The Ada class is a class of anti-submarine corvettes developed primarily for the Turkish Navy during the first stage of the MILGEM project. The Turkish Navy has commissioned all four Ada-class corvettes.

TCG Burgazada during joint exercise in the Eastern Mediterranean, 26 August 2020
Class overview
NameAda class
BuildersIstanbul Naval Shipyard

STM

ASFAT
Operators
Preceded byBurak class
SubclassesBabur class
Built2005–present
In service2011–present
Planned14
Completed6
Active6
General characteristics
TypePatrol and anti-submarine warfare corvette
Displacement2,400 tonnes
Length99.56 m (326 ft 8 in)
Beam14.40 m (47 ft 3 in)
Draft3.90 m (12 ft 10 in)
Installed power
  • Main: 31,640 kW (42,430 hp) RENK CODAG
  • Auxiliary: 4 x 588 kW (789 hp)
Propulsion1 gas turbine, 2 diesels, 2 shafts
Speed
  • Economy: 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
  • Maximum: 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Endurance
  • 21 days with logistic support
  • 10 days autonomous
Boats & landing
craft carried
2 x RHIB
Complement93 including aviation officers, with accommodation up to 106
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Combat management system: G-MSYS (GENESIS MİLGEM Savaş Yönetim Sistemi)
  • Search radar: SMART-S Mk2[1]
  • Weapon control: STING EO Mk2
  • Sonar: TBT-01 Yakamoz
  • Communication: SatCom, GPS, LAN, ECDIS/WECDIS, Link 11/16
  • Navigation: ECPINS-W, ALPER LPI
  • Integrated platform management system: UniMACS 3000
  • Others: X-Band radar, Fire control radar
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • SIGINT: ARES-2N[2]
  • Others: Laser/RF systems, ASW jammers, DG, SSTD
Armament
Aircraft carried
Aviation facilitiesCapability of storing armaments, 20 tons of JP-5 aircraft fuel, aerial refueling (HIRF) and maintenance systems

Development

edit

The design objective of the Ada class was to build a modern littoral combat ship, with national anti-submarine warfare and high-seas patrol capabilities, while extensively using the principles of low observable technology in its design.[3]

According to the Ada class acquisition model, Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) signed R&D contracts for two prototype ships considered to be testing platforms. Thus, being an open-end project, first and second ships of the class were expected to be slightly different in terms of vessel design and system configuration. The subsequent vessels, scheduled to be built by private shipyards, would have a more optimized design and configuration.[4]

All four ships of the series, TCG Heybeliada, TCG Büyükada, TCG Burgazada and TCG Kınalıada were built by the Istanbul Naval Shipyard. The construction works of the lead ship, TCG Heybeliada commenced on 26 July 2005. TCG Heybeliada was launched with a ceremony attended by Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on 27 September 2008. On 2 November 2010, Heybeliada initiated sea acceptance trials in the Sea of Marmara.[5][6] Heybeliada entered navy service on 27 September 2011.[7] Cost of the TCG Heybeliada was reported around US$260 million.[8]

The production of the second ship of the class, TCG Büyükada, commenced on 27 September 2008. Büyükada was expected to incorporate weapon systems with notable performance, such as the ASELSAN air-search radar. Büyükada was launched on 27 September 2011 and underwent sea acceptance trials before it was officially commissioned on 27 September 2013. In September 2013, then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that the Ada class was to be temporarily put on hold after the completion of the first two corvettes by the Istanbul Naval Shipyard, and that the bid won by RMK Marine to build six more corvettes was canceled. Motives behind this decision was reported other shipbuilders complaining about the bidding process. He added that a new bidding process would take place.[9] Construction of TCG Burgazada commenced on 17 December 2014. The ship was launched in June 2016 and commissioned on 4 November 2018.[10] Turkish Naval Forces Command (TNFC) received its fourth and last Ada-class corvette, TCG Kinaliada (F-514) on 29 September 2019, in the commissioning ceremony held at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard.[11]

