STM Showcases Naval Technologies in DIMDEX 2016
DIMDEX- The international Maritime Naval Defense and Security Exhibition that brings the world to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, provides a unique opportunity for cooperation and strengthening relations among the participating parties. In that manner, STM – Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş. – relishes to be a part of this international exhibition and is willing to provide the solutions with regard to the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces as well as regional navies’ requirements.
STM has been providing service in the defense industry for approximately 25 years in Turkey and abroad. STM is a quasi-government organization whose headquarters located in Ankara. The Naval Projects Department of STM has been located in different places at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard, Istanbul Teknopark, Gölcük Naval Shipyard and Karachi, Pakistan. STM’s main areas of expertise are; engineering, naval shipbuilding and modernization, high technology solutions, cyber warfare and consultancy.
Particularly, STM has been heavily involved in naval projects for close to 10 years. The specialization areas of STM in Naval Projects are; design services, project management, naval shipbuilding and modernization, platform and system modernization, acquisition services for systems and materials, infrastructural and organizational planning, repair and maintenance activities, test and trials, integrated logistics support (ILS), through life cycle management, research and development, feasibility studies and consultancy on the basis of surface ships, submarines and naval shipyards & shore facilities.
In this sense, with the development of Turkish Navy National Corvette Program (MiLGEM), STM has been authorized to improve Turkey’s indigenous capability of naval shipbuilding and modernization as well as using the deep-rooted experience of Turkey in order to provide solutions for Turkish Navy and allied & friendly countries. Within the scope of MiLGEM Project, a complex 21st Century surface warship namely Ada Class Corvettes equipped with modern technology at high standards was designed and integrated, for the first time, by maximum use of national resources, engineering along with the support of local industry. The project has aimed toward developing an indigenous Turkish warship with modern combat skills and high seas patrolling capabilities with extensive use of the principles of stealth technology. In this project, the roles of STM are to provide; design services, integration including main propulsion system, acquisition of systems, materials and equipment, Integrated Logistics Services and industrialization. The first-two Ada Class Corvettes entered into the Turkish Navy service in 2011 and 2013 respectively. The construction of No.3 and No.4 corvettes are currently in progress at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard. STM has been officially authorized to conduct export operations of MiLGEM– Ada Class Corvettes and similar platforms including all types of surface combatants.
In addition to the MiLGEM Project, STM has been involved in other national projects such as the modernization of Turkish Navy Type 209 AY Class Submarines. The modernization project mainly comprising renewal of Electronic Support, Attack and Search Periscopes and Inertial Navigation Systems has been carried out by STM as the main contractor and applied on TCG Doğanay and TCG Dolunay submarines. Within this project, STM conducted integration and installation system-system and system-platform activities, Integrated Logistics Support, and technical support and services. The overhaul and modernization of TCG Dolunay was completed on April 2014, and TCG Doğanay was successfully completed on May 2015 and the two submarines have since been delivered to the Turkish Navy.
Another major project that STM is conducting for the Turkish Navy as a sub-contractor is the Turkish Navy New Type Submarine Project. The sub-contractor agreement was signed between STM and HDW-MFI Joint Venture in order to build 6 x Type 214 submarines, having Air Independent Propulsion capability, at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard. The responsibilities of STM on this prestigious project, which will last around 11 years are; contribution into Design, Engineering and Integration activities, providing support to Gölcük Naval Shipyard, industrialization of the equipment, systems and materials used for shipbuilding, increasing the local participation rate into the project, production of non-pressure hull blocks and some GRP units at home, development of the infrastructure of Gölcük Naval Shipyard and Submarine Factories, acquisition services of relevant systems, materials and equipment, and Integrated Logistics Support. The aim is also to gain technological development and capabilities for future national submarine projects.
Apart from the national projects, STM has been also conducting projects abroad. To illustrate, the Pakistan Navy Fleet Replenishment Vessel Project contract signed between STM and the Pakistan Ministry of Defense, for production in 2013 in response to the requirements of Pakistan Navy. Within the scope of the project, the design activities were performed by STM and the shipbuilding and outfitting activities were carried out by KS & EW in Pakistan with the kit of material transferred from Turkey. In addition, STM as main contractor and project manager, is responsible of Integrated Logistics Support, Spare Parts, Tests and Trials, Training of KS & EW Shipyard Technical Staff and Ship Users, Consultancy and building the vessel in the Karachi Shipyard. In addition, this project is the first in naval ship construction between two friendly and brotherly countries Pakistan and Turkey, and a very important, distinguished and unique co-operation project in the field of defense and the shipbuilding industry, also leading to partnership in realization of similar defense projects in the near future. The Fleet Replenishment Vessel Project also has the highest export share for one item in the sphere of Naval Projects in the history of Turkey. The Project is also crucial for the Pakistan Navy due to the fact that constructing Fleet Replenishment Vessel at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works will not only enhance naval ship construction capacity and expertise of the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works, but will also help in developing its human resources to meet the future challenges of warship design and construction. Moreover, local industry in Pakistan benefits from the Project in the form of procurement of construction consumables by the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Work from the local market. The Fleet Replenishment Vessel has been designed indigenously and uniquely to meet with the requirements of the Pakistan Navy and is expected to be one of the most developed ships of its own class in the world. The Fleet Replenishment Vessel designed for the Pakistan Navy displaces 15.600 tones, approximately 155 m. length, speed of 20 knots and with a replenishment-at-sea system (RAS / FAS) and a helicopter landing / takeoff capability. The Project is expected to be completed in four years. The Ship has been planned to launch at sea within 2016 and to be delivered to the Pakistan Navy in 2017.
In light of the information provided above, STM has been seeking to have future cooperation with Qatar Emiri Naval Forces and regional navies based on Turkey’s long-standing naval shipbuilding and modernization experience. In that manner, DİMDEX is a unique platform where ideas can be exchanged fruitfully and exclusive solutions can be provided by Turkish companies in accordance with the requirements of Navies.
