While Turkey makes great leaps in strengthening its naval capability, the plan for a second domestically built aircraft carrier is underway. After commissioning TCG Anadolu, a multi-functional amphibious assault ship, Turkey will be in a position to enhance her maritime strength with a new, absolutely domestically designed and constructed aircraft carrier.
TCG Anadolu is a derivative of the Spanish vessel Juan Carlos I, with a significant domestic production contribution. It is yet another fundamental step for Turkey toward greater naval autonomy. Measuring 231 meters in length and displacing 27,436 tons, the vessel finally received its commission in April 2023 after being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Designed at first to support helicopters and STOVL fighters, such as the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, the role of Anadolu evolved following Turkey’s expulsion from the F-35 program in 2019.
During a recent ceremony, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized the importance of the TCG Anadolu, saying it is the first warship in the world with the ability to witness the landing and taking off of UAVs. It can carry 1,400 people, including a battalion of soldiers or marines, along with combat vehicles and support equipment. The ship has a top speed of 21 knots, a range of 9,000 nautical miles, and an endurance of 50 days at sea.
During a January 2024 meeting of the Turkish Defense Industry Executive Committee, Erdogan authorized plans for a second aircraft carrier. The new ship will be designed and built indigenously to demonstrate Turkey’s self-sufficiency in naval construction. Early designs show three runways on the carrier, while at least for some initial period, it will apply a modular ramp system while developing an indigenous catapult system. It is seen carrying manned and unmanned airborne vehicles and is capable of sustaining one airwing with fifty aircraft.
The new carrier is expected to deploy, among others, the naval version of TAI’s Hurjet light attack aircraft, the TAI ANKA-III unmanned jet fighter, Baykar’s Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned jet fighter, and the TB-3 UCAV. This number may be increased in the course of the project, according to the indications by the Turkish defense officials. For self-defense, the carrier will be installed with a 32-cell MIDLAS VLS and four Gökdeniz Close-in Weapon systems. It will be 285 meters in length at a displacement of 60,000 tons and will be powered by Combined Gas Turbine and Gas Turbine propulsion, to ensure a maximum speed of 25 knots.
In a related development, the United Kingdom denied holding talks with Turkey on cooperation for submarine production. Recently, President Erdogan claimed that the UK wanted to cooperate with Turkey for the construction of submarines. However, a Royal Navy spokesperson denied knowledge of these talks on behalf of teams from the UK’s Submarine Delivery Agency, Defence Nuclear Organisation, and shipbuilder BAE Systems.
Still, despite such denial, defense links between London and Ankara have been growing in recent times, especially within the aerospace sector. BAE Systems signed a deal to participate in the development of the TF-X future fighter jet. Britain’s Rolls Royce and Kale Group, competitors in the industry, have revealed their intention to provide engines for the jet, whose production is likely to begin no later than 2025.
Ambitious plans concerning Turkish naval forces form a very dynamic and developing environment for international defense relations, with surrounding controversies over possible submarine cooperation with the UK. As Turkey further flexes her muscles, the world of defense is certainly watching.