Anadolu Shipyard lays keel of 5th I-class frigate for Turkish Navy – Naval News

Several photos of the keel-laying ceremony for the fifth I-class frigate, under construction at Anadolu Shipyard in Istanbul, surfaced on social media. The image highlights the rapid progress of the program, as the same shipyard launched the second frigate in the class, the future TCG İzmir (F-516), just last week.

On April 6, 2023, the SSB signed a contract with the TAIS Shipyards (Anadolu, Sedef and Sefine shipyards affiliated this consortium) and STM partnership to produce the remaining three I-class (Istif-class) frigates for the Turkish Navy. These frigates are the 6th, 7th, and 8th ships of the MILGEM project, as the first four ships are ADA-class corvettes and the 5th ship is TCG Istanbul, the lead ship of the I-class frigates.

The second, third and the fourth frigates are being built concurrently at the Sefine, Anadolu, and Sedef Shipyards. The shipyards will deliver the frigates in 36 months. 

In January 2024, At the Defence Industry Executive Committee meeting a decision was made to construct four additional I-class frigates under the MİLGEM project. These new vessels, designated as the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th ships of the MİLGEM project (and the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th I-class frigates), will also be built by TAIS shipyards.

Although it has not been officially disclosed which shipyard within the TAIS consortium will build how many I-class frigates, an image recently shared by Anadolu Shipyard provides a clue. The image suggests that this shipyard is responsible for constructing three frigates—F-516, F-519, and F-522—as part of the project.

About I-Class (Istif-class) Frigate

The I-class Frigate Program was launched to construct four frigates to replace aging YAVUZ-class Frigates in the mid-2020s. Developed under the MILGEM indigenous warship program, the Istanbul class is an enlarged variant of the Ada-class anti-submarine corvette. These frigates will have around 50% increased fuel capacity and operational/sailing range capability compared to Ada-class Corvettes.

The lead-vessel of the class, TCG Istanbul (F-515), joined to the Turkish Navy in the first month of the 2024, following 3 frigates are expected to enter service in 2026. These warships are the first frigates built by the Turkish defence industry which features an indigenization rate exceeding %80.

The I-class frigates have the configuration to conduct detection, determination of position, classification, identification, and destruction of the target and NGFS. The frigate is designed to conduct maritime surveillance and patrol operations, inspection, and surveillance of EEZ besides preventing potential threats.

Specifications:

Length Overall	113.2 meters
Length Waterline	105.2 meters
Beam Max	14.4 meters
Draught	4.05 meters
Displacement	3,000 tons
Maximum Speed	29+ knots
Cruise Speed	14 knots
Endurance	5,700 Nm at 14 knots
Main Propulsion	CODAG (2xMTU Diesel engines + 1xLM2500 gas turbine) 2x shafts and CPP propellers
Power Generation	4 x 560kw diesel generator
CMS	HAVELSAN ADVENT
Sensor Suit	– Aselsan CENK-S AESA radar – Aselsan ALPER-P LPI navigational radar – 2xAKR-D Fire Control radars – ASELFLIR-300T, PIRI KATS, and AHTAPOT EO systems – FERSAH hull-mounted sonar – HIZIR Torpedo Countermeasures System – Laser warning system – Aselsan ARES 2N (V2) ESM
Weapons	– 16-cell MIDLAS indigenous VLS for launching HISAR family of surface-to-air missiles (SIPER long range air defence missiles in the future) – 4×4 ATMACA anti-ship missiles – Aselsan Gokdeniz CIWS – 76 mm Super Rapid Gun – 2 x 25 mm Aselsan STOP machine gun – 2×3 Lightweight torpedo (MK-46 Mod 5 / Roketsan ORKA in the future)