First Turkish-made Frigate for Ukraine Starts Sea Trials

Ukrainian Navy’s future warship, the Turkey-built MILGEM Ada-class Hetman Ivan Mazepa corvette, has initiated its sea acceptance tests.

Constructed under the MİLGEM Project by Turkey's STM, this vessel represents the first of four corvettes nearing completion.

The sea acceptance tests for the Hetman Ivan Mazepa corvette involve comprehensive assessments of all onboard systems and operational capabilities. These tests are pivotal in determining the corvette's readiness for deployment, ensuring its operational effectiveness under real-world conditions.

Originally slated for completion in 2022, the corvette faced delays due to geopolitical factors, particularly Russia's invasion of Ukraine. STM laid keel of the second Ukrainian MILGEM corvette, the Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky, in Istanbul in August 2023.

Initially planned to be towed to Ukraine for completion by the end of 2022 with partial equipment, the Hetman Ivan Mazepa ship was set to receive necessary armament in 2023 for government testing. However, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has placed these plans in doubt, with details remaining confidential.

The Ada-class corvette, a core component of the Turkish Navy’s MILGEM project, is designed for a variety of naval operations including detection, localization, classification, identification, and engagement of air, surface, and underwater targets. It also supports naval gunfire operations and performs tasks such as surveillance, patrols, coastal defense, and monitoring of exclusive economic zones.

The Ada-class corvette shares visual similarities with the American Freedom-class littoral combat ship.

Specifications for the Ada-class corvette include a displacement of 2,400 tons, dimensions of 99.5 meters in length, 14.4 meters in width, and a draft of 3.6 meters. It achieves speeds up to 29 knots, operates autonomously for 10 days, and accommodates a crew of 93 with capacity for 13 additional personnel. The vessel also supports an S-70B Seahawk helicopter for extended operational capabilities.

Ukrainian Navy's corvettes will feature Harpoon anti-ship missiles as their primary armament. Ukrainian officials have indicated consideration of the indigenous Neptune anti-ship missile alongside options like Harpoon, Atmaca, and Naval Strike Missile. A mock-up presented by the company to the first lady featured Aselsan-made Gokdeniz CIWS, differing from earlier plans for Rheinmetall Oerlikon’s Millennium 35 mm CIWS.

The Ukrainian variant of the Turkish Ada MILGEM class corvette notably diverges in configuration from those utilized by the Turkish and Pakistani navies. While it retains the SMART-S radar from Thales, licensed and produced by Turkish Aselsan, offering a range of up to 250 km, other sensor systems on the ship vary significantly, according to Ukrainian publication Defense Express.

Distinctively, the Ukrainian corvette incorporates an additional signal intelligence system concealed under radomes, absent in Turkish versions. In contrast, Pakistani variants like the F280 Babur, launched in August 2021, feature less advanced systems. Typically, these ships are equipped with the ARES-2N electronic support measures system from Aselsan.