Istanbul, 24 Fév. 2015 (MAP)- Le président turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a relancé le projet gigantesque du Canal d’Istanbul pour le désengorgement du Bosphore, une voie d’eau de 43 km entre la mer Noire et la mer de Marmara, lors d’une réunion avec des ministres concernés, rapporte la presse turque.
Avec une largeur de 400m et une profondeur de 25 m, selon la nouvelle version du projet, le canal sera enjambé de six ponts et transformera la partie européenne d’Istanbul, seule ville au monde à cheval sur deux continents, en une île artificielle, indique, mardi, le +Daily Sabah+. Lancé une première fois avant la campagne des législatives 2011, ce projet grandiose ressurgit à nouveau avant le scrutin électoral législatif (7 juin). Il sera conçu pour assurer le passage quotidien de 160 navires de très gros tonnages dont les supertankers et sera parallèle au Bosphore à l’ouest d’Istanbul.
Pour les autorités, le canal doit alléger le trafic sur le Bosphore et faire diminuer le risque d’accident dans le détroit large, en certains points, de seulement 700 m. Deux collisions s’étaient produites en 1979 et 1994 faisant respectivement 41 et 29 morts. Ce projet, devant être réalisé dans le cadre du partenariats public-privé, serait rentable avec la construction d’une nouvelle ville de 500 mille habitants le long des deux rives du canal au lieu de 1,2 million dans le projet initial de 2011 mais également grâce aux droits de péage contrairement aux statuts Bosphore et des Dardanelles, datant des accords de Montreux en 1936, prévoyant, en temps de paix, la libre circulation et sans aucun frais.
En liaison avec ce canal, les plans pour l’édification du troisième aéroport de la mégalopole turque ont été modifiés puisqu’il était prévu qu’une partie des 152 millions m3 de terre extraits lors du percement pourrait être utilisée dans la construction de cet aéroport, sur une ancienne région minière, à proximité de l’embouchure du canal sur la Mer Noire.
Cet aéroport, dont le coût global est estimé à 7 milliards de dollars, ambitionne d'être le plus grand aéroport au monde avec à terme 150 millions de passagers par an.(MAP).
Patrick H. 's insight:
Les russes avaient, en 2013, exprimé leurs craintes de voir, avec ce projet, l'équilibre militaro-politique régional déplacé en faveur de la Turquie et de ses alliés, dans la mesure où le canal artificiel risque de ne pas être soumis aux conditions de la convention de Montreux. On pourra lire l'analyse russe de cette affaire ici :
Turkish-German media Deutsch Tuerkische Zeitung is reporting that during the last meeting of the Turkish National Security Council (in presence of the Turkish President) the decision was made to built the future LHD (Turkish designation: LPD Project) as an aircraft carrier capable to deploy the F-35B, the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the Lockheed Martin built Joint Strike Fighter. The vessel should be delivered to the Turkish Navy by 2019.
Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) announced in December 2013 that it selected Sedef shipyard as winner of its LPD tender and that final contract negotiations with this shipyard could begin. Sedef shipyard in Turkey offers a design based on Juan Carlos LHD under the collaboration with Spain's Navantia.
Landing Platform Dock Project According to SSM, the Landing Platform Dock Project (LPD)’s main purpose is the acqusition of one Landing Platform Dock in order to meet the operational requirements of Turkish Naval Forces. The scope of the procurement is for: - 1 LPD and - Four Landing Craft Mechanics (LCM) - Twenty seven Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV), - Two Landing Craft Personnel Vehicles (LCVP), - One Commander Boat - One RHIB (Rubber Hull Inflated Boat) will be acquired
One of the requirement was for a Privately Owned Turkish Shipyard to be main contractor, also responsible for design, construction, integration and tests and final performance.
The other proposals which were rejected were: RMK Marine Shipyard offering its own indigenous design and Desan shipyard offering a design based on South Korea's Dokdo class. At the early stage of the tender a Chinese company submitted its design proposal but then backed away.
ANKARA — Turkey’s largest ever single naval contract, a US $3.5 billion deal with a German shipyard for the co-production of six submarines, is facing major delays and disputes over modality, Turkish officials and industry sources said.
“We are in talks with our German partners to iron out differences and put the program back on track,” a senior procurement official familiar with the program said.
The official admitted the program is facing delays, but declined to comment on the reasons behind them.
In 2009, the Turkish government sealed the deal with Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW), a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, based in Kiel, to co-produce six U 214-type diesel submarines for the Turkish Navy. The subs would be manufactured at a naval shipyard in Golcuk, northwestern Turkey.
Another procurement official said “a set of setbacks” has delayed the program but did not elaborate, other than citing “technical reasons.” “I do not think the program can meet the original timetable,” he said.
A spokesman for HDW was unavailable for comment as of press time.
Production was to start in 2011, and the first sub delivered in 2015.
There has been speculation in Ankara that the Turkish government was unable to cancel the contract due to delays or impose sanctions on the German shipyard because it felt threatened by years of German eavesdropping on Turkey’s top officials.
In August, the German newspaper Der Spiegel cited a confidential German intelligence document that revealed Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service had spied on Turkey since 2009.
There were no details on the scale of wiretapping, but in August the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the allegations were “worrisome.” It summoned the German ambassador to Ankara, Eberhard Pohl, for an explanation. Berlin since then has not officially denied the allegations.
“[Accusations of] blackmailing between us the allies is pure fantasy,” a German diplomat in Ankara said. “We are working hard to make sure the submarine program progresses and ends as planned.”
