First PREVEZE Class Submarine Upgraded with MÜREN CMS Will Return to the Turkish Fleet IN THE FIRST QUARTER of 2022

Launched under a contract awarded on August 1, 2017, the MÜREN Combat Management System (CMS) PREVEZE Class Implementation Project is being carried out in cooperation with the Turkish Naval Forces Research Center Command (TNRC-C/ARMERKOM), Gölcük Naval Shipyard and TÜBİTAK BİLGEM. The Sea Acceptance Tests (SAT) of the first submarine (TCG PREVEZE) equipped with the GENESİS ADVENT based MÜREN Integrated Submarine Combat Management System was supposed to be completed in June 2021, but this schedule was later extended at least by 6 months. According to current information TCG PREVEZE’s SATs will be completed in early 2022. According to contract, activities under the project should be completed in 72 months following the contract effectivity (To).

In order to get firsthand information on the current status of the MÜREN CMS PREVEZE Class Implementation Project, on November 22, 2021, Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa VARANK paid a visit to the Gölcük Naval Shipyard, where he was welcomed by Gölcük Shipyard Commander Rear Admiral Mustafa SAYGILI, TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan MANDAL, TÜBİTAK BİLGEM Deputy Chairman Ali GÖRÇİN and Ministry of National Defense Shipyards General Manager Emre DİNÇER. During the visit, after getting a briefing about the Gölcük Naval Shipyard and ongoing activities, Minister VARANK first inspected Submarine Construction Factory A-Block in where 3 REİS Class Type 214TN Submarines are under construction, then he visited the TCG PREVEZE Submarine, the first ship to which the indigenously developed MUREN CMS was integrated. Meeting with the TÜBİTAK BİLGEM Team taking part in the project for the TCG PREVEZE Submarine, Minister VARANK also successfully carried out a simulated torpedo firing by using the MUREN CMS on board the TCG PREVEZE Submarine.

Two separate modernization projects are currently being carried out in parallel for the upgrade of PREVEZE Class (Type 209/1400) Submarines in the TNF service: The MÜREN CMS PREVEZE Class Implementation Project and Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) Project. 

Within the scope of the MÜREN CMS PREVEZE Class Implementation Project, the ISUS-83/2 Combat Management Systems (CMS) on-board the submarines will be replaced with the GENESİS ADVENT based MUREN-PREVEZE CMS and 20 different sensors and navigation systems on board the submarines will be integrated with the MÜREN-PREVEZE CMS. The existing equipment in the CIC (Combat Information Center) of the TCG PREVEZE Submarine were emptied completely, and the ISUS-83/2 CMS was replaced with the MÜREN CMS. While the ISUS-83/2 CMS has only 4 Multifunction Operator Consoles (MOCs), the fully integrated MÜREN PREVEZE CMS has 5 MOCs (the ESM Operator Console, which was separated in ISUS-83/2 is believed to be integrated with the MÜREN CMS thus the number of MOCs has increased from 4 to 5). With the project, the PREVEZE Class Submarines are also gaining the capability to launch  DM2A4 SeeHecht, Mk48 Mod 6AT/7AT and AKYA National Heavyweight Torpedoes (HWTs) in place of aged Mk24 Mod 2 Tigerfish HWTs. The MÜREN CMS is designed to support multiple engagements (with both torpedoes and missiles) in quick succession: the data shared with us during IDEF '19 Fair data suggests an ability to track more than 20 targets and control at least 4 weapons simultaneously. 

On March 8, 2021, a contract was signed between TÜBİTAK BİLGEM and Istanbul Naval Supply Group Command of the TNF for the integration of the AKYA National HWT into the MÜREN-PREVEZE CMS. When completed and it becomes operational, ROKETSAN’s ATMACA Block II anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) is also expected to be integrated on PREVEZE Class Submarines. Under the AKYA National HWT Project, the first guided firing test (with an REXTORP Exercise Torpedo that does not carry a live warhead) against a mock target was successfully carried out on January 20, 2021, from a GÜR Class (Type 209/1400 Mod) Submarine at the Submarine Training Field of the TNF located in the Gulf of Izmit in the Marmara Sea. The AKYA National HWT is planned to be inducted into the TNF service in December 2021.

