STM signs deal for Turkish Navy’s three new Istanbul-class frigates

Turkish shipbuilding company STM has signed a contract for the sixth, seventh and eight Milgem-class vessels (Istanbul-class frigates) to be built for the Turkish Navy.

According to STM’s Twitter post, the company inked a deal for the continuation of “I Class” frigate program for the Turkish Navy. The delivery of three new warships will be realized by STM-TAİS OG business partnership.

STM also noted that it will equip the vessels with national technology and systems in three different shipyards (ADIK, Sedef and Sefine) in 36 months. As the main contractor, STM will deliver the first vessel of the class in the last quarter of 2023.

In December 2021, a tender was launched for the construction of the fifth, sixth and seventh warship under the Milgem project. SSB revealed that the production rate of the domestically made parts in the new ships will be higher than before.

The Milgem project has so far completed the deliveries of the Ada-class corvettes, the first of which was the TCG Heybeliada in 2011, the second was the TCG Büyükada in 2013, the third the TCG Burgazada in 2018, and the fourth ship, the TCG Kinaliada in 2019.

The 99.5-meter-long corvettes are designed to embark ASW/ASUW helicopters and are fitted with Harpoon missiles and a 76 mm gun. Employing the CODAG propulsion system, the 99.5-meter Ada-class corvettes are capable of achieving speeds of around 29 knots.

Furthermore, the ships are fitted with the indigenously developed combat management system GENESİS. The system is also used on Turkish eight G-class frigates.

However, the three new ships will be of the same type as the fifth MILGEM warship, the Istanbul-class frigate. Developed under the MILGEM national warship program as the I-class frigate, the Istanbul class is an enlarged version of the Ada-class anti-submarine corvette, with enhanced endurance and MDAS vertical launching system (VLS) for multi-role capability.