Türkiye details progress on national aircraft carrier and TF-2000 air-defence destroyer

A model of the future Mugem Turkish aircraft carrier, seen in Istanbul in late May 2025. (Devrim Yaylali)

Captain Hakan Uçar, director of the Turkish Navy’s Design Project Office (DPO), revealed new details of the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier and the TF-2000-class air-defence destroyer at the 12th Naval Systems Seminar in Istanbul in late May.

Design activities for Türkiye’s national aircraft carrier (Milli Uçak Gemisi: Mugem) officially commenced in October 2023 under directives from the president of the Turkish Defence Industry Agency (Savunma Sanayii Başkanlığı: SSB).

Mugem will displace approximately 60,000 tonnes and measure 285 m in overall length. It will feature a flight deck optimised for short take-off but arrested recovery (STOBAR) operations, accommodating a minimum of 50 air vehicles.

Priority has been given to domestically developed air assets. Accordingly, the Baykar-produced Kızılelma and TB3 unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs), along with Turkish Aerospace’s (TUSAŞ’) Hürjet and Anka-3 platforms, will be deployed on the carrier. “Our emphasis was clear: national platforms first,” Capt Uçar said.

Unlike conventional design practices where the hull comes first, the DPO began by defining the geometry of the flight deck, treating the vessel fundamentally as a floating airbase. “The number and length of runways, as well as the positioning of the island superstructure, directly influenced the ship’s design,” he said.

Following extensive collaboration with Baykar and TUSAŞ, the carrier will incorporate three ski-jump take-off paths and one angled recovery deck. Simulations confirmed that all selected aircraft types could safely operate from these runways. In light of political and technical risks, the catapult system was ruled out. Instead, a 12° ski-jump ramp has been adopted. To support arrested landings, Türkiye is developing its first indigenous arresting gear system.

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