Date: Issue 95 - October 2019
As a result of the Presidency of Defence Industries’ (SSB) national and domestic defence equipment policies, which puts the major emphasis on indigenous manufacturing and development, since early 2000 Turkey has been investing heavily into local defence sector capabilities. In the field of naval platforms, the main aim is to be able to carry out the design and system integration of all types of surface and sub-surface naval vessels at local shipyards (military and private sector) using indigenous capabilities. As a result of these efforts, carried out under the supervision and management of the SSB, the procurement authority under the Turkish MoND, the Turkish Naval Shipbuilding Industry has achieved considerable success and is now ready to compete in the international markets with its indigenous solutions such as the MilGem (ADA Class) Corvette, TUZLA Class New Type Patrol Boat, 151 Class high-speed Landing Craft Tank (LCT), BAYRAKTAR Class Landing Ship Tank (LST), MRTP Series Fast Intervention Boats, MOSHIP and the RATSHIP.
Thanks to the contributions of local companies such as Aselsan, AYESAŞ, Havelsan, İŞBİR, MİLSOFT, Meteksan Defence, TÜBİTAK SAGE, TÜBİTAK BİLGEM, TÜBİTAK MAM, Roketsan, MKEK, KBST, STM and Yaltes, which complement the increasing capabilities of the Turkish Naval Shipbuilding Industry, the Turkish Naval Forces (TNF) is developing into a remarkably powerful and increasingly self-sufficient force. As a result of heavy investment and the reliance on local capabilities coupled with the successful cooperation and interaction between the TNF and the Turkish Defence Industry on naval platform projects, the local content ratio reached 70% in 2017.