On 4 November 2019, the Defense Industries Administration (SSB) of Turkey announced that Turkey's ASW corvette TCG Kinaliada, successfully test-fired Atmaca anti-ship cruise missile. Turkish Navy plans to replace the inventory of Harpoon ASM by 2022.[12]

Characteristics

edit

The class vessels are propelled by a RENK CODAG cross-connect propulsion plant. It consists of a gas turbine rated at 23,000 kilowatts (31,000 hp) and two diesel engines rated at 4,320 kW (5,790 hp). Each diesel engine drives one controllable pitch propeller via a two-speed main reduction gear. The cross-connect gear splits the power from the gas turbine via both main reduction gears to the two shafts. The ship can be operated in diesel mode, in single gas turbine mode or in CODAG mode. CODAG is where diesel and gas turbine engines are providing combined power (27,320 kW).

The design concept and mission profile of the Ada-class corvette bears similarities with the Freedom-class littoral combat ship of the U.S. Navy. The Ada-class corvettes are more heavily armed and are equipped with more capable radar and sonar systems. The Freedom class has a higher speed and variable mission modules.[13]

GENESIS (Gemi Entegre Savaş İdare Sistemi, i.e., Ship Integrated Combat Management System), a network-centric warfare management system developed by HAVELSAN and initially used in the upgraded G-class frigates of the Turkish Navy, was contracted for the first two corvettes on 23 May 2007.[14][15] In the last Ada-class corvette, Kınalıada, the ADVENT combat management system (an upgraded version of GENESIS) is installed instead of GENESIS system. It is also planned for Burgazada to be retrofitted with the ADVENT combat management system.[16] The class ships have a national hull mounted sonar developed by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.[17] The sonar dome has been developed by STM's subcontractor ONUK-BG Defence Systems, extensively employing nano-enhanced Fiber Reinforced Polymer.[18] The Ada class features an Electronic Chart Precise Integrated Navigation System (ECPINS), supplied by OSI Geospatial.[19] Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) for controlling machinery, auxiliary systems, power generation and distribution was delivered by STM's subcontractor Yaltes JV. Main systems integrated to IPMS are power management system, fire detection system, fire fighting, damage control system, CCTV system and stability control system.[20]

Naming

edit

"Ada" means island in Turkish. Each individual ship of the class is named for a Turkish island, in particular the Prince Islands in the Sea of Marmara to the southeast of Istanbul. The lead ship of the class, TCG Heybeliada, is named after Heybeliada island, where the Turkish Naval High School is located.

Ships in the class

edit

 Turkey - Turkish Navy

Pennant number Name Namesake Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Status
F-511 Heybeliada Heybeliada Istanbul Naval Shipyard 26 July 2005 27 September 2008 27 September 2011 Active
F-512 Büyükada Büyükada Istanbul Naval Shipyard 27 September 2008 27 September 2011 27 September 2013 Active
F-513 Burgazada Burgazada Istanbul Naval Shipyard 17 December 2014 21 June 2016 4 November 2018 Active
F-514 Kınalıada Kinaliada Istanbul Naval Shipyard 8 October 2015[21] 3 July 2017 29 September 2019 Active
A-591 Ufuk[22] Horizon Istanbul Naval Shipyard 9 February 2017 9 February 2019 14 January 2022 Active

 Pakistan - Pakistan Navy

Pennant number Name Laid down Launched Commissioned Status
Istanbul Naval Shipyard (INSY)
F280 Babur 4 June 2020[23] 15 August 2021[24] 23 September 2023[25] Active
F282 Khyber 1 May 2021[26] 25 November 2022[27] Launched
Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW)
F281 Badr 25 October 2020[28] 20 May 2022[29] Launched
F283 Tariq 5 November 2021[30] 2 August 2023[31] Launched

 Ukraine - Ukrainian Navy

Pennant number Name Namesake Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Status
Istanbul Naval Shipyard (INSY)
F211 [32] Hetman Ivan Mazepa[33] Ivan Mazepa STM 7 September 2021[34] 2 October 2022[35] Sea trials[36]
F212 Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi[37] Ivan Vyhovskyi STM 18 August 2023[38] 1 August 2024[39] Launched

