New Generation Intelligence Ship “TCG UFUK” Commissioned
The TCG UFUK (A-591) test and training ship was built at Istanbul Shipyard in Tuzla-Istanbul within the scope of the contract signed between STM (main contractor) and the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) on December 30, 2016. It was officially put into service with a ceremony that was held on January 14, 2022, with the participation of President Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN, National Defense Minister Hulusi AKAR, Chief of General Staff General Yaşar GÜLER, Force Commanders, President of Defense Industries Prof. İsmail DEMİR, STM General Manager Özgür GÜLERYÜZ and military and defense officials.
President of Defense Industries Prof. İsmail DEMİR began his speech by thanking the main subcontractor Istanbul Shipyard and the subcontractor companies for their contributions to the project, and said, “I would like to thank Türk Loydu and all 194 companies, especially ASELSAN, HAVELSAN, İŞBİR, ANEL, YALTES, GÜRDESAN, MEG GEMİ and Poyraz, who contributed to this ship. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Turkish Naval Forces Command, which has always supported us, as in this project and all other projects.”
Pointing out that many critical systems imported in the past in naval projects are now developed and produced with domestic contribution, DEMİR said, “We now develop, use and even export our own Air Defense Systems and Ship Defense Missiles, Electronic Warfare and Systems, Electronic Optical Sensors, Infrared Search, Tracking and Warning Systems, Vertical Launch Systems and Sonar Systems.”
Minister AKAR: “The MİLGEM ADA Class Corvette Project is a landmark in our Turkish maritime history and national defense industry.”
At the commissioning ceremony of the TCG UFUK test and training ship, Minister of National Defense Hulusi AKAR expressed that they are proud and excited about the accomplishment of another critical project. Emphasizing that the Turkish defense industry now both meets its own needs while also being among
important players in the competitive international market, AKAR said, “The achievements of our country in the defense industry are quite valuable and of vital importance, and we are also aware that we must do more and work harder on this path. Our goal is to increase our domestic rate, which is close to 80 percent in the defense industry, to even higher levels, to have a voice in the world in all stages from design to production in the defense industry, and to be one of the powerful countries that produce and export high technology. By having achieved these goals, Turkey would take firmer steps towards the future as a leading country. In this framework, the MİLGEM ADA Class Corvette Project is a landmark in our Turkish maritime history and national defense industry. With the project, many critical systems have been indigenized and our country has become one of the few countries with the capacity to design and build combat ships.”
ERDOĞAN: “I hope the TCG UFUK, which we believe will make a significant contribution to Turkey’s effective execution of security and intelligence activities at sea, will be beneficial to the National Intelligence Organization.”
Noting that the TCG UFUK ship would be beneficial to the National Intelligence Organization, President ERDOĞAN said, “In 2004, we said that we no longer want to buy from abroad, and that our projects would be domestic and national. We have been working with determination and have reached this point. The incidents that took place around us in the past decade have shown once again that nations that are not independent in the defense industry cannot look to the future with confidence. Thanks to the progress made in the defense industry, Turkey has become a country that can make or break plans in its region. Our country’s success has become a major source of hope for all the oppressed and disadvantaged people and communities across the world.”
President ERDOĞAN stated that the National Intelligence Organization has made significant contributions to national security with its services in the fight against terrorism and foreign intelligence and added, “The National Intelligence Organization that changed the course of the game in favor of our country with the tactical intelligence it obtained from the field and the operations it conducted, and that achieved success, strengthens its capacity in every field from cyber security to artificial intelligence. The intelligence ship that will be put into service is a new and critical opportunity for our agency. I believe we will expand our power in the seas as well as in the land and air, thanks to this ship, which incorporates the latest systems that very few intelligence agencies in the world have.”
Emphasizing that the next goal of the agency is to take its place in space through satellite intelligence and effectively use all such elements, President ERDOĞAN said, “We are proud of our agency’s achievements most of which remain unknown or unseen, with their rapid ADAptation to innovations and the sharing experience with all relevant institutions. As we have done so far, we will support our agency in every field in the upcoming period and make it contribute more to our struggle to build a great and powerful Turkey. Once again, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the commissioning of our ship.”
ERDOĞAN: “We expect our Defense Industry Exports to exceed 4 billion dollars by the end of this year.”
ERDOĞAN also emphasized that despite all explicit or implicit sanctions and embargoes, Turkey owes the progress it has made in the defense industry, in order to make all the moves required by its national interests in every field, to the fight against terrorism in cross-border operations, and said, “Today, we can domestically and nationally design, develop, produce and utilize all the systems across a broad spectrum, including our own unmanned aerial-ground-surface vehicles, helicopters, weapons and ammunitions, missiles, air defense systems, electronic warfare systems. The number of countries that use Turkish defense industry products continue to rise every year. We expect our export volume in defense and aviation to exceed $4 billion by year’s end.”
