The ''Istanbul''-class frigates are a planned group of four multirole

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 for the

Turkish Naval Forces The Turkish Naval Forces ( tr, ), or Turkish Navy ( tr, ) is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The modern naval traditions and customs of the Turkish Navy can be traced back to 10 July 1920, when it was establis ...

. Developed under the MILGEM national warship program as the I-class frigate, the ''Istanbul'' class is an enlarged version of the anti-submarine corvette, with enhanced endurance and MDAS Vertical Launching System (VLS) for multi-role capability. On 19 January 2017, Turkish Navy held a ceremonial steel cut for the

lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very complex and may ...

TCG ''Istanbul'' (F 515). ''Istanbul'' was

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one o ...

on 3 July 2017 and launched on 23 January 2021.

History and background

The ''Istanbul'' class has its origins in the Turkish

MILGEM project MILGEM project is a national warship program of the Republic of Turkey. Managed by the Turkish Navy, the project aims at developing multipurpose corvettes, frigates and destroyers that can be deployed in a range of missions, including reconnaiss ...

for developing national warships and warship building industry. The program calls for the construction of a warship family in three classes, where all vessels would be designed with high degree of

commonality In aviation, fleet commonality is the economic and logistic benefits of operating a standardized fleet of aircraft that share common parts, training requirements, or other characteristics. Different types of commonality Commonality policies ...

. First product of the project emerged as Ada-class anti-submarine/patrol corvette. The ''Istanbul'' class, originally known as the TF-100 class under MILGEM-G designation, belongs to the second development phase, where structure of the Ada class vessel is extended to host multi-role capabilities. The ''Istanbul'' class is an enlarged variant of the Ada class and will feature a slightly larger hull for improved endurance. In addition to retaining the guns, self protection and

anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...

systems of the Ada class, the ''Istanbul'' class will have twice the number of anti-ship missiles and will be equipped with the indigenous MDAS Vertical Launching System, capable of firing HISAR and other missiles, along with other systems for improved multi-role combat capabilities. The experience and technological know-how gained with the ''Istanbul'' class will play an important role in determining the design characteristics and the development process of the TF-2000-class frigates, as well as the selection of the systems and equipment which will be used on these significantly larger and more capable warships. The first ship and nameship of the class, TCG ''Istanbul'', was laid down on 19 January 2017. The fifth and largest modern

warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster a ...

to be both indigenously designed and built in Turkey, it is claimed that at least 75% of its systems will be of indigenous manufacture. Its steel cutting ceremony was attended by Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Işık and senior military officers, including Admiral Bülent Bostanoğlu, Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces. Construction is expected to take four years and the vessel will be commissioned into service sometime in 2021.

Export versions

Ukraine

In December 2020,

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

signed a contract for four

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...

s. Industry sources say the builder, STM, may have to substitute some American-made parts in the

architecture with locally made components due to a recent U.S. decision to sanction Turkey’s procurement agency, the Presidency of Defense Industries.Ukraine to buy Turkish warships, co-produce drones
Burak Ege Bekdil,

DefenseNews ''Defense News'' is a website and newspaper about the politics, business, and technology of national security published by Sightline Media Group. Founded in 1986, ''Defense News'' serves an audience of senior military, government, and industry de ...

, 21 December 2020

Ships in the class

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Istanbul Class Frigate Frigate classes Proposed ships Frigates of the Turkish Navy

History and background

Export versions

Ukraine

Ships in the class

See also

References