A Turkish diplomat denied Ankara was being blackmailed by Berlin in a “submarine delays vs. tapes” deal. “That’s a particularly bad conspiracy theory,” he said.
But one senior industry source, a specialist in naval contracts, said: “I wouldn’t be so sure about comfortably waving off the claims.” He did not comment further.
After Turkey selected HDW and its Britain-based partner, Marine Force International LLP, contract negotiations saw tough bargaining over price, local content and the integration of some Turkish systems on the submarines. HDW had defeated France’s DCNS and Spain’s Navantia.
In 2011, a team of Turkish and German companies, supported by Turkey’s procurement office, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, sought unsuccessfully to sell two HDW-built U 209-type diesel submarines to Indonesia in a $1 billion deal. The Turkish team was competing with South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine.
Turkey earlier built 14 U 209-type submarines with the German company.
La Russie doit évoquer avec la Turquie la possibilité de fermer les détroits de Bosphore et des Dardanelles aux navires des pays non riverains de la mer Noire, conformément à la convention de Montreux sur les régimes des détroits, en raison des tensions créées par les USA dans cette région, estime le capitaine de vaisseau Mikhaïl Nenachev, président du Mouvement russe de soutien à la flotte.
"Il n'est pas exclu que les stratèges politiques et militaires américains étudient les pires scénarios par rapport à l'évolution de la situation en Ukraine, même celui qui impliquerait l'usage de la force. Les projets initiés par les Américains en Afrique et d'autres régions échouent et ils veulent détourner l'attention du monde sur la confrontation USA-Russie. Le problème est de savoir à quoi nous préparent les stratèges américains en habituant l'Europe à la présence de leurs navires dans notre zone d'intérêts directs. Ils prévoient peut-être aussi l'utilisation de leur marine contre la Russie", a déclaré à RIA Novosti Mikhaïl Nenachev en commentant la nouvelle entrée du Vella Gulf en mer Noire (La Marine américaine a annoncé jeudi l'entrée en mer Noire de son croiseur lance-missiles Vella Gulf pour "assurer la sécurité et la stabilité dans la région").
D'après lui, la Russie doit entamer avec la Turquie des négociations actives sur le respect de la convention de Montreux, qui interdit aux navires militaires des Etats non riverains de se trouver en mer Noire pendant plus de 21 jours. Le tonnage total des navires de guerre d'un pays non riverain ne doit pas dépasser 30 000 tonnes mais plus tôt cette année, la convention a été enfreinte par la frégate américaine UUS Taylor, qui a dépassé la limite de la durée de séjour en mer Noire de 11 jours.
"Compte tenu de la situation de conflit en Ukraine, il faut soulever avec la Turquie l'application de cette restriction dans le cadre de la convention de Montreux pour fermer les détroits aux Etats non riverains dans le contexte de crise et de l'exacerbation de la tension internationale", a souligné Mikhaïl Nenachev.
Selon ce dernier, la visite constante des navires américains en mer Noire pourrait avoir encore une autre explication.
"Les Américains ont besoin du va-et-vient de leurs navires pour occuper leurs forces armées. Ils ne veulent pas s'impliquer dans des conflits sérieux mais montrent à leurs alliés qu'ils ne les oublient pas. Etant donné les échecs de l'Amérique à travers le monde et la peur capitale de mesurer ses forces avec la Chine, les Américains pensent qu'ils peuvent entrer dans nos eaux avec une certaine impunité", a-t-il ajouté.
The replacement program built TF-100 frigates of the Turkish Navy with the construction of four ships an improved version of the Ada class corvette program MilGem announced Mustafa Seker, head of the Turkish Defence Industry State Secretariat for the modernization program of the Turkish Navy. According to Mustafa Seker, the department chose the construction of an upgraded version of the Ada class corvette which codified MilGem Batch II to replace the shipbuilding program frigates TF-100. Recall that the frigate program TF-100 will replace four frigates MEKO-200TN Track I Yavuz class are from the early years who enrolled in service encountered problems.
The new class of frigates program MilGem Batch II (or MilGem-G) has a length of 110.56 meters, width of 14.4 meters and a draft of 3.95 meters and a displacement of 2820 tons. The four new ships will be equipped with Mk 41 vertical launchers of Lockheed Martin in the bow, systems of Thales STIR 1.2 and improved Battle Management System. The ship design will be completed in late 2014 with four ships heading Ada (two in service and two under construction) will be the units that will replace the six corvettes A69 and 4 frigates MEKO-200TN Track I signaling a radical Turkish plans change after originally planned to be built 12 ships in three batches. The first batch included the construction of the first two ships of the program MilGem which were built in the shipyards.
The second batch included ships Nos. 3-9 which will nafpigouse private company and the third batch vessels No. 12.9 which would form part of the TF-100. Eventually as shown state shipyards will finalize the construction of the first four ships of Ada class and will be followed by the construction of a public or private shipyard construction of four ships of the program MilGem Batch II while developing draft cruiser air defense program area TF -2000. In the final phase of the program will include 8 MilGem ships instead of the 12 planned in the late 1990s.
Suddenly and silently the construction of the first of the two new LST class ships has started.
The first steel was cut on 14 May 2014 at ADİK Shipyard. The first ship will be called as TCG Bayraktar; the name proves that the old TCG Bayraktar, an old LST-511 class landing ship is out of commission.
The contract for the construction of two new LST class landing ships was signed between ADIK shipyard and SSM in 16 June 2011. It took almost two years for the shipyard to find the 370 million Euro credit to cover the project as required by the contract.