ERDOĞAN: “We exported 180 Naval Platforms to 25 Countries.”
Underlining that Turkey's first intelligence ship was built with the contribution of 194 leading companies in their fields such as ASELSAN, HAVELSAN, İŞBİR, ANEL and YALTES under the leadership of STM, ERDOĞAN stated that they have implemented various projects for the security of the Blue Homeland, to make the navy more powerful and deterrent, and added that they achieved their 70% local content target in their projects. Expressing that they have exported 180 naval platforms to 25 countries, ERDOĞAN also said that they will receive good news in this regard soon.
Stating that they have started the tender process for the 6, 7, 8th I-Class frigates, ERDOĞAN said that the national vertical launch system and national air defense missiles will be used on these frigates. ERDOĞAN also stated for the first time that the 6, 7, 8th I-Class frigates will be built at the same time.
Noting that they will start the TF-2000 tender process soon, ERDOĞAN said that they will further strengthen the Turkish navy in the next two years. ERDOĞAN: “We are going to initiate the tender process for our air defense destroyer TF-2000 soon. During this process, we will commission our TCG Anadolu, through which we can conduct air operations with helicopters and UAVs to be deployed onboard which will have a multiplier effect on our sea and air combat potential. We will be much more powerful and deterrent in our seas with our new type of submarines and our fleet replenishment vessel.”
Following the speeches, President ERDOĞAN gave the ship delivery certificate to President of Defense Industries Prof. İsmail DEMİR and STM General Manager Özgür GÜLERYÜZ.
TCG “UFUK”- Turkey’s Eyes and Ears in the Sea
To act as “Turkey’s Eyes and Ears in the Sea” TCG UFUK was launched on February 9, 2019 at Istanbul Denizcilik Shipyard in Tuzla with the participation of President Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN, Minister of National Defense Hulusi AKAR, Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa VARANK and President of Defense Industries Prof. Ismail DEMIR. According to the original schedule, following the completion of the ongoing 40-month outfitting and testing phases, the TCG UFUK should have been delivered to the TNF on July 31, 2020. However, this deadline has been extended several times (December 2020, January 2021 and to March 2021).
Speaking at the 10th edition of the Naval Systems Seminar (NSS) that took place on November 15-16, 2021 in Ankara, STM Combat Management Systems Group Manager Enver KUCUKERMAN disclosed that TCG UFUK (meaning Horizon in English) would enter service in November 2021.
TCG UFUK has a similar hull (have a monohull, displacement-type hull form) and superstructure design with the ADA Class Corvettes, however it is equipped with a different type of Main Propulsion System (MPS). Contrary to CODAG configuration (two 595 Series MTU 16V595TE90 diesel engines and a LM2500 gas turbine generator) used in the ADA Class, TCG UFUK has a CODAD propulsion system (with only two MTU 20V 4000 M93L diesel engines). Local company ISBIR on the other hand, also delivered the power group of four generators each with 750kW power capacity and installed within an acoustic capsule for the TCG UFUK. It also features a different sensor and electronic equipment layout than the ADA Class Corvettes. The ADA Class Corvettes are equipped with a hangar and a helicopter deck with a single landing spot to accommodate one SH-70 SeaHawk ASW/ASuW helicopter. However, on the TCG UFUK even the helicopter deck is retained, the hangar is modified to accommodate unspecified electronic equipment and an undisclosed number of operator consoles.
TCG UFUK (A-591), with its state-of-the-art command control, electronic systems, test, and training system equipment provided by ASELSAN, is intended to be used in signal and electronic intelligence missions (SIGINT/ELINT) in addition to the Test and Training Ship requirements of the TNF. The ship has a full length of 99.5 meters, a beam of 14.4 meters, a draft of 3.6 meters, displacement of 2,400 tons and maximum speed of 18 knots. TCG UFUK can sail for 45 days without interruption in severe climatic and marine conditions.
While STM served as the main contractor and Istanbul Shipyard as the main subcontractor in the project, ASELSAN took part in the design, production and integration of Mission Systems on the ship (RADAr, Communication, Ship Navigation Systems), HAVELSAN supplied its ADVENT Combat Management System, Ship Data Distribution System, Ship Integrated Information System, CCTV System, Message Operation System, İŞBİR undertook the production of generators used on the ship, ANEL carried out the design, supply, production and integration of the ship's electrical system infrastructure, YALTES supplied the Integrated Platform Control and Monitoring System and assumed the design and production of the consoles used on the ship. The local content rate of TCG UFUK reached 70 percent with contributions from approximately 194 domestic companies