The contract covers the deliveries of 1 Ground Station System (Land Based Test System, established at the MÜREN Laboratory, which became operational in January 2021) and 4 Submarine Systems. Within the scope of the project, the MÜREN Laboratory was officially opened within TNRC-C/ARMERKOM premises by the TÜBİTAK Informatics and Information Security Research Center (BİLGEM) on July 22, 2020. The Laboratory also includes the Land Based Test System (with hardware and software identical to those to be installed on submarines) of the MÜREN-PREVEZE Integrated Submarine Combat Management System. Within the scope of the MÜREN-PREVEZE Project, all tests before the integration of systems into submarines are carried out in this Laboratory. As the subcontractor of TÜBİTAK BİLGEM, YALTES develops and produces the operator consoles (with dual cooling system. In the event of water-cooling failure in the submarine, the consoles would be able to stay cool with air and continue their duty), electronic cabinets, combat data/video networks, and Local Firing Panels for the PREVEZE Class Submarines. In January 2021 acceptance tests of the MÜREN-PREVEZE CMS at the Land Based Test System (a type of System Integration Laboratory established in the MÜREN Laboratory) were completed successfully and the system became operational.

Meteksan Savunma & MÜREN PREVEZE Sonar Subsystem Project

Being Contractor of the Sonar Subsystems of TÜBİTAK BİLGEM in the MÜREN PREVEZE Indigenous Integrated Underwater Combat Management System Development Project, METEKSAN SAVUNMA is assigned as responsible for the development of pre-electronic equipment that amplifies and converts the analog signals coming from sensors to digital, as well as the signal processing and beam forming hardware and software of these digital signals. In addition, the sonar developed by METEKSAN within the scope of the Intercept Detection and Ranging Sonar (IDRS) Project is being integrated into PREVEZE Class submarines within the scope of the Project. Within the scope of MÜREN PREVEZE Sonar Subsystem Project the Factory Acceptance Tests of the sonar subsystems integrated on the TCG Preveze Submarine was conducted during the first half of 2020.

MSH-01 Hydrophone, which is completely developed by Meteksan Defence with its own resources, is being used as sensors of passive sonar cylindrical hydrophone array (CHA), passive ranging sonar hydrophone array groups, wet-end side own noise analyses (ONA) systems and cavitation indication (CI) systems of AY/PREVEZE Class Submarines. MSH-01 can be used in the said sonar systems of Type 209/1200 to Type 209/1400 Mod Class Submarines, which are in service both in the Turkish Navy and in worldwide Navies.

METEKSAN SAVUNMA also produces the sensors, which are mounted along starboard and port sides of submarine hull and form the wet-end side of flank array sonar. The MSH-11 sensor is also intended to be used in flank array sonar (FAS) systems of Type 209/1400 (PREVEZE) and Type 209/1400 Mod (GÜR) Class Submarines, which are in service both in the Turkish Navy and in worldwide Navies.

The “Procurement Contract of the Sonar Subsystem for the MÜREN CMS PREVEZE Class Implementation Project” regarding the national development and production of signal processing hardware and software for the sonar and underwater acoustic systems that form the critical component of MÜREN CMS, as well as the integration to the MÜREN CMS was signed between TÜBİTAK BİLGEM and METEKSAN on July 31, 2018. With the nationally developed electronic hardware and software within the scope of the contract, together with the MÜREN CMS developed by TÜBİTAK BİLGEM, the objective is to eliminate foreign dependency for the sonar, underwater acoustic system and Integrated Submarine Combat Management System of the PREVEZE Class Submarines, which are an important part of the combat underwater elements of the Turkish Naval Forces