The shipyard expect to hand the ship to Turkish Navy in 34 months on 17 February 2017.
Characteristics: Displacement: 7125 tons full load Dimensions: 138,7 x 19 x 3 meters Speed, Range: 18 knots, 6000 miles at 15 knots Crew: 129
Weapons: Guns: 2 x 40mm; 2 x 20mm (twin) 2 x Mk 15 Phalanx. 2-12.7 mm MG Helicopters: Platform for one large
Comments: The contract for the construction of a new LST’s was signed between Ministry of Defence and ADIK_Furtrans shipyard on 11 May 2011. The value of the contract 370 million Euros. The first ship will be delivered in February 2017. The ships will carry 350 persons, 20 MBT and between 24 – 60 vehicles. The closed parking area is 1100 square meters and the open deck parking area is 690 square meters. The armament consists of 2 single barreled 40mm Oto Melara guns, 2 Mk15 Phalanx CIWS, 2 machine guns on a stabilized remote-controlled chassis. The ships will have a Smart Mk2 3D air/surface search radar (which not common for an amphibious ship) 2 AselFLIR 300D EO director, torpedo counter measures systems, laser warning receiver and Link 16/22 system. All these sensors and weapons will be controlled by a 5 consoles of GENESIS CMS.
Thales annonce la livraison à la Marine turque du standard final des avions de patrouille maritime dans le cadre du programme Meltem II dont Thales assure la maîtrise d’œuvre. A ce jour, cinq des six avions ont été livrés à ce standard, le sixième le sera avant l’été. Ces livraisons font suite à celles opérées l’année dernière pour trois avions de surveillance maritime destinés aux gardes-côtes turcs.
Points clés
Finalisation du programme MELTEM II.
Etape majeure qui marque la livraison du standard final de patrouille maritime.
MELTEM II couvre six avions de patrouille maritime, trois avions de surveillance maritime, ainsi que dix systèmes de mission AMASCOS supplémentaires
Une cérémonie s’est tenue ce jour sur la base aéronavale de Topel pour célébrer la remise des appareils à la Marine turque, sous la présidence du chef d’état-major de la Marine turque, Bülent Bostanoglu, et du secrétaire d’Etat aux industries de défense (SSM), Ismail Demir.
Pierre Eric Pommellet, directeur général adjoint de Thales en charge des systèmes de mission de défense, a officiellement remis le certificat de livraison des avions au chef d’état-major de la Marine turque. A cette occasion, il a souligné les « excellentes relations établies tout au long du programme avec les partenaires industriels turcs TAI, Havelsan, Aselsan et Milsoft. Elles ont permis le succès du programme de transformation de ces appareils et ouvrent la porte à de futures collaborations entre Thales et l’industrie turque. Nous nous attachons à développer cette coopération et sommes fiers que ces avions de patrouille maritime atteignent l’excellence technologique et répondent aux plus hauts standards opérationnels. La Marine turque peut désormais s’appuyer sur AMASCOS, la solution éprouvée de Thales, pour mener à bien ses missions de patrouille maritime. »
La finalisation de ce programme atteste de la maturité de la solution AMASCOS et positionne Thales comme un acteur de référence dans le domaine de la patrouille maritime et comme systémier de premier ordre au niveau international pour répondre aux besoins des forces armées en proposant une gamme variée de systèmes de mission.
DOHA, QATAR — The Oliver Hazard Perry guided missile frigates are one of the most numerous warships classes built since World War II. The first ships entered service in the 1980s, but many still serve under the flags of other nations, all of whom are intensely interested in keeping these vintage ships as effective as possible.
With the last of the ships scheduled to leave US service by the fall of 2015, even more Perrys — commonly known as FFGs, or “figs” — will become available for foreign transfer and hence, in need of upgrades.
At the forefront of the FFG modernization effort is Havelsan. The Turkish electronics and systems development firm is upgrading all eight of Turkey’s ex-US Navy FFGs, and is seeking to sell its combat system expertise to other countries operating similar ships.
Havelsan has a tentative agreement to upgrade Bahrain’s single FFG, said Serdar Müldür, the company’s vice president for command, control and combat systems, and is awaiting funding.
Havelsan, Müldür said, also has surveyed the Pakistani Alamgir, the country’s lone FFG, and the company has a contingency agreement with Pakistan to upgrade the ships should more frigates be transferred.
The company also has held talks with FFG operators Poland and Thailand, Müldür said March 27 at the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition (DIMDEX) in Qatar.
Havelsan’s FFG upgrade program is marketed as the Genesis Combat Management System. The upgrades include not only sensors but also weapons, all integrated into a central command system.
All eight of Turkey’s frigates were upgraded by 2012 with the Genesis systems, but replacement of the air search radars has not been completed.
Genesis can handle more upgrades, including installation of the Phalanx Block 1 close-in weapon system; integration of Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) or SeaRAM systems; the Swarmbuster initiative, which provides close-in weapon system or Genesis targeting information to the ship’s 76mm guns; sonar upgrades; and addition of an automatic torpedo launch capability.
Other systems that can be installed or integrated with the Genesis system, Müldür said, include Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles, 40mm guns and new 76mm guns.
Turkish opposition parliamentary deputies have submitted motions to the Turkish government over allegations of rigging Turkey's Milli Gemi/National Ship (Milgem) corvette programme and Landing Platform Dockship (LPD) tenders.
