An Overview of STM`s Underwater and Surface Platforms Construction/Modernization Capabilities
Today, I’d like to present STM’s current engineering infrastructure, which is the largest private ship design and engineering company in Turkey with its engineering capabilities and engineering staff of more than 250, for naval projects, and to convey the design and construction capabilities on military surface ships and submarines gained through the projects undertaken in Turkey and abroad as well as its vision. Our company was established in 1991 with the decree of the Defense Industry Executive Committee to provide system engineering technical support, project management, technology transfer, logistics support and consultancy services to our Turkish Armed Forces and the Presidency of Defense Industries. Activities were initiated for the naval industry in 2005 with the MILGEM Project, and within this structure supported by the Presidency of Defense Industries, the Naval Projects Directorate was established within STM. During human resources planning for this department, the main principle adopted was to preserve intellectual accumulation throughout the country in this field with the experienced personnel who took part in the design and construction processes of the submarine and surface ship construction projects, especially like MILGEM and other projects executed by the Naval Forces Command, and to transfer the necessary experience and knowledge to young engineers who are newly employed.
The STM Naval Projects Directorate performs activities in the field of engineering at a total of 7 different locations, at Teknopark Istanbul, ADA Shipyard, Istanbul Denizcilik and RMK Marine Shipyards and at offices located in two different shipyards in Karachi within the scope of our ongoing projects in Pakistan. With our staff of more than 250 and our activities for the design and construction of military platforms, including surface ships and submarines, we continue ship design, project management, material/equipment/system supply, platform systems, system integration, infrastructure facility improvement, feasibility studies, indigenization activities, integrated logistics support and services, and R&D studies.
In the MILGEM Project, which was the purpose of establishing the Naval Projects Directorate and which was shaped within the scope of the willpower and project model put forth by the Naval Forces Command and the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), and with our Naval Forces Command, responsible for the design and performance of the ship, we provided design and design/platform construction support services as well as material/equipment/system supply activities, and we also performed Integrated Logistics Support activities. For the 3rd and 4th MILGEM ships, in addition to the aforesaid activities, we also assumed responsibilities for the supply and integration of the main propulsion system. The indigenization issue has been regarded as the main goal in all these activities, and invaluable national engineering skills and knowhow have been acquired in this field. As a result of these activities carried out in the MILGEM Project, the local content rate, which was around 10% even in commercial ships in the beginning, increased to 75% for MILGEM. In this way, while the resulting products were used in the MILGEM Project, the domestic companies involved in the MILGEM Project became system providers for similar systems of various warships belonging to our Naval Forces Command, which had started to be built in our private sector shipyards since 2005. As a result, these companies were rendered to take part as system material suppliers not only in domestic military shipbuilding projects, but also in international projects where both STM and our private sector shipyards act as the main contractor. It has been instrumental in the creation of an ecosystem that is very valuable in the industry for construction projects. This achievement has enabled the creation of an ecosystem that is very valuable in the industry for military shipbuilding projects. The key point here is to achieve system material production that can compete internationally and to provide systems/services with quality and a price that can provide advantages to our companies acting as the main contractor in the tender. This is especially valuable and important for combat systems, which correspond to approximately 45-50% of the cost of a warship.
