Turkish Navy's fourth Istif-class frigate floated out
Turkey's Sedef Shipyard has launched the fourth Istif-class multi-role frigate slated for the Turkish Navy.
Like her sisters, the future TCG İçel belongs to the MILGEM family of warships developed by the Turkish Government in collaboration with local defence companies including STM Defence.
The frigate will be used for anti-surface warfare, anti-air warfare, and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) as well as secondary roles that include reconnaissance, surveillance, target detection, identification, recognition, and early warning.
The future İçel utilises a modified Ada-class ASW corvette hull with greater dimensions to accommodate greater fuel capacity (for extended range), a larger battery of missiles, and a vertical launch system for surface-to-air missiles. More than 80 per cent local content will be used in the ship's manufacture, which is above STM's minimum requirement of 75 per cent.
The frigates' armament will include a Leonardo 76mm naval gun, an Aselsan Gokdeniz 35mm close-in weapon system, two Aselsan STOP 25mm remotely controlled stabilised autocannon, Roketsan Atmaca anti-ship missiles, Aselsan/Roketsan Hisar surface-to-air missiles, and torpedoes.
The gun armament, the self-protection decoy countermeasures, and the ASW systems on the Istif-class frigates are the same as on the Ada-class corvettes to help streamline local manufacture.