The allegations stem from leaked audio recordings on 4 March, suggested to be of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan instructing the owner of Sedef Shipbuilding, Metin Kalkavan, on how to engineer the cancellation and reopening of the Milgem programme, while advising him over competitive pricing for the LPD programe.
On 5 March, Erdogan confirmed the authenticity of two separate phone conversations said to have taken place in April and September 2013.
In the April 2013 recording, Erdogan appears to ask Kalkavan to lodge a complaint with the Prime Ministry Inspection Board that the correct procedures in the Milgem competition had not been carried out. This is despite the fact that Kalkavan appears to tell Erdogan that Sedef Shipbuilding did not even apply to officially take part in the tender.
Erdogan justified his phone conversation by saying that Sedef Shipbuilding had been sidelined during the tender, and Kalkavan had appealed to him. But, if genuine, the recording shows that Erdogan also instructed Kalkavan to apply for the bid.
On 26 September 2013, the Executive Committee (EC) of the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries cancelled its contract with RMK Marine, a subsidiary of Koc Holding, for the series production of six follow-on Milgem corvettes, worth about USD2 billion. The decision came after the Prime Ministry Inspection Board concluded that the tender violated the rules of the competition and was not in the public's interest.
The inspection office initiated an investigation into the Milgem tender after receiving a tip-off from Sedef Shipbuilding - IHS Janes learnt - that Sedef Shipbuildinghad not been invited to the tender. However, this was two years after the Milgem contract was awarded to RMK Marine in 2011.
Press reports at the time linked the inspectors' probe into the Milgem contract negotiations with RMK Marine to a possible Turkish government reaction against Koç Holding after one of its hotels in Istanbul sheltered anti-government figures in May 2013.
In a 27 December 2013 meeting of the EC, almost three months after the Milgem tender was cancelled, Kalkavan's Sedef Shipbuilding company was selected for the USD1.1 billion LPD project.
As a result of the recordings, opposition deputies have submitted motions in the Turkish parliament asking the government to clarify allegations that Erdogan instructed Kalkavan to engineer the Milgem tender. In addition, Sezgin Tanrikulu, a deputy from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), stated on 6 March that the price of the LPD project suddenly rose from EUR800 million (USD1.1 billion) to EUR1.2 billion due to a last-minute change made on the configuration of the vessel.
Tanrikulu asked the government whether the LPD programme was reconfigured to allow it to stage operations for the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, despite the fact that Turkey would not buy this model. Turkey has officially announced that it will procure 100 conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) F-35A aircraft. In addition, he questioned why the LPD project was configured with a ski jump.
Tanrikulu also asked whether the cost of the project was increased to donate around EUR200 million to a charitable foundation, the Service for Youth and Education Foundation of Turkey (TÜRGEV), of which Erdogan's son Bilal is a board member.
Turkey is building up its naval forces in a bid to address shared regional threats and strengthen its position as a force on the seas, experts told SES Türkiye. In co-operation with the Military Electronic Industries (Aselsan), Turkish Aerospace Industries, and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) the government is building a new generation of naval hardware, including homemade amphibious ships, auxiliary ships, radar systems, and coastal security boats and warships. Aselsan is designing a sophisticated naval radar called CAFRAD Faz-1. It will boost the TF-2000 warship under development in Turkey. Other on-going projects would renovate submarines and replace some of the Coast Guard's old ships. The build-up dates back to the 1996 rollout of the National Ship project, which saw Turkey build its modern littoral combat warship with high-sea patrol capability. The project's first ship was launched in 2008. Turkey must further strengthen its navy as it claims to be a global actor, said retired naval commander Salim Dervisoglu, author of a report on the navy published by the Ankara-based Wise Men Centre for Strategic Studies (BİLGESAM). Dervisoglu said Turkey's naval forces have two major shortcomings: lack of a landing platform dock (LPD) and insufficient aircraft carriers. The Turkish Undersecretary for Defence Industries (SSM) announced in December that the country's first LPD is going to be built with Navantia, a Spanish state-owned shipbuilding firm. The LPD project drew criticism for its 3 billion euro budget. LPDs are considered the biggest naval ships after aircraft carriers. The dock will consist of helipads for up to 12 helicopters and will have the capacity to host one battalion, several landing vehicles, tanks and other platforms. The capacity of the ship will also be suitable for evacuation operations. It will be used in the Aegean Sea, in the Black Sea and in the Mediterranean Sea as well as in the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
The delivery ceremony of first assault boat ONUK MRTP34 of Yonca Onuk joint venture to Qatar took place in Istanbul. Undersecretary for Defence Industries Murad Bayar,Chief of General Staff of Emirates of Qatar Ghanim Bin Shaheen Al Ghanim, Navy Commander of Emirates of Qatar Mohammed Bin Nasser Al-Mohannadi and Yonca Onuk joint venture board of directors President Şakir Yılmaztürk attended to the ceremony. The assault boat is named That Assuary (Q-31) and has 21 crew in board. The boat can oparete for 3 days with its own sources on board.
Alfalfa-Onuku boats built by the partnership, have been exported to seven countries and successfully perform their duties. So far, over 130 ONUK MRTP advanced composite high-speed gunboats were built. Design and production of the Turkish engineers and workers who work boots, used by the naval forces of foreign countries, the advent of the Turkish defense industry shows.
