Turkish Naval Forces Receive The First Batch of 76mm Domestically Developed Naval Guns
Turkey’s ammunition and weapons manufacturer, the Machinery and Chemical Industry Joint Stock Company (MKE A.Ş.) delivered the first batch of 76 mm 62 caliber National Naval Guns to the Turkish Naval Forces. The first delivery under the terms of the contract signed between the MKE company and the Turkish Defense Industry Agency was for the TCG AKHİSAR (P-1220) offshore patrol vessel, which was launched recently.
The contract signed by MKE with the Turkish Defense Industry Agency also includes the arming of the second ship of the Offshore Patrol Vessel Project, TCG KOÇHİSAR (P-1221), as well as the sixth, seventh, and eighth ships of the MİLGEM İstif (i) class, with 76mm 62 caliber naval guns. In this regard, the company has begun production in accordance with the contract schedule, with the remaining naval guns expected to be delivered to Turkish Naval Forces in the near future. Furthermore, MKE is negotiating with several countries to export Turkey’s first domestically produced naval gun.
Turkey’s National Naval Gun Project was initiated in 2020 with the goal of replacing the Italian-made Leonardo 76/62mm Compact Naval Guns in service with the Turkish Naval Forces Command. Machinery and Chemical Industry Joint Stock Company was selected as the project’s main contractor. Three private-sector companies (ANZATSAN, ERMAKSAN, and REK Makine) also contributed to the project as subcontractors. The project’s R&D, which began in 2020, was finished in approximately 12 months, the prototype was produced quickly, and the functionality of the mechanisms were assessed in the manufacturing environment. The naval gun then made its debut at the International Defense Fair (IDEF 2021) in 2021. Its first test-fire occurred in November of that year. On July 20, 2022, the national naval gun, which successfully completed ground tests in 2021, was integrated into the TCG Beykoz (F-503) corvette for Port and Sea Tests. Within the scope of port and sea tests, the National Naval Gun successfully passed shore bombardment tests, surface test-fire, and anti-aircraft test-fire, and was deemed suitable to enter the service of the Turkish Naval Forces.
The technical specifications of the 76/62mm National Naval Gun are listed in MKE’s Product Brochure as follows:
- Range:16km
- Barrel Diameter: 76mm
- Barrel Length: 4.700mm
- Barrel Cooling: Has Water Cooling System
- Rate of Fire: Maximum 80 rounds/min
- Weight without ammunition: 7.500kg
- Weight with Ammunition: 8.500kg
- Capacity: It has a rotary type (drum) bullet feeding system with a capacity of 70 rounds.
Furthermore, the Machinery and Chemical Industry Joint Stock Company has begun work on the production of 127-millimeter Naval Guns using the experience gained from developing 76/62mm guns. The 127mm Naval Gun, developed in collaboration with the Turkish Naval Forces Command and the General Directorate of Shipyards of the Ministry of National Defense, is scheduled to be unveiled in 2024.