Turkey Begins The Concept Design Phase Of The Domestic Aircraft Carrier Project
On April 24, Istanbul Shipyard Command, which operates under the Ministry of National Defense’s General Directorate of Shipyards (TGM), opened its doors to the press to share information about the work of the Naval Forces Command Design Project Office (DPO) Directorate. During a briefing by Istanbul Shipyard Commander Rear Admiral Recep Erdinç Yetkin and DPO Manager Colonel Hakan Uçar, journalists received updates on ongoing and partially completed naval projects, including MİLGEM, İSTİF, TCG Akhisar, and TCG Koçhisar, as well as new information about Turkey’s future aircraft carrier.
According to statements made to journalists by the Design Project Office, the draft concept of the domestic aircraft carrier project, for which design activities have begun in accordance with the construction decision made during the Defense Industry Executive Committee meeting in January 2024, is intended to have a length of 285 meters, a width of 72 meters, a draft of 10.1 meters, and a displacement of 60,000 tons. The aircraft carrier, which will be powered by a COGAG type Main Propulsion system consisting of four LM2500 Series Gas Turbines, is intended to attain a speed of 25 knots and a cruising range of 10,000 nautical miles without refueling.
The aircraft carrier, which is currently in the concept design stage, will be capable of carrying 50 aircraft, 20 on the flight deck and 30 in the hangar section. These aircraft will include the naval version of TAI’s Hurjet light attack aircraft, TAI’s ANKA-III unmanned combat aircraft, Baykar’s Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned combat aircraft, and the TB-3 unmanned aerial vehicle. The ship will have three runways, two for takeoff and one for landing, and aircraft will take off and land using the STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) system. The new ship’s defense will be provided by the 32-cell MİDLAS VLS launcher developed by Turkish missile manufacturer Roketsan and 4 GÖKDENİZ CIWS produced by Aselsan.
The Design Project Office also informed journalists that there will be no foreign support for the design and construction of the National Aircraft Carrier project, which will increase the Turkish Navy’s deterrence and effectiveness, and that it will be built entirely domestically. However, no information was provided regarding the ship’s construction schedule. Given the current naval projects being carried out by the Istanbul Shipyard Command and the Naval Forces Command Design Project Office, particularly the TF 2000 Anti-Air Warfare Destroyer Project, it seems that the implementation of the aircraft carrier project will take a long time.