Türkiye to donate TCG Volkan fast attack craft to Maldives under bilateral agreement
Turkish Naval Forces Command personnel trains the Maldives personnel who will serve on the TCG Volkan ship, training started on April 7, will end on May 9. Accessed on 12 April, 2025. (AA Photo)
Türkiye will donate the TCG Volkan (P-343), a Dogan-class fast attack craft, to the Maldives as part of a bilateral agreement aimed at strengthening the island nation’s maritime defense infrastructure.
According to Turkish Ministry of Defense sources speaking to Anadolu Agency, the donation is part of a broader Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Türkiye and the Maldives.
The agreement is designed to enhance the Maldives’ defense capabilities through material support and training.
TCG Volkan to be transferred by sea in mid-2025
As part of the transfer preparations, TCG Volkan has undergone maintenance and repairs at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command.
The vessel is scheduled to be transported via a dock landing ship between April and June 2025.
Upon arrival in the Maldives, the missile boat will be activated by a Turkish Navy team. The full transfer process is expected to conclude in July.
Training for Maldivian personnel who will serve on board began in Türkiye on April 7 and is set to conclude by May 9.
Following deployment, Turkish naval instructors will deliver two weeks of advanced onboard operational training for the full crew in the Maldives.
Dogan-class background and capabilities
TCG Volkan (P-343) was commissioned into the Turkish Navy in May 1981 and reclassified in 2024 as a test and training vessel.
The Dogan-class, designed by German shipbuilder Lürssen Werft, marked a significant leap in Türkiye’s naval capabilities in the late 20th century, especially as the first class equipped with Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
The class includes the following boats:
- P-340 TCG Dogan
- P-341 TCG Marti (decommissioned in 2022)
- P-342 TCG Tayfun (now a test and training ship to be donated to Maldives)
- P-343 TCG Volkan
| Length: 58.1 meters | Speed: Up to 38 knots (70 km/h) |
| Beam: 7.62 meters | Range: 1,050 nautical miles (1,940 km) |
| Draft: 2.74 meters | Displacement: 436 tons full load |
| Propulsion: 4 x MTU diesel engines producing 12,000 horsepower | Crew: 45 personnel |
Combat systems and sensors
- 2 x Harpoon anti-ship missiles (expandable to 4)
- 1 x 76mm Oto Melara naval gun
- 1 x 35mm twin-barrel air defense gun
- 2 x 7.62mm machine guns
- VM-28/41 radar, LIOD Mk-2 fire control radar, decoy launchers
