On September 27 the Turkish navy launched the corvette TCG Heybeliada, the first modern warship to be designed, built, and equipped primarily from local resources.
The TCG Heybeliada is the first in what will eventually be a series of 12 multi-purpose littoral combat warships built under the Milli Gemi (National Ship or MILGEM) program. The Heybeliada has an overall length of 99 meters (325 feet), a maximum beam of 14.4 meters (47 feet), and a displacement of 2,000 metric tons (2,200 tons). In addition to weapons systems, the Heybeliada will have a hangar and platform for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) Sea Hawk helicopters and/or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The vessel has been designed to operate with a crew of 93, including aviation personnel. It is expected to have range of 3,500 nautical miles and a top speed of over 29 knots.
The Turkish navy has traditionally either bought its vessels secondhand, particularly from the United States, or had them built by foreign shipyards. The MILGEM project has its origins in a 1996 plan to have German MEKO A-100 corvettes built in Turkish shipyards. The Turkish navy subsequently shelved the idea and decided to try to build the country’s first entirely indigenous modern warship using Turkish shipyards, universities, and companies. Work on the plans began on March 12, 2004.
TURKEY’S FIRST MILGEM WARSHIP LAUNCHED IN ISTANBUL – Eurasia Daily Monitor.