VESSEL REVIEW | TCG C-159 & TCG C-160 – Turkish Navy's newest landing craft for ship-to-shore, ship-to-ship and pier-to-pier transport

The Turkish Navy recently took delivery of TCG Ç-159 and TCG Ç-160, the first two vessels in an eight-unit new type landing craft tank (YLCT) class designed and built by Anadolu Shipyard in Istanbul. TCG Ç-159 entered service in December 2025, while Anadolu Shipyard delivered TCG Ç-160 the following May.

The craft are intended to move main battle tanks (MBTs), other vehicles, and personnel for amphibious operations. Each measures 79.9 metres (262 feet) long and has a top speed of 20 knots.

Each vessel’s vehicle deck is arranged for direct shore landings. A separate pier-to-pier loading configuration permits a larger tank load.

The YLCT design has a beam of 11.7 metres (38.4 feet) and a displacement of approximately 1,156 tonnes. Its published draught is less than one metre (3.3 feet) forward and less than 2.5 metres (8.2 feet) aft. The shallow bow and its vehicle door allow vehicles to be discharged at a shoreline without relying on a pier.

Designed for transporting personnel and vehicles including main battle tanks

Two 3,400kW (4,600hp) main engines drive twin fixed-pitch propellers. Published speed figures distinguish the 20-knot maximum from an 18-knot maximum continuous speed. Those figures are useful when assessing the craft as coastal transports: the higher figure describes peak performance, while the continuous rating describes sustained running.

The stated range is 400 nautical miles, and endurance is at least seven days without replenishment. The ship’s company is given as 20.

The vehicle deck covers 410 square metres (4,400 square feet), and the class is reported to have a loading capacity of 420 tonnes. Its more detailed load cases describe different ways of using that space. For a landing, a craft can carry up to three Altay MBTs. Alternative loads are 260 tonnes of assorted wheeled and tracked vehicles or up to 260 troops.

A pier-to-pier configuration is reported to accommodate seven MBTs. That figure describes transport between prepared loading points, rather than the three-tank load given for a direct landing.

Configured for compatibility with unprepared beaches

The bow door arrangement gives each craft a direct route for vehicles leaving the deck. The design has also been described as permitting vehicle transfers between vessels. These arrangements give the navy options for moving a load ashore or transferring it between ships and established port facilities.

Forward and aft draught figures are relevant to that choice. A shallow bow helps the craft approach a landing point for vehicle discharge, while the larger pier-to-pier load makes use of facilities that can accept a heavier movement.

For the class, published armament lists two Aselsan 25mm remotely controlled autocannons and two Aselsan 12.7mm stabilised machine guns. As is the case with most types of small naval landing craft, these automatic weapons will be used for purely defensive purposes.

The Turkish Navy also intends to use the YLCTs for evacuation and disaster response, as their vehicle decks can carry people and equipment to areas where road access is unavailable. Floods and earthquakes are among the emergencies identified for the class; the shallow-water approach and bow access remain relevant when shore infrastructure is damaged.

Anadolu Shipyard has described the vessels as an original national design. The yard is identified as responsible for design, construction and combat system integration, and the craft are built under Türk Loydu’s military ship rules.

The YLCT programme followed Anadolu Shipyard’s earlier Ç-151 fast landing craft series. Published figures for the earlier craft give the same 79.9-metre length and 11.7-metre beam, with a maximum speed of 18 knots. The new craft’s stated maximum is 20 knots, although their published maximum continuous speed is also 18 knots.

The earlier series provided the closest comparison for the new vessels’ size and transport role. For the Ç-151 craft, published load figures distinguish 200 tonnes for unrestricted landing operations from 420 tonnes on pier-to-pier movements. The YLCT’s separate three-tank landing and seven-tank pier-to-pier arrangements similarly make the type of landing point important to any assessment of its carrying capacity.

Anadolu Shipyard has also listed TCG Ç-161 as delivered alongside the first two vessels in the class. The builder said the five remaining craft in the class are scheduled for delivery by 2028.