Türkiye unveils two Istif-class frigates with 80% domestic content, boosting naval strength
Under the coordination of Türkiye‘s Presidency of Defense Industries and a partnership between leading Turkish shipyards TAIS and Turkish defense giant STM, two more Istif-class frigates, TCG IZMIR (F-516) and TCG IZMIT (F-517), have been launched, marking a significant milestone in Türkiye’s naval modernization efforts.
These national vessels, equipped with over 80% domestic content, follow the earlier delivery of TCG ISTANBUL (F-515), representing Türkiye’s growing self-sufficiency in defense technologies.
Türkiye’s naval independence
Presidency of Defense Industries President Haluk Gorgun highlighted the significance of these frigates, noting that they honor Türkiye’s legendary naval figures, such as Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha and Turgut Reis.
He emphasized that the new vessels would reinforce Türkiye’s maritime independence and elevate its defense capabilities.
Gorgun also emphasized the frigates’ role in asserting Türkiye’s maritime independence, underlining the importance of national engineering expertise in achieving this goal.
These ships represent the pinnacle of our defense capabilities, ensuring Türkiye’s strategic advantage at sea.
Haluk Gorgun
He also extended gratitude to all the contributors to the project, including TAIS, STM, Anadolu Shipyard, and Turkish defense giants ASELSAN, HAVELSAN and other subcontractors.
“This success is the result of extraordinary efforts from everyone involved, including the Presidency of Defense Industries personnel, the Defense Ministry, and the Naval Forces Command,” Gorgun stated.
A growing fleet for 2026
The fourth ship in the series, TCG ICEL (F-518), is expected to be launched soon, further expanding the capabilities of the Turkish Navy.
TCG IZMIT will begin service in the Turkish Navy as the 7th ship of the MILGEM project and the 3rd ship of the Istif-class frigate group. On the other hand, the construction activities of the 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th ships are continuing.
In other words, 7 Istif-class frigates are being built simultaneously in Türkiye at the moment.
The MILGEM’s 6, 7 and 8 ships are expected to enter the Turkish Navy’s inventory simultaneously in 2026.
Constructed at Anadolu Shipyard, the TCG IZMIR is set to begin sea outfitting activities before joining the fleet, while TCG IZMIT will also follow suit as the third vessel of the Istif-class frigate group.
The construction of additional frigates is ongoing, with seven Istif-class ships being built simultaneously. The Turkish Navy expects to receive the 6th, 7th and 8th vessels by 2026, further bolstering its naval fleet and ensuring Türkiye’s maritime dominance in the region.
As an additional note that initial footages show TCG IZMIR, the 2nd ship of Istif frigates is seen to be sporting a different type of MIDLAS vertical launch system module, possibly the MIDLAS Strike version that is taller compared to the one on the lead ship TCG ISTANBUL (F515). So we can say that TCG Izmir might be able to fire the long-range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LACM) Gezgin and the Siper B2/3 SAM missiles
These are expected to provide the Turkish Navy with extensive land attack capability before the TF-2000 destroyers’ introduction. Recently the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that the construction of 31 ships is currently underway in Türkiye’s domestic shipyards, aimed at enhancing the operational efficiency, modernization and global reach of the Turkish Navy.
“The construction of MILDEN (National Submarine Program) began with the first weld at Golcuk Naval Shipyard, while the initial steel cutting for both the TF-2000 Air Defense Destroyer and the National Aircraft Carrier took place at Istanbul Naval Shipyard.” MoD stated recently.
Türkiye is starting to reap the rewards of its long-standing efforts in the maritime sector. There is a prevailing view that Turkish platforms that have already achieved export success may sign new agreements with new countries in the near future.
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