Turkey last week began construction of its first indigenous naval frigate, the TCG Istanbul, which will be made entirely in the country.

"Essentially, our frigate Istanbul is part of a never-ending dream that we have never given up, and it is a dream that will be realized," said Admiral Bülent Bostanoğlu, commander of the Turkish Naval Forces.

Like Us on Facebook

Completion of the TCG Istanbul, which is the lead ship in a new frigate class called the "I-class," (formerly TF-2000-class) is expected within four years. The frigate should be commissioned into the navy by 2021.

The primary weapon system aboard I-class frigates will be a Mark 41 (Mk. 41) vertical launching system (VLS) capable of unleashing a wide variety of missiles. The VLS can also launch sub-sonic anti-ship missiles (AShMs) made in Turkey.

The Mk. 41 is capable of firing the following missiles: RIM-66 Standard; RIM-67 Standard; RIM-161 Standard Missile 3; RIM-174 Standard ERAM; RGM-109 Tomahawk; RUM-139 VL-ASROC; RIM-7 Sea Sparrow and RIM-162 ESSM.

The I-class will also be armed with one RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher.

Main gun armament on the I-class consists of one 76 mm gun. There are also two 12.7 mm machine guns and Mk. 46 lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes. It will also have a hangar and flight deck for a naval helicopter.

Turkey's Minister of Defense Fikri Işık and senior Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) officials presided over the steel-cutting ceremony for the TCG Istanbul. Admiral‎  Bostanoğlu praised the TCG Istanbul as the first original Turkish frigate to be realized in Turkey's history.

TCG Istanbul will be Turkey's fifth domestically designed and built warship, following four Ada-class anti-submarine warfare corvettes.

The Turkish Naval Forces operates 16 frigates: eight of these are ex-Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates from the United States while the eight others were designed in Germany but co-produced by Germany and Turkey.

TagsTurkey, TCG Istanbul, Admiral Bülent Bostanoğlu, Turkish Naval Forces, Mark 41 (Mk 41) vertical launching system