Turkey Commissions Second Largest Vessel, Unmanned Surface Vessel

At a commissioning ceremony held at Sefine Shipyard in Yalova on Friday, the Turkish Navy officially welcomed crewed supply ships, a frigate, and an unmanned surface vessel into service.

The event was attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The replenishment and logistics ship TCG Derya, ranking as the second-largest vessel in the Turkish Navy following the TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship, served as the focal point of the ceremony. Constructed at Sefine Shipyard, the TCG Derya boasts a cargo capacity, with the ability to carry 10,000 tons of fuel, 750 tons of fresh water, and 270 cubic meters of cargo. The vessel, measuring 199.9 meters in length and 24.4 meters in width, has a displacement of 26,115 tons.

Powered by a General Electric LM2500 gas turbine and two diesel engines, the TCG Derya can reach a top speed of 24 knots (28 mph). Armed with two Gökdeniz gun mounts and two 25mm remote control weapons stations, the ship features a landing pad, two hangars, and two replenishment-at-sea rigs on each side. Its primary mission is to supply a task force centered around the TCG Anadolu.

Joining the TCG Derya in the fleet is the TCG Üsteğmen Arif Ekmekçi, the second and final vessel of Turkey's logistics support ship program. With a length of 106.51 meters and a width of 16.8 meters, this ship has a displacement of 8,477 tons. The TCG Üsteğmen Arif Ekmekçi can carry eight standard ISO containers, 631 tons of potable water, 336 tons of JP-5 fuel, and 4,036 tons of F-76 fuel.

The TCG Istanbul frigate, the first vessel of its class, also joined the naval fleet. With a full-load displacement of 3,100 tons and a length of 113.2 meters, the frigate is armed with 16 Atmaca anti-ship missiles, Hisar-D, and Sapan missiles to counter airborne threats. Notably, it features a domestically made vertical launching system, MIDLAS, after the cancellation of a planned purchase of the MK41 Vertical Launching System due to U.S. sanctions.

The Turkish Navy also introduced the unmanned surface vessel (USV) Marlin TCB 1101. Spanning 15 meters with a range of 400 nautical miles, the TCB 1101 participated in NATO exercises REPMUS 22 and Dynamic Messenger 22 in Portugal. Armed with a 12.7mm remote control weapons station and equipped with electronic warfare technology, the USV represents a leap forward in Turkey's unmanned naval capabilities. The "TCB" designation aligns it with planes, helicopters, and large unmanned vessels in the Turkish armed forces.