MRTP 34 Patrol Boats, which Qatar is the first customer, are slightly modified and extended version of the previously build MRTP 33. MRTP 33 has already been selected by Turkish and international customers. Length of MRTP 34 is 40 meters, width 6.94 m. Full speed is 42 knots
Patrick H. 's insight:
Ce patrouilleur rapide est doté d'un canon de 30 mm téléopéré ASELSAN
Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) just announced via press release that it selected Sedef shipyard as winner of its LPD tender and that final contract negotiations with this shipyard can now begin. Sedef shipyard in Turkey offers a design based on Juan Carlos LHD under the collaboration with Spain's Navantia.
Landing Platform Dock Project According to SSM, the Landing Platform Dock Project (LPD)’s main purpose is the acqusition of one Landing Platform Dock in order to meet the operational requirements of Turkish Naval Forces. The scope of the procurement is for: - 1 LPD and - Four Landing Craft Mechanics (LCM) - Twenty seven Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV), - Two Landing Craft Personnel Vehicles (LCVP), - One Commander Boat - One RHIB (Rubber Hull Inflated Boat) will be acquired
One of the requirement was for a Privately Owned Turkish Shipyard to be main contractor, also responsible for design, construction, integration and tests and final performance.
The other proposals which were rejected were: RMK Marine Shipyard offering its own indigenous design and Desan shipyard offering a design based on South Korea's Dokdo class. At the early stage of the tender a Chinese company submitted its design proposal but then backed away.
Patrick H. 's insight:
Dès le moi de mai dernier, Navantia se déclarait optimiste sur la possibilité de remporter cette compétition :
Istanbul Naval Shipyard has delivered the second Milgem Class Corvette to the Turkish Naval Forces, the TCG BÜYÜKADA (F-512).
Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Chief of the General Staff Gen. Necdet Özel have attended the ceremony, reports TRT.
The Milgem class, from the Turkish words Milli Gemi (National Ship), is a modern littoral combat warship with indigenous anti-submarine warfare and high-seas patrol capabilities. The first vessel, TCG Heybeliada (F-511), was delivered in 2011. According to the local newspaper Hürriyet, the construction costs of the lead ship were around $260 million.
The warship has an overall length of 99.5m, a beam of 14.4m and a design draft of 3.9m. The displacement of the vessel at full load is 2,300t with the top speed of 29 knots.
Propulsion: 2 Diesels /1 Gas turbines (CODAC), 2 Propellers
Germany has offered Turkey the opportunity to participate in the Interactive Defence and Attack System for Submarines (IDAS) missile project, IHS Jane's has learnt. Berlin's offer to Ankara was made during a meeting held between Major General Benedikt Zimmer, Director-General of Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support at the German Ministry of Defence (MoD), and Brigadier General Saban Umut, Deputy Head of Co-ordination and Technology, at the Turkish Ministry of Defence. IDAS is a short-range missile intended to defend against anti-submarine aircraft, as well as offering a capability against small surface vessels and land targets. It is designed to be fired from a submerged submarine, with a four-pack of missiles able to fit within a single torpedo tube. Maj Gen Zimmer also offered Turkey the opportunity to participate in an in-service support arrangement for the Airbus A400M transport aircraft with other participants in the programme. Turkey has so far received two A400Ms of the 10 it has ordered. Roketsan signed in 2013 a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Diehl under which the Turkish company will develop warheads for IDAS in return for investing money in the project. Around 80% of the IDAS system development has already been developed by Germany's Diehl BGT Defence. The German government will first approve the qualification of the IDAS programme before Turkey can also take part in the development of the missiles. The missiles are intended to be fitted into Turkey's new Type 214 submarines that the country is planning to co-produce with Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft and Marine Force International (HDW-MFI). Turkey signed a EUR2.5 billion agreement with HDW-MFI in July 2009 for the co-production of six Type 214 air-independent propulsion (AIP) submarines at the Gölcük naval shipyard in Turkey. At the time it was announced that Turkish industrial participation in the project would be worth around 80% of the total value of the deal. However, as a result of ongoing political and technical reasons, the construction of the first submarine is scheduled to begin in 2016, with delivery to the Turkish Navy in 2020 or 2021. Earlier schedules were to begin building the first submarine in 2011 for delivery this year. Speaking to IHS Jane's , a spokesperson for the Turkish Undersecratariat for Defence Industries (SSM) stated: "SSM has to a great extent reached agreement on technical issues with the German company before the start of the construction of submarines." However they noted that "talks on few issues are continuing, as a result of which delivery of some material has [been] delayed. Once technical issues are resolved construction of the [first] submarine will start." SSM indicated that the German company will be fined as a result of the delays based on timing and performance criteria within the contract.
ANALYSIS
Speaking to IHS Jane's , one senior Turkish procurement official said: "Ankara will weigh the advantages and disadvantages of both offers of Germany. If Turkey, for instance, takes part in the IDAS project this will give it access to knowledge on missile technology and perhaps a say on technical issues in the programme." Meanwhile, Turkish-German yearly defence co-operation meetings begun in 2010, were not held in 2013. This was as a result of the wave of anti-government protests in Turkey at the time, which the Turkish government accused Germany, alongside with some other countries, of provoking the demonstrators. Turkish-German relations soured further in 2014 when after reports in August that the German BND intelligence agency had been spying on Turkey since 1976. Turkey at the time summoned Germany's ambassador in Ankara but took the matter no further. This has led to speculations that Ankara did not cancel the submarine project out of a fear that Bonn may retaliate by revealing damaging information about the Turkish government. This speculation was described as absurd however by the SSM to IHS Jane's .
Turkish submarine has suddenly emerged to the surface some two miles off the Turkish coast in the Aegean sea, dangerously facing a Greek gunboat as it was harrassing Turkish fishermen.
