The Turkish Navy has received the TCG Anadolu, the country’s largest warship and the world’s first carrier of unmanned combat aircraft. The ship, which was built at the Sedef shipyard in Istanbul, can carry helicopters, UAVs, ground vehicles, light combat vehicles and, of course, personnel.
The Turkish Navy’s new amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu arrived in Istanbul for the first time, carrying a Bayraktar Kızılma UAV equipped with engines manufactured by Ukraine’s Ivchenko-Progress, a TIM45 aircraft towing tractor and other weapons. In total, the 231-metre-long, 32-metre-wide ship can accommodate combat helicopters and military drones, as well as up to 94 vehicles, including 13 tanks.
According to Anadolu Agency, the ceremony of handing over the ship to the Navy in Istanbul was attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to him, the TCG Anadolu is the world’s first warship in its field that can take off and land the largest and heaviest helicopters and drones. “Turkey’s Bayraktar TB3 and Kizilelma drones, as well as Hurjet light fighters, will be able to take off from and land on the ship,” he said.
President Erdogan also added that thanks to the ship, which can also carry armoured vehicles, Turkey will be able to conduct military and humanitarian operations around the world if necessary. The ship can transport a battalion to any crisis region in the Aegean, Mediterranean and Black Seas. It also has a full hospital and two operating theatres on board. This is a sign, President Erdogan added, that Turkey will become a game-changer by developing advanced systems and products.
According to him, the ship’s weapons, combat control systems, electronic warfare, infrared search and tracking, electro-optical search, as well as laser warning, torpedo defence and radar were developed by local specialists. A total of 131 subcontractors were involved in the construction of the first ship of its class, the TCG Anadolu.
Erdogan also said that on the same day, a steel-cutting ceremony was held for three new MILGEM warships that will be built over 3 years. Weapons systems and various instruments and sensors for the ships will also be manufactured in Turkey.
Strong diplomacy is only possible with a strong defence industry, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, adding that Turkey will start working on more defence projects.
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