Within the scope of the 5th MILGEM Ship (ISTIF Class Frigate) Project, another national military surface ship project of STM, contract negotiations between the SSB and STM started in 2018 as the main contractor company. Within the scope of this contract, which became effective on September 27, 2019, the anniversary of the Preveza Naval Victory, the Istanbul Frigate is being built by the Istanbul Shipyard Command, which also carries out the construction of the MILGEM Project "ADA" Class Corvettes, under the coordination of STM as a/the main contractor. The design of the ship was carried out by the Design Project Office of our Naval Forces Command, to which we, as STM, made every contribution to the design activities. In the delivered design, STM responded immediately to the need to make changes due to current cyclical developments, export restrictions and new requirements in subsystem capacities, especially in war systems, and the ship integration designs and deck placements, antenna placements, capacity budget analyses of the entire platform were conducted from the beginning and approved by the Design Project Office of our Naval Forces Command. In this project, STM undertakes the responsibility of Design, Program Management, Integration, Documentation Prep, Shipbuilding, Equipping, Assembly, Verification and Performance, as the Main Contractor. Our 5th MILGEM Ship (ISTIF Class Frigate) will further improve our domestic and national warship production capability, initiated with the MILGEM Project, was launched at the beginning of 2021. After the Sea Acceptance Tests (SAT) which are to be carried out following the equipping activities, it is planned to enter service at the Naval Forces Command in the second half of 2023. In the 5th MILGEM Ship (ISTIF Class Frigate) Project, the fact that electronic weapon systems in relevant configurations will be produced by our domestic companies ASELSAN, HAVELSAN, ROKETSAN and KOÇSAVUNMA KOÇ Bilgi ve Savunma Teknolojileri in addition to the platform systems under the coordination of the SSB is the most evident proof of the level that our country has reached in the war industry. In this configuration, only the 76mm cannon Super Rapid (with Multi Feed feature), log line, magnetic compass, X-Band navigation radars and GPS Systems are of foreign origin. The design and production activities of MKE, specific to the 76mm gun, are also closely followed, and it is expected that the tests will be completed in a short time, and it will be added to the inventory and will be included in the following surface platforms.
As it is known, STM is a design and project company, but does not own a shipyard. Contrary to what first comes to mind, with the flexibility of not owning a shipyard, STM, in all the construction and modernization projects that we carry out as the main contractor, both in the country and abroad, we work with shipyards that have the most suitable infrastructure and workforce for the platform requirements determined in line with customer demands and that can perform construction and modernization activities. Especially in foreign export projects, each country seeks to maximize its local content in today's conjuncture. For this purpose, the construction of ships in the shipyards of relevant countries in projects carried out abroad is an important factor, especially in developing countries such as Pakistan, where we are currently performing activities. Today, as STM, we continue our projects in this direction with 7 domestic and foreign shipyards. White-collar STM personnel work in such projects, and the workmanship is provided within the framework of the contracts signed by the shipyards. In addition to the role assumed in the STM MILGEM Project, within the scope of military ship design activities, STM provided design support to our Naval Forces Command within the framework of a contract signed for the Replenishment and Combat Support ship DIMDEG Project for our Naval Forces Command, managed by the SSB, and the design project was concluded with success. Our naval ship design capability, with the contribution of the experience gained in national shipbuilding projects, resulted in a project involving the design and construction of a Navy Fleet Tanker, signed in 2013 within the scope of the needs of the Pakistan Navy. The 15,600-ton tanker, designed and built within the scope of the project, has a length of approximately 159 meters and has helicopter landing and take-off as well as replenishment capability at sea (RAS/FAS). The fleet replenishment tanker, capable of reaching a speed of 20 knots, has BV (Bureau Veritas) notation as well as a naval ship identification. Thus, STM had the chance to work with an IACS member classification society for the first time with the said project, successfully delivered a ship that complies with military standards and has a BV notation to the Pakistan Navy. In this project, the construction and equipping activities were carried out with the workforce and infrastructure of Karachi Shipyard, and with the materials supplied and shipped to Pakistan and the design package prepared by STM. Many of our subcontractors involved in the MILGEM Project also took part in the project, and in this context, ASELSAN and HAVELSAN were involved in the project, as well as other platform system providers. The experience gained in this project and the positive opinion of the customer have become an important reference for the following projects to be carried out in Pakistan and provided substantial experience for STM.
Another project carried out by STM, as the main contractor, within the framework of national ship design and construction projects is the Test and Training Ship (TCG Ufuk) Project. In this project, which was carried out within the scope of the contract signed with the SSB at the end of 2016, one test and training ship was built at our subcontractor, Istanbul Maritime Shipyard, using the MILGEM ship form. The ship's design was made by STM, the mission systems on the ship were developed by ASELSAN, the other navigation and communication systems were supplied by ASELSAN-HAVELSAN Business Partnership, as in the MILGEM Project, and the platform systems were supplied by domestic and foreign companies within the same ecosystem. This project is a shipbuilding project in which STM has built a ship of this size for the first time in cooperation with a national private sector shipyard.