The incident took place on Monday when Turkish boats were fishing near Turgutreis and Akyarlar neighborhoods of resort town of Bodrum. The boats were harrassed by the Greek gunboat, which arrived to the Greek İstanköy (Kos) island. The gunboat entered into Turkish waters and asked the fishermen to withdraw to the Turkish coast. For two hours, the Greek Coast Guard boat harrassed the Turkish fishing boats.
Suddenly, the Kuşadası-bound submarine traveling from Marmaris Aksaz Navy Base emerged to the surface near Akyarlar and unfurled the Turkish flag. The Greek gunboat had to withdraw to international waters, but later turned against the submarine.
As the tensions escalated in the area, Turkish fishermen approached to Akyarlar and Turgutreis coasts. Turkish troops ascended onto the submarine and inspected the Greek gunboat closely. The Greek gunboat later returned to İstanköy post.
ANKARA — Turkey’s procurement office, in connection with state-controlled military software company Havelsan, has launched efforts to export an indigenous naval combat management system.
Havelsan developed the GENESIS advanced combat management system for the US-built Oliver Hazard Perry (G)-class frigates used by the US Navy and a number of allied countries worldwide.
The company has upgraded Turkish frigates with the GENESIS system. One company official said further upgrades on the system, including a ship data link system and 3-D search radar integration, are underway, scheduled for completion later this year.
“We think that there is a potential [need] for GENESIS from navies across the world that have in their inventories G-class frigates, most notably the US,” one official from Turkish procurement agency SSM said.
Turkey earlier spent efforts to secure deals with Bahrain and Pakistan to outfit their G-class frigates with the GENESIS system but no deal has been formalized. Another potential deal with Egypt failed due to political disputes between Ankara and Cairo.
“We are particularly hopeful about a contract to upgrade the US frigates,” the official said.
The Havelsan official said other potential buyers include Taiwan and Spain. ■
Raytheon Company will serve as weapons integrator for Italian aircraft manufacturer Alenia Aermacchi, providing 31 months of engineering services support for integration of MK 54 and MK 46 torpedoes onto the Alenia Aermacchi ATR-72-600ASW maritime patrol aircraft.
Raytheon received a $5.7 million contract to support Alenia Aermacchi's test, integration and qualification for the external carriage and tactical employment of the lightweight torpedoes. Alenia Aermacchi is the prime contractor on the Meltem III contract under which it is obligated to provide ATR-72-600ASW aircraft to the Turkish Navy.
"This international partnership takes advantage of Raytheon's deep knowledge of aircraft weapons integration, including the Raytheon-designed MK 54 and MK 46 torpedoes," said Dr. Thomas R. Bussing, vice president of Advanced Missile Systems at Raytheon Missile Systems. "Raytheon engineers are known worldwide for their expertise and will strive to be valuable team members on this co-development effort."
The MK 54 and MK 46 can be deployed from a surface ship, helicopter or fixed wing aircraft to track, classify and attack underwater targets. The ATR-72-600ASW is designed for patrolling, rescue, sea and coastline protection from security and environmental threats.
The New Turkish National Fast Attack Craft (Türk Tipi Hücumbot) programme is progressing towards the issue of a request for proposal (RfP) in 2014, industry sources have told IHS Jane's .
The Turkish Naval Forces Command is understood to prefer its next-generation FAC to be a compact vessel smaller than the missile-capable Kiliç-class vessels (which are based on a 62 m Lürssen design) and to be capable of sprinting at 60 kt, reaching about 800 n miles at 28 kt, and operating in up to Sea State 5.
The vessels are also due to be equipped with a substantial systems suite, comprising a 76 mm main gun, two smaller-calibre naval guns, a Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher, anti-ship missiles, torpedo decoy systems, a 3D surveillance radar, and an electronic support measures/electronic countermeasures (ESM/ECM) system.
However, several sources have suggested this challenging combination of requirements may be revised by the time the RfP is issued.
Design challenges include accommodating the specified systems in a vessel less than 60 m in length, and also finding the right hull shape and level of installed power to propel the vessel at the required speeds.
Innovative hull concepts may provide one answer. The Norwegian Skjold composites-built surface-effect-ship concept may provide a reference point, for example. However, local industry is not convinced that it would offer the required seakeeping and crew comfort in higher sea states. As a result, most design approaches considered to date appear to favour steel monohulls.
One company noted that a state-funded research and development project into advanced high-speed hull designs would be a useful precursor approach. Failing that, installed power of about 40 MW will likely be required and, given the planned compact size of the vessel design, would have to be based around gas turbines. The propulsion system design will also have to consider the challenge of power output drop-off in higher ambient temperatures, particularly for turbines.
ADIK is understood to have proposed a steel-hulled 64 m, 800-ton vessel with a combined gas and gas turbine (COGAG) propulsion system centred around an LM2500 boost turbine.
Dearsan, meanwhile, has worked on a 65 m steel-hulled vessel with a combined diesel and gas turbine (CODAG) propulsion system powering the vessel to around 45 kt.
ARES' initial proposal uses a wave-piercing, very low radar cross section, 70 m steel hull designed by Rolls-Royce and capable of speeds of about 50-55 kt.
RMK Marine said it has worked on a proposal in co-operation with partners in the United States and Sweden, but would not be drawn on details.
Yonca-Onuk noted that a derivative of its 250-ton composite-hull MRTP 48 design with diesel propulsion able to generate 40 kt-plus speeds may fit the bill. If fitted with gas turbines, the craft could also meet the 60 kt requirement. The company currently has a very busy export order book.
