replacing current mast with an integrated mast and various upgrades. All 4 ships are included in this project. Expected finish year for project is 2025.
The mid-life modernization program projects to double the number of anti-ship missiles that vessel is equipped with while also replacing it by locally designed and produced
Atmaca anti-ship missiles, substitution of the Oerlikon
Sea Zenith
Sea Zenith is a four-barrelled 25 mm CIWS used by the Turkish Navy on their MEKO 200 frigates, like the Barbaros and Yavuz classes. It was developed in the 1980s by Oerlikon Contraves (Rheinmetall Air Defence since 2009) around their Oerlik ...
CIWS systems with 1
Phalanx and 1
Aselsan Gokdeniz CIWS, change the existing TACTICOS combat management system with
Havelsan "B-SYS Combat Management System" and adopt a 127mm main gun to the frigates. Finally against asymmetric threats that the vessels may face 2x2
L/UMTAS launchers are planned to be integrated to the frigates.
Ships of the class
References
External links
The First Upgraded MEKO 200 Frigate Of Turkish Navy
{{Ship classes of the Turkish Navy
Frigate classes
Frigates of Turkey