Export

edit

In 2018, Pakistan contracted ASFAT for the construction of Ada class for Pakistan Navy. This deal includes transfer of technology to Pakistan.[40]

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has ordered two corvettes for Ukrainian Navy with construction to be performed jointly by the Turkish STM and Ukrainian shipyard.[41][42] Under the deal, the first vessel will be delivered to Ukraine by the end of 2023 unfinished, to then be completed in Ukraine.[43] The deal was signed in December 2020 worth $256 million.[44][45]

In 2022, STM proposed the Ada class to the Royal Malaysian Navy for their Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) Batch 2 program.[46] In June 2024, Malaysia officially placed an order for three ships. The corvettes will be armed with a 76 mm naval gun, Aselsan SMASH 30 mm gun, four quad pack vertical launching systems for a total of 16 surface-to-air missiles and eight Atmaca anti-ship missiles on each ship.[47]

In Aselsan 2023 annual report was stated that four Ada class were exported to an unnamed Middle Eastern country.[48]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Turkish Navy purchases Thales sensors Archived 7 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Defense Aerospace, 19 December 2007
  2. ^ ARES-2N (Turkey), Naval Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), electronic support and threat-warning systems, Jane's Radar And Electronic Warfare Systems, 3 February 2011
  3. ^ Patrol and Anti-Submarine Warfare Ship (MILGEM- Milli Gemi – National Ship) Project, SSM, Turkey
  4. ^ Acquisition of Design Services and Platform Construction and Outfitting Equipment for MILGEM Project Prototype Ship and Second Ship, SSM, Turkey, Retrieved 6 December 2010
  5. ^ (in Turkish) Newsletter about TCG Heybeliada Archived 4 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Turkish Navy, 12 November 2010
  6. ^ First Turkish MILGEM begins sea trials, Richard Scott, IHS Jane's, 22 November 2010
  7. ^ (in Turkish) Newsletter about TCG Heybeliada Archived 28 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Turkish Navy, 27 September 2011
  8. ^ Turkiyenin urettigi ilk savas gemisi Heybeliada seyirde, Umit Kozan, 12 November 2010
  9. ^ "Koç'un aldığı o ihale yenilenecek". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 27 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  10. ^ Turkish Navy commissions third Milgem corvette TCG Burgazada, Naval Today, 5 November 2018
  11. ^ Turkish Navy receives fourth and last Milgem corvette, Janes Group UK, 1 October 2019
  12. ^ "Turkey Test Fires Atmaca Anti-Ship Missile from MILGEM Corvette". Quwa. 12 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  13. ^ Milgem Class Multimission Corvettes, Turkey, Naval Technology, Retrieved 6 December 2010
  14. ^ MILGEM Project, GENESIS Combat Management System Archived 24 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Havelsan, Retrieved 6 December 2010
  15. ^ Havelsan advances MILGEM integration, Jane's IDEX 2011 exhibition news, Retrieved 25 February 2011
  16. ^ "ADVENT COMBAT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM". Defence Turkey. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021.
  17. ^ Indigenous Sonar Wet-End System Production and Integration Project, SSM, Turkey
  18. ^ MİLGEM Corvette Sonar Dome Archived 17 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Onuk-BG Defence Systems, Turkey
  19. ^ OSI Geospatial Selected by the Turkish Navy to Provide W-ECPINS for the MILGEM Corvette New Build Program Archived 15 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, OSI Geospatial News Release, 4 June 2009
  20. ^ YALTES MILGEM IPMS Project Archived 12 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Yaltes JV, Retrieved 6 December 2010
  21. ^ "KINALIADA'nın "İlk Sac Kesimi" yapıldı | SVT | Savunma ve Teknoloji". Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  22. ^ "(A-591) TCG UFUK İstihbarat, Eğitim ve Test Gemisi". 15 January 2022.