According to the request for information (RfI) issued by the Turkish Defence Industries Undersecretariat (SSM) in July 2013, Turkish companies STM, Aselsan/Havelsan, and Roketsan are leading the development work in the areas of propulsion, combat systems, and armaments respectively.
The initial buy is expected to cover four vessels, with a further six craft possible under optional later batches. Initial batch deliveries may commence in the 2018-19 timeframe, if a contract can be signed by the end of 2015.
WASHINGTON, May 13 (UPI) --The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified Congress of the possible sale of 48 torpedoes to Turkey under the Foreign Military Sales program.
Turkey will use the MK 48 Mod 6 Advanced Technology All-Up-Round Warshot Torpedoes on its new CERBE Class of submarines.
"The proposed sale will improve Turkey's capability for self- defense, modernization, regional security, and interoperability with U.S. and other NATO members," the agency said.
The weapons will be sold as part of a package worth about $170 million. Included in the deal are containers, fleet exercise sections, exercise fuel tanks, surface recovery cage and tools, exercise hardware, maintenance facility upgrades, support and test equipment, and spare and repair parts.
Training equipment and logistics support services are also part of the deal.
The principal contractor will be Raytheon Company Integrated Defense Systems, the agency said.
Sale of the torpedoes needs Congressional approval. The U.S. State Department has already approved.
Patrick H. 's insight:
Le lobby grec actif auprès du Congrès américain va-t-il laisser cette vente se concrétiser ?
Tomorrow, on 17 March 2014, the Barbaros Turkish Maritime Task Group will leave Turkish Naval Base in Gölcük to starts its circumnavigation of Africa.
The task force will contain the frigates F-495 TCG Gediz, F-245 TCG Oruçreis, the corvette F-511 TCG Heybeliada and the replenishment tanker A-595 TCG Yarbay Kudret Güngör.
During the deployment, which is expected to take 102 days, Barbaros TMTG will navigate round the African continent from west to east and will make 40 port visits in 28 countries and conduct military exercises with their navies.
It will be the first crossing of Cape of Hope by Turkish ships after 148 years. The ships will travel for about 15,000 nautical miles approximately 30,000 km throughout their sail.
This deployment is not just a navigational exercise of circumnavigation around Africa. It is also a powerful application of Turkish soft power to Africa. During the last decade Turkey finally realized that there is more Africa than just the Mediterranean countries where Turkey had links for centuries. With the discovery of sub Saharan Africa Turkish entrepreneurs started to do business with these countries. They were followed quickly by missions of Turkish Foreign Ministry and flights from Turkish Airlines.
As I learn more about the details of the activities planed during this deployment more I understand how much background work must have been done to make this happen. Below are the some highlights of the planned activities:
Turkish defence companies Meteksan, Otokar, TAI, Dearsan, Havelsan, Roketsan, Aselsan, STM will show their products in following cities:
Thema, Ghana Lagos, Nigeria Luanda, Angola Dar es Salaam Tanzania Mombasa, Kenya
Turkish Ministry of Health will conduct health checks and provide medical assistance in following cities:
Banjul Gambia Dakar, Senegal, Port of Sudan, Sudan
Military music bands will perform concerts in following cities:
Las Palmas, Spain Conakry, Guinea Abidjan, Ivory Coast Pointe-Noire, Congo Cape Town, South Africa Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Mombasa, Kenya Djibouti, Djibouti Port of Sudan, Sudan
Members of Multinational Maritime Security Centre of Excellence will conduct maritime security and boarding training in following cities:
Lagos, Nigeria Pointe-Noire, Congo Luanda, Angola Simon’s Town, South Africa Mombasa, Kenya
There will be theoretical training in all ports of call.
Various high-ranking Turkish officers will visit their counterparts in 17 different cities.
This deployment of Barbaros TMTG is not just about hearts and minds either.
The frigate F-245 TCG Oruçreis will take part in Obangame Express Exercise between 19 and 21 April 2014. Obangame Express, conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa, is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea. It focuses on maritime interdiction operation, as well as visit, board, search, and seizure techniques.
The two frigates and the corvette will conduct live missile firing exercise in Denel Overberg Test Range between 5 and 9 May 2014. There they will test their skills to the limits.
And when the Barbaros TMTG reaches Gulf of Aden it will conduct anti piracy operations between 5 and 11 June 2014.
This deployment is one of most meticulous prepared foreign deployments of Turkish Navy and a text-book example how nations can use their military to gain affection abroad.
Today at DIMDEX 2014, the Naval Defence and Maritime Security exhibition currently held in Doha, the Qatar Coast Guard Services placed an order for 17 new fast patrol boast from Turkish company ARES Shipyard.
Further expanding on business relations between Qatar and Turkey, Deputy of Director Logistics Department, Brig. Abdullah Saad Al Kharji, representing the Ministry of Interior for the State of Qatar and Kerim Kalafatoglu, Chairman & Executive Director for ARES Shipyard, today signed an initial Memorandum of Understanding to deliver 17 new fast patrol boats within the next 56 months for the Qatar Coast Guard Services. ARES Shipyard are a specialist composite boat builder (though they also build in aluminium and steel) located on the southern shores of Turkey, in the Antalya Free-Zone.
The deal of 17 vessels consists in 10x "ARES 110 Hercules" multi-role patrol craft, 5x "ARES 75 Hercules" multi-role patrol craft and 2x "ARES 150 Hercules" multi-role patrol craft. These Fast Patrol Boats will be constructed using advanced composite materials and are expected to be completed within the next 5 years.