Regarding overseas surface projects, STM provides the main propulsion system and integration of four MILGEM Class ships built for the Pakistan Navy under the coordination of ASFAT, the main contractor. System-system and system-ship integration engineering services of the supplied components are also provided by STM. Within the scope of the contract maintenance and repair training is provided for user and repair personnel for four ships.
Again, when we look at the domestic surface projects, we are the main contractor for the Design of the Turkish Type Assault Boat Project initiated by the Presidency of Defense Industries in order to meet the new generation assault boat needs of our Naval Forces Command with domestic resources, and we are working with ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN and METEKSAN on the project. The Turkish Type Assault Boat Project, carried out by the Presidency of Defense Industries, is a project that STM has been working on for a long time, starting from the feasibility stage, and attaches great importance to it. Our efforts continue to provide an effective platform solution that will meet the needs of our Turkish Naval Forces at the highest level, that is fast, has high striking power, and has innovative features. The project is planned to be completed at the beginning of 2023 (prototype ship construction in the Turkish Type Assault Boat Project is expected to start in 2022 and to be completed in 30 months).
Another project within the scope of surface projects is the Logistics Support Ship Project. For this project, for the two logistic support ships, the construction of which has previously started and the sea acceptance activities on the first ship have been ongoing, and the construction and launch of the second ship have been completed to a certain level, a contract was signed with the SSB at the beginning of 2021 for all remaining activities to be completed by STM, as the main contractor, for the delivery of the ships. Within the framework of the project, as STM, we undertake the duty of main contractor responsible for Program Management, Supply, Assembly, Ship Equipping, Integration, Tests and ELD (Integrated Logistics Support). In the project, STM is mainly responsible for the delivery of the two Logistic Support Ships to the SSB and DzKK Naval Forces Command, continuing the construction and equipping of the two Logistics Support Ships over the current state, with the aim of completing their construction and equipping. The delivery of the first ship was in November (the first ship, TCG Captain Güngör DURMUŞ [A-574], entered Naval Forces Command service with a ceremony on December 8, 2021, and was received with a ceremony at its home base Leventler/Foça on March 7, 2022), the delivery of the second ship (Lieutenant Arif EKMEKÇİ [A-575]) is scheduled at the beginning of 2024. The activities are being carried out at ADA Shipyard located in Istanbul.
Regarding the submarine projects, in addition to the modernization program we have carried out on the "AY" Class submarines, in which we are the main contractor, we are working as a subcontractor of TKMS – the main contractor (ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems) for the construction of 6 new "REIS" Class (Type 214TN) Submarines of our Naval Forces at Gölcük Shipyard, which are currently being carried out under the management of our Presidency of Defense Industries. In the New Type Submarine Project which is being carried out, activities are performed regarding gaining engineering and system integration capability in submarine construction, increasing domestic contribution to submarine technologies, domestically manufacture of non-resistant blocks and some GRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastic) units (submarine composite superstructure), execution of supply activities as well as ELD (Integrated Logistics Support). In this project, under the leadership of the SSB and Naval Forces Command, our industry is also leveraged intensely for the first time in terms of both submarine construction and material and system supply. Without doubt, the experience and competencies gained are quite valuable in terms of the National Submarine (MILDEN) Project and entering the international submarine market. In this context, STM strives to establish an ecosystem for the submarine platforms with the New Type Submarine Project. Within the framework of this role, STM engineers actively took part in the design activities executed by the company TKMS for two years in order to gain engineering and system integration capability for submarine construction. With the start of the construction phase, STM both provides design support and takes over some of the design activities at the Gölcük Shipyard Command, where the construction activities are carried out. In parallel, improvement and development of the existing infrastructure of our Gölcük Shipyard Command was also in a way to enable the construction of “REIS” Class Submarines using domestic companies as subcontractors. In addition, the manufacturing of “Section 50”, one of the most critical sections of the submarine, is performed by GÜRDESAN Company under the coordination of STM, as the main contractor and with engineering support.
