New Type Patrol Boat ‘TCG-Kuşadası’ in Inventory
The provisional delivery of the final vessel to the Naval Forces Command within the scope of the New Type Patrol Boat (YTKP) Project that covers the procurement of 16 Boats and launched in 2008 in order to conduct the reconnaissance, surveillance, patrol and maritime defence combat (DSH) functions of the Naval Forces Command in straits, bases, port proximity waters and in zones near coasts and to support the Command’s base, port defence task function was accomplished.
With the Provisional Delivery of TCG Kuşadası which is the 16th and final boat of the TUZLA Class Patrol Boats (New Type Patrol Boat) Project that was initiated by the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries and accomplished by Dearsan as the main contractor with the participation of domestic industry, another milestone has been successfully completed. TCG Kuşadası’s provisional delivery to Naval Forces Command took place on 3 February 2015. This final delivery was made in accordance with the Project schedule and with this delivery a total of 16 Tuzla Class Patrol Boats joined the Naval Forces Command fleet within a period of four years between years 2011-2015.
The New Type Patrol Boat Program was launched in 2007 with the agreement signed by the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries and Dearsan and the delivery of the first boat was made on 4 January 2011 with the active participation of the domestic industry. The TCG TUZLA (P-1200) - first of the Tuzla Class Patrol Boats - bears a particular importance for Turkish Defence Industry as it is the very first national battleship manufactured in the private shipyards in Turkey. Within the scope of the program, the domestic participation rate of which reached to 70%, the combat management system was designed by Havelsan. The orientation of the sensor and weapon systems of the indigenous product “Vessel Information Distribution System” was executed by Havelsan and the system was successfully integrated to the boats. Moreover, all targets were completely destroyed during the test flaks of the surface and anti-aircrafts in the boats in the first time without any errors.
High Seas under the Protection of the “New Type Patrol Boat”
The interest to these platforms to be utilized in the control of the seas in peacetime increased as these are cost-efficient, their construction takes less time and as they offer more economic maintenance process. Therefore, particularly the New Type Patrol Boats have become the favourite of the Naval Forces of the world in the recent years. These platforms with Multi-Role capability are expected to assume more tasks in the future as the illegal activities such as the human trafficking, drug smuggling and piracy in the seas have been increasing and become the main issue of the Naval Forces worldwide. Naval Forces of the most countries with improved capacities in the manufacturing of military vessels are said to have a tendency towards these more compact platforms with multi-role capability instead of the expensive vessels with high tonnage.
