Türkiye officially launched the eighth ship from the MİLGEM project, the country’s national ship development program, at the Sefine shipyard in Altınova, Yalova.
The new Fregate, named TCG İçel, marked an important milestone in the Turkish strategy for the independence of technology and expansion of the Navy’s power.
With a length of 113 meters and a transfer weight of around 3,200 tons, this fregate is designed to carry out various functions: Anti-submarine war, surface battles, air defense, electronic warfare, and search and rescue missions.
This ship is equipped with a system developed by the domestic defense industry, including:
- Sea cannon MKE 76 mm;
- System Pertahanan Udara Gökdeniz;
- Midlas vertical launch system;
- Anti-Head of Atmaca Missile;
- Cenk three -dimensional radar;
- Electro-optic tracking system;
- Adventist Combat Management System.
Domestic production and integration
During the ceremony, the President of the Turkish Defense Industry, Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, emphasizing the importance of this program:
“Mi̇lgem is not just a ship project. This is a symbol of Türkiye’s determination to remain independent in the defense industry, with strong engineering capabilities and national production vision.”
According to Görgün, TCG İçel has up to 80% of locally made components, the results of cooperation of more than 200 institutions and companies in this sector.
Strategic context
He also associated this launch with the doctrine of “Motherland Blue” (Mavi Vatan), which projects Türkiye’s maritime power in various regions:
“Every new ship that we launched not only strengthens our security, but also states to the world of our engineering capabilities and our strategic determination in the ocean.”
Project sustainability
Under the coordination of the defense industry’s president, the MİLgem program includes the construction of a variety of fregates, corvettes, and future destroyers. At present, seven fregates are being built, two of them are in the Sefine shipyard itself.
With the launch of TCG İçel, Türkiye strengthens its position among the countries that build the most warships simultaneously, while increasing its export capacity to partner and allies.
Source and picture: Instagram @savunmatrcom. This content is made with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