The "ARES 110 Hercules" multi-role patrol craft is intended for littoral and coastal waters law-enforcement, open sea rescue operations and naval duties. It is 33 meters in length and displaces 117 tons. Its maximum speed is 47 knots.
The much larger "ARES 150 Hercules" multi-role patrol craft is intended for offshore and littoral waters law-enforcement, open sea rescue operations and naval duties. It is 46 meters in length and displaces 245 tons. Its maximum speed is 40 knots. Navy Recognition learned during DIMDEX that Qatar Coast Guard Services has not made a final decision yet on sensors and weapon systems for the 3 types of vessels.
Le Qatar devient à nouveau client de la BITD turque, après la commande de patrouilleurs passée aux chantiers Yonka Onuk. Les navires, aussi en composite, sont actuellement en cours de fabrication-livraison.
Turkey expects to pick up the pace on its next-generation TF-2000 anti-air warfare frigate programme in the second half of 2014 with the launch of Phase 1 design studies.
Progress on the programme has been effectively stalled since a feasibility study for TF-2000 was completed by the Defence Industries Undersecretariat (SSM) in 2010. However, Mustafa Seker, head of the SSM's naval systems department, told IHS Jane's that the design process was now set to move forward following a long-awaited green light from the SSM's executive committee in late 2013.
"We have now got the necessary decision to start the TF-2000 Phase 1," he said.
I have received a copy of the press release made by Defense Industry Undersecretariat, after posting my blog about the Turkish LPD project.
I have created the below table with the information on the press release to make a comparison between the Spanish Juan Carlos, Australian Canberra and Turkish LPD, all based on the same Navantia design.
Canberra Juan Carlos Levent
Displacement (tons) 27.500 27.500 19.000
Length (meters) 230 230 200
Speed (knots) 19 21 20
Range (n. miles) 9.000 9.000 7.000
Crew 240 295 240
Please mind that the information about the Turkish LPD is estimations and may change during the course of the project.
The crew will be 190 sailors, 56 air crew, 50 medical staff, 200 command staff and up to 700 marines.
The LPD will be able to carry 13 MBT’s, 27 armored amphibious attack vessels, 6 armored personnel carriers and 33 truck in the garage bay.
The air component will consist of 4 at least 15 ton helicopters on the flight deck and 4 at least 15 ton helicopters or 3 UAV’s in the hangar.
Patrick H. 's insight:
Rappelons que le gouvernement turc vient de choisir l'alliance Navantia-Sedef pour ce futur bâtiment amphibie :
The tug A-576 TCG Değirmendere capsized inside the floating dock as she was being floated. 17 people injured and sadly 10 people was killed during this incident.
The tug was being overhauled on the floating dry dock in Alaybey Naval Shipyard in İzmir. According to news reports, on 23 December 2013 as the floating dry dock was lowered into water to allow TCG Değirmendere and some other minor craft to be floated out some of the keel blocks moved causing the tug to list to the port side first. The signal for abandoning the ships was given but some of the crew tried to balance the ship by its ballast tank. The crew of the tug and a 10 strong salvage team was trying to stabilize the ship when she capsized to starboard side. 17 people who were on the tug at time of the incident fell to the water and were injured by falling objects. The 10 who died were inside the engine room and were suffocated when the fire extinguishing systems automatically started to filling the space with carbon monoxide.
Both technical and juridical investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the incident.
Le chantier public Istanbul Naval Shipyard, qui a livré le 26 septembre à la marine turque sa seconde corvette du type Milgem, a gagné son bras de fer contre son concurrent privé RMK de Tuzla. Le gouvernement turc a, en effet, décidé maintenir chez INS la réalisation des deux prochains bâtiments de la série, que RMK Marine pensait obtenir. Cela, sur fond de polémique quant au coût des premières Milgem, que le chantier privé entendait produire pour un prix inférieur, ce qui n’était pas démontré. L’Etat a néanmoins fait le choix de ses chantiers publics, notamment pour des raisons politiques. Alors que RMK est une filiale du groupe Koç, un industriel turc de premier plan actif dans les domaines civils et militaires, le premier ministre Erdogan semble avoir voulu éviter de renforcer encore plus un géant national déjà très présent dans les différents secteurs de l’économie. Le choix de RMK aurait, de plus, fragilisé INS.
Ce dernier se voit donc offrir une nouvelle chance, bien qu’il n’ait pour le moment emporté qu’une bataille. Les Milgem doivent en effet être construites à huit exemplaires, les quatre dernières allant faire l’objet d’un nouvel appel d’offres. INS et RMK vont donc de nouveau fourbir leurs armes pour autour de ce marché.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article sur Mer et Marine :
L'article publié sur la "Newsletter navale" le 29 septembre annonçait déjà ces informations sur lesquelles on y voit désormais un peu plus clair grâce aux explications de Mer et Marine :
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Les russes avaient, en 2013, exprimé leurs craintes de voir, avec ce projet, l'équilibre militaro-politique régional déplacé en faveur de la Turquie et de ses alliés, dans la mesure où le canal artificiel risque de ne pas être soumis aux conditions de la convention de Montreux. On pourra lire l'analyse russe de cette affaire ici :
http://fr.sputniknews.com/french.ruvr.ru/2013_04_27/Deuxieme-Bosphore-la-cle-de-lhegemonie-americaine-en-mer-Noire/