With our submarine capabilities capabilities on the submarine and our confidence in the technological level of our national companies developing platform and combat systems, we submitted an offer for the modernization project of the "Agosta 90B" Class Submarines belonging to the Pakistan Navy in 2016, and competed with the French Naval Group, formerly DCNS, which designed and built the said submarines. As a result of the tender, STM's offer was found to be more suitable both technically and commercially, and a contract was signed with the Pakistani Ministry of Defense in 2016. Within the scope of the signed contracts, the modernization of three submarines is carried out at the PN Dockyard of the Naval Forces Command located in Karachi, and the first submarine PNS Hamza was delivered to the Pakistani Navy at the beginning of 2021. Within the scope of the project, critical systems such as the Combat Management and Fire Control System, all Sonar Suites, Periscopes, ESM System, Radar, ECDIS, Torpedo Counters, Converter, Steering Console and Rescue Buoy are being replaced. HAVELSAN, to whom the technology transfer has been achieved in the New Type Submarine Project of our Naval Forces, has been included in the project by STM and provides Combat Management Fire Control System and Sonar Suite solutions together with Atlas and state companies located in Pakistan. Radar, ESM and Torpedo Countermeasure Systems are produced by ASELSAN, another company which has been also included in the project by STM. The ESM system is similar to those used in the "AY" Class Submarine and New Type Submarine Projects, and the radar system is the navigation radar to be used from the third ship of the "PREVEZE" Class Submarine Mid-Life Upgrade and New Type Submarine Projects. In this project, material supplies are made from our previously mentioned domestic companies that we also benefit from in the MILGEM, New Type Submarine and Pakistani Military Naval Fleet Tanker Projects. Within the scope of the project, the design of the platform integration activities on submarines, the materials to be used and the applications made on the submarine are registered and certified by the IACS member DNV. Within this framework, a contract has been signed with the related organization, and for the first time in the world, a private company is working together with an IACS member classification society in submarine modernization.
This project that can regarded only as a modest modernization project essentially requires a very high design and integration engineering infrastructure. This project, which has been carried out proving the level our country has reached in the defense industry, is an important milestone in STM's submarine design capability, acquisition roadmap over the years. I would like to take this opportunity to express that we are ready to assume any role to be given by both the SSB and the Naval Forces Command, in the National Submarine (MILDEN) Project to be carried out in our country, in cooperation with our local companies, universities and research institutions.
Currently, the last chain of our submarine modernization projects is the “PREVEZE” Class Submarine Mid-Life Upgrade (YÖM/MLU) Project. The Mid-Life Upgrade of four diesel-electric powered “PREVEZE” Class submarines built at Gölcük Shipyard Command started in early 2019 with the business partnership contract signed between STM. STM assumes the pilot partner role in the project, which will last approximately 10 years. 9 of the 21 main systems undertaken as business partnerships are provided under the responsibility of STM.
In this project, carried out in a partnership model, apart from the usual main contractor model, STM also assumes the responsibility of integration engineering of all systems to the submarine platform as a pilot partner. Considering the domestic and overseas achievements of such large-scale modernization projects, it is known from previous experience that it is appropriate to execute the project under the responsibility of a company with the role of a main contractor. Within the scope of different contracts regarding the “PREVEZE” Class Submarines, it is planned to replace all three systems, including the MUREN Combat Management System (CMS), in almost the same periods. With the awareness that centralized execution of the platform integration in a submarine platform is a necessity, the platform integration of the systems to be mounted on the submarines within the scope of the MUREN Project is undertaken by STM within the framework of the contract signed between STM and TUBITAK. This project is also carried out at Gölcük Shipyard Command, like the "AY" Class Submarine Modernization Project.
