Page 28: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (January 2011)

By Jurrien Noot

Funding for the modernization of the

Turkish Armed Forces is channelled through Defense Industry Development and Support Fund, the resources from the national budget and the Public Firm

Loans, which are paid back by the Treas- ury. Projects financed through the Treas- ury have decreased and are continuing to decrease. The fund established in 1985 meets one third of the modernization.

The budget for the Ministry of Defense has been reported as TRY13.27b for 2008, TRY14.53b for 2009 and

TRY14.7b for 2010 and TRY17b pro- posed for 2011. The additional amounts provided through the other two channels are unknown but have been reported as $1 billion in 2003 from the Defense In- dustry Development and Support Fund.

The August and November 1999 earth- quakes had a major impact on Turkish naval programs, both in terms of damage sustained by installations and in delays in program execution. All contracting is ex- ecuted through the Undersecretariat for

Defense Industries (SSM) of the Turkish

Ministry of Defense.

New Type Submarine Project

In April 2004, it was reported that the

Naval Forces Command had indicated a requirement for up to four new sub- marines fitted with air independent propulsion (AIP). The New Type Subma- rine Project for the acquisition of six sub- marines was subsequently authorized on 22 June 2005. On 31 March 2006, the

Undersecretariat for Defense Industries issued a Request for Information (RfI) for four submarines. The Undersecretariat for Defense Industries announced on 1

February 2007 that the following compa- nies had responded to the Request For

Proposals (RfP) for the New Type Sub- marine Project: Armaris (France), Fin- cantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani SpA (Italy), HDW/MFI (Germany), Lockheed

Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors (US) and Navantia SA (Spain). It was also stated that the submarines would be constructed at the Golcuk Naval Shipyard with delivery by 2016. Turkish defense minister Vecdi Gonul announced in July 2008 that Turkey would order six HDW

Type-214 submarines. On 2 July 2009, a contract was signed by Howaldtswerke-

Deutsche Werft GmbH (HDW), Kiel, a company of ThyssenKrupp Technolo- gies, and MarineForce International LLP (MFI), London, for the delivery of six material packages for the construction of

Class 214 submarines to Turkey. The value of the contract is estimated as 2.5 billion. There is 80% offset agreement .

TF 2000 Project

The Turkish Frigate 2000 (TF 2000)

Project provides for the construction of frigates with an area air defense capabil- ity. Studies have been underway since 1996. The estimated cost of this pro- gramme was between $2b and $3b, circa 1999. The project has been dormant nut was revived in January 2010 with a Re- quest for Information seeking responses from companies for planning purposes

MILGEM Patrol and

Antisubmarine Warfare Ship

The MILGEM project was started in 2000 and has an Executive Committee decision date of February 2000. Studies have been underway since 1996. It pro- vides for the acquisition of eight, plus four optional, patrol and anti submarine warfare ships. The MILGEM Project Of- fice was established at Istanbul Naval

Shipyard on 12 March 2004. Requests for

Proposal for the propulsion system and for combat system subsystems were is- sued on 14 December 2005 and 25 April 2006 respectively. Contracts were awarded to MTU Motor Türbin San. ve

Tic. A. and an ASELSAN A. -HAVEL-

SAN A. Consortium in May 2007. STM

Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve

Ticaret A. . is the prime contractor for de- sign services and platform construction.

Construction of the lead unit Heybeliada commenced at Istanbul Naval Ship- yard/Pendik-Istanbul on 26 July 2005.

She was launched on 27 September 2008 and commenced sea trials on 2 Novem- ber 2010. The second unit started con- struction on 27 September 2008.

Kilic II FAC(M) Program

Four units were ordered on 19 June 2000 with an option for two more. The lead unit was constructed by Fr Lürssen (Vegesack, Germany) and the remainder by the Taskizak Naval Shipyard in Istan- bul.

MHV 54-014 Mine Hunter Program

The German Mine Hunter Consortium, consisting of the shipyards Abeking &

Rasmussen and Fr Lürssen, was awarded a contract by the Turkish Ministry of De- fense on 30 July 1999 to design and build six minehunters for the Turkish Navy.

The first of class was constructed by

Abeking & Rasmussen in Lemwerder and the remainder at Istanbul Naval Ship- yard (now Pendik Naval Shipyard)

Turkey. The project includes a shore based training simulator. All units were delivered by the end of 2009.

Patrol Boat (Yeni Tip Karakol Botu

YTKB) project

The Undersecretariat for Defense In- dustries issued an RFP to the Turkish local industry for a 16-ship, 400-ton pa- trol boat program in August 2005. By late

September 2005, 11 companies had indi- cated interest. The vessels are to have a maximum continuous speed of 22 knots, a maximum speed of 25 knots, and a range of 1,000 nm. Proposals were sub- mitted on 27 April 2006 by five compa- nies. The construction contract was awarded to Dearsan Gemi n aat Sanayii

A. on 23 August 2007. The lead unit was launched on 9 April 2010.

Special Operations Boat Project

Yonca-Onuk JV was awarded a con- tract by the Undersecretariat for Defense

Industries on 31 October 2009 for the de- livery of two special operations boats (SAT boats). These are understood to be based on the MRTP22 design.

MRTP 20/U Enhanced fast patrol boat

Yonca-Onuk JV was awarded a con- tract on 2 March 2007 by he Undersecre- tariat for Defense Industries for the construction and delivery of two MRTP 20/U enhanced fast patrol boats for the

Turkish Navy. The first boat was sched- uled for delivery within 13 months of the contract date, the second within 15 months of the contract date. 28 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News

FEATURE NAVY

Turkey

Modernization Underway

Heybeliada (F511) launched on 27 September 2008. (Photo: T urkish Defence Pr oducts Guide 2009 (SSM)) (Continued on page 36)