  23. ^ "Keel Laid For Pakistan Navy's First MILGEM Corvette". defenseworld.net. 8 June 2020.
  24. ^ "Turkey Launches First MILGEM Corvette for Pakistan". defenseworld.net. 16 August 2021.
  25. ^ "Türkiye'den Pakistan'a savaş gemisi teslimatı: PNS BABUR" (in Turkish). 23 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  26. ^ "Turkey Laid Keel Of Pakistan Navy's Third Jinnah-Class MILGEM Corvette". navalnews.com. 6 May 2021.
  27. ^ Ozberk, Tayfun (25 November 2022). "Istanbul Naval Shipyard launches MILGEM Corvette "PNS KHAIBAR" for Pakistan Navy". Naval News. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  28. ^ "Karachi Shipyard Lays Keel of Pakistan Navy's Second MILGEM-Class Corvette". navalnews.com. 27 October 2020.
  29. ^ Ozberk, Tayfun (20 May 2022). "Pakistan's 3rd MILGEM corvette 'PNS BADR' launched in Karachi". Naval News. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  30. ^ "Keel laid for Pakistan Navy's fourth Milgem-class corvette". janes.com. 9 November 2021.
  31. ^ Staff, Naval News (2 August 2023). "Pakistan launches 4th PN MILGEM Corvette PNS TARIQ (283)". Naval News. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  32. ^ "В Туреччині побудували корпус майбутнього флагмана ВМС України". Militarnyi (in Ukrainian). 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  33. ^ Zelenskyi, Volodymyr (18 August 2022). "Про присвоєння імені гетьмана Івана Мазепи корвету класу «Ada» Військово-Морських Сил Збройних Сил України". Office of the President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  34. ^ "У Туреччині заклали перший корвет для ВМС України (фото)". Promyslovyy Portal (in Ukrainian). 7 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  35. ^ Zelenska, Olena (2 October 2022). "On the launch of the Ukrainian corvette Hetman Ivan Mazepa". Facebook (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  36. ^ "Ukrainian Corvette Hetman Ivan Mazepa Begins First Sea Trials". Militarnyi. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  37. ^ "Зеленський у Туреччині оголосив про назву другого корвету Ada-класу для ВМС ЗСУ". LB UA (in Ukrainian). 8 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  38. ^ "Turkish Shipyard Lays Keel Of Ukraine's 2nd MILGEM Corvette". navalnews.com. 18 August 2023.
  39. ^ Akburak, Hamza Kürşat (1 August 2024). "Türkiye'de Ukrayna için inşa edilen korvet denize indirildi". DefenceTurk (in Turkish). Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  40. ^ "ASFAT Masterpiece The Babur Class Pakistan Navy MILGEM Corvette Programme". December 2023.
  41. ^ Bekdil, Burak Ege (28 July 2021). "Ukrainian official reveals number of Ada-class corvettes on order from Turkey". Defense News. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  42. ^ "Суднобудівний завод "Океан" обрано для реалізації корветної програмиy". ocean-shipyard. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  43. ^ "Ukraine under pressure as Russia gas deal nears end". Emerald Expert Briefings. 26 November 2019. doi:10.1108/oxan-es249060. ISSN 2633-304X. S2CID 243123958.
  44. ^ Bekdil, Burak Ege (28 July 2021). "Ukrainian official reveals number of Ada-class corvettes on order from Turkey". Defense News. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  45. ^ AA, DAILY SABAH WITH (22 December 2020). "Turkey-made Ukrainian navy corvettes to be built in Okean shipyard". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  46. ^ "DSA 2022: STM positions itself for Malaysian naval programmes | Shephard".
  47. ^ "Malaysia Inks LOA To Procure Turkish Corvettes For LMS Batch 2 Project". 10 June 2024.
  48. ^ "️ İsmi belirtilmeyen bir Orta Doğu ülkesine İ (İSTİF) sınıfı fırkateyn ihraç edildi. Aynı zamanda yine ismi belirsiz bir Orta Doğu ülkesine dört adet MİLGEM sınıfı korvet ihracatı gerçekleştirildi. — ASELSAN 2023 Faaliyet Raporu". gdh.digital (in Turkish). Retrieved 8 July 2024.