When we look at the National Submarine (MILDEN) Project, we always express that we are ready to work in close cooperation with our universities, under the guidance of the SSB and the DzKK, Naval Forces Command with the knowledge and experience we have as STM in the related program. As it is known, submarines are complex platforms with the highest technology after spacecraft. It is apparent that in order to design a submarine from scratch, we need to mobilize all the possibilities and capabilities of our country regarding the submarine platform. The preliminary design activities first start with scientific research at universities and research institutions, and then continue with the development of the critical project for the submarine, and the design phase can be completed with 3-4 years of effort as a result of bringing an ecosystem together rapidly. In view of such information, as STM, we have been working for nearly 10 years to achieve this goal in our country, and to this end, we continue our path with success in all the projects we undertake regarding the modernization or construction of submarines. We are striving to prepare our stakeholders in the industry and our educational institutions for the MILDEN submarine by carrying out knowledge transfer and providing engineering support with the agreements we signed. For example, for the first time, in 2019 we held a contest on submarine technologies and design among undergraduate and graduate students studying at our universities, without any prerequisites, in an effort to increase the number of academic studies on submarine platforms at universities and to raise awareness regarding submarines. Furthermore, STM's expert personnel give lectures at universities, and we aim to increase the number of our submarine design engineers, which already exceeds 60, that are involved in national submarine design activities to be performed with the joint participation of all institutions.
As STM, with our knowhow and experience that I have expressed so far, and taking into account the content of the projects we have carried out, the ecosystem established in the national defense industry, the skill sets and production capabilities of our domestic companies in critical technologies, the work of our universities and the need for our country's submarine design and construction, we would like to share with you that we have completed the design of a Small Submarine and that we aim to initiate its construction in 2022. I would like to express that there are offers from friendly and allied countries for cooperation within the framework of this project. I would like to underline once again that we want to use all the outputs of this project to be implemented in the National Submarine (MILDEN) Project executed by our Naval Forces. This submarine, which we call “STM500”, will be a platform that can respond to the evolving strategic and tactical needs of the 21st century, can easily operate in shallow waters, meet increasing reconnaissance and surveillance needs, and support Special Forces Operations. With a displacement of 550 tons, a length of 42 meters and a range of over 4,500 nautical miles, the STM500 can use all weapon configurations that can be mounted on modern submarines, in integration with modern sensors and command and control systems. The STM500 is designed in accordance with submarine class rules to be able to perform various operations such as Operations in Shallow Waters, Underwater Warfare, Support to Special Forces Operations, Reconnaissance & Surveillance and Naval Mine Warfare.
Within the scope of R&D activities and industry-university cooperation, STM and Bahçeşehir University have been working on various R&D projects since 2012. These projects are executed with the principle of covering the possible operational needs of our Naval Forces Command with new technologies. STM first provided consultancy to Bahçeşehir University in 2012 within the scope of the SSB's Technology Acquisition Obligation Project and played a role in the successful completion of the Submarine-Helicopter Secure Optical Communication System Technology Acquisition Obligation Project. STM continued to develop systems in the field of optical communication with Bahçeşehir University. These systems include the Optical Communication System, which cannot be tracked or jammed between divers/SAT teams or between divers/SAT teams and the submarine, the Optical Communication System with the same features between surface ships, Underwater Lighting that allow the examination of the hull with the help of divers in the port without the need for docking and the CTD Probe Systems. Among these systems, the optical communication system between surface ships was exported. Considering the feedback received from our Naval Forces Command on all optical and lighting systems, design improvements were made, and environmental condition tests were conducted. One set of each of systems has been made available to the service of our Naval Forces Command. Additionally, the electronic chart display system ECDIS-WECDIS was developed by STM, and for the first time in Turkey, a national company was rendered to receive a MED certificate and "Wheel-mark" approval. Of these systems, three ECDIS Systems will be used in three Agosta 90B Class Submarines in the Mid-Life Upgrade Project, and one WECDIS System will be used in the 5th MILGEM Ship (ISTIF Class Frigate) Project
