Does Turkey Have an Aircraft Carrier? Yes, and It’s a Game Changer!

China and India currently each operate aircraft carriers built domestically, but Turkey is aiming to overtake them as a carrier powerhouse.

China and India currently each operate aircraft carriers built domestically, but Turkey is aiming to overtake them as a carrier powerhouse. The Turkish Navy’s flattop carrier was built primarily to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in contrast to many other carriers currently in use.

At a ceremony in April of last year, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğin stated that the multipurpose amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu, which is Turkish for the Anatolia peninsula, will serve as the Turkish Navy’s new flagship and symbolize the “Century of Türkiye.” is the worlds first warship in its field where UAVs can land and take off. “.

The TCG Anadolu is modeled after the flagship of the Spanish Navy, the Juan Carlos I, an amphibious assault ship designed with a landing helicopter dock (LHD). The vessel is 231 meters (758 feet) long, 32 meters wide, and has a displacement of 27,436 tons. She has a range of 9,000 nautical miles, a top speed of 21 knots, and a sea endurance of 50 days. The warship can carry 1,400 personnel – a battalion of soldiers/marines, along with combat vehicles and support equipment.

The TCG Anadolu was laid down in February 2018 and launched in April 2019 after Ankara placed an order for her in 2015. The inauguration was originally scheduled for 2021 but was delayed due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

A Drone Aircraft Carrier

Turkey, which maintains NATOs second-largest army, shares a border with conflict-ridden Syria and Iraq, while it also has a long Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea coastline. Istanbul, its largest city and former capital, is also located on the vital Bosporus Strait.

Last year, Erdoğan declared, “(The TCG Anadolu) has the capabilities to conduct military operations in every corner of the world.” “We will be able to transfer to crisis areas with this ship quickly. We see this vessel as a symbol that will consolidate Turkeys regional leadership position. “.

Originally, Ankara had sought to acquire the Lockheed Martin F-35B, the short-vertical takeoff and landing (SVTOL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, to operate from the flattop. However, Turkey was expelled from the program after it went forward with the purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, which U.S. and NATO leaders argued would compromise the security and capabilities of the fifth-generation stealth aircraft.

While still under construction, Turkey converted the TCG Anadolu into a drone carrier. Although Ankara has announced that it will be used to deploy the locally produced Bayraktar TB3 and Kizilelma drones, it will still be able to operate with helicopters. The Kizilelma has been described as a “fighter UAV” that possesses stealth as well as aggressive maneuvering capabilities.

“The TCG Anadolu is a game-changer for Turkish naval power and power projection capabilities,” retired U.S. colonel Rich Outzen, a nonresident senior fellow at the Washington-based Atlantic Council, previously told Middle East Eye. “The first drone carrier will enable Turkish forces to conduct reconnaissance and strike operations against naval and littoral targets across the Mediterranean.”

The Turkish people were not originally what could be described as a “sea-going people,” but in the Ottoman-era, the Turks successfully became a major sea power in the Mediterranean Sea. Now a century after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the modern Turkish Republic could be looking to flex its muscles in the regional waters and far beyond.

Turkey: Going For Two Aircraft Carriers?

At a January 3, 2024, meeting of the Turkish Defense Industry Executive Committee, Erdo an gave the green light for a second carrier, while plans were approved for the construction of the M LGEM 9-10-11-12th ships (I-class frigates), offshore patrol vessels, new types of landing ships, new generation minehunters.

The largest ship in the Turkish navy, the TCG Anadolu, has also been viewed as a “dual threat” by possible enemies due to its capacity to carry ground equipment for amphibious assaults and to act as a platform for drone launches.

Despite being modeled after the Spanish warship, the Turkish flagship is outfitted with indigenously developed weapon systems, such as radars, combat management, electronic warfare, infrared search and track, electro-optical search, laser warning, and torpedo defense systems. In total, 70% of all the parts used in the ships construction were sourced from Turkish firms.

Turkish Aircraft Carrier Worth US$800 Billion Finally Revealed

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