Slovenian patrol vessel Triglav, arriving in Tuzla. Photo: Enes Balcı. The Slovenian patrol vessel Triglav arrived at Desan Shipyard in Tuzla İstanbul yesterday. Triglav was built by Almaz Shipyard in Saint Petersburg and commissioned in Slovenian service in 2010. The Slovenian Ministry of Defence announced in February 2024 that it has selected three companies to modernise the Svetlyak class patrol vessel. The Turkish shipyard Desan has won the maintenance – replacement, repair, and upgrade of ship systems part of the tender for EUR 4,995,000.00. The Slovenian system integrator Panna Plus has ..read more

The ex M/V Oruç Reis-5 now in Turkish Navy with pennant Y-112. I don’t know its new name. However since there is a TCG Oruçreis in service the name of this vessel will change for sure. Photo: Selim San İstanbul Deniz Otobüsleri A.Ş. (İDO) was founded by the Municipality of Istanbul in 1987 as an alternative to Şehir Hatları, a state company that provided sea-borne transportation in Istanbul and other cities such as Çanakkale, İzmir, and İzmit. The aim of the company was to provide sea transportation using catamaran-type fast boats and ferries. In 2011, the company was privatized and sold to a ..read more

The atmospheric diving suit was lowered into the water from the submarine rescue ship TCG Alemdar, during Kurtaran 2024 exercise. Photo: Turkish Naval Forces. Turkish Navy conducted the Kurtaran 2024 exercise between 24 and 30 April 2024 near Aksaz Naval Base. This annual exercise is focused on conserving and honing the skill of rescuing submerged disabled submarines (DISSUB) sitting at the bottom of the sea. I think the scenarios applied in this year’s Kurtaran exercise are very similar to those in the Kurtaran 2019 exercise held 5 years ago at the same location. You can read my notes on that ..read more

TCG Yıldırım sailing northbound through Istanbul on 2 March 2024 for her Black Sea deployment. TCG Yıldırım conducted a port visit in Batumi Georgia last week. According to the Georgian Coast Guard, the purpose of the visit is to conduct a second level self-assessment (SEL-2) of the vessels Ochamchire and Dioskuria of the Coast Guard Department of the Border Police of Georgia within the framework of the NATO Operational Capability Concept Assessment and Feedback Program. The mentioned process is carried out with the support of representatives (evaluators) from the command of the Georgian ..read more

“Stop wayfarer! Unbeknownst to you this ground, You come and tread on, is where an epoch lies.” …The small Turkish steamer Nusret succeeded in laying unnoticed a line of 26 mines lying in front of the known minefields of the Straits. This mine line was not laid across the barrier canal, as in minefields, but in length. This line, was constituted, in fact with the last reserve of dormant mines which the Turks had. Their total value probably does not exceed six or seven thousand pounds. In all of Europe in 1915, millions of tin and riveted men to a death fight, large offensives were killed or w ..read more

TCG Istanbul sailing northbound through Istanbul to test the MIDLAS VLS system or board. The deployment of the newest frigate of the Turkish Navy, TCG Istanbul, in the Black Sea between March 2nd and March 12th, 2024, marked a significant milestone. During this deployment, TCG Istanbul conducted the inaugural shipborne launch of the Hisar-D RF air defence missile from the MIDLAS vertical launcher system. This system was developed by Roketsan in response to the unavailability of the USA-made Mk-41 VLS system to the Turkish Navy, embodying the proverbial sentiment that “necessity is the mother o ..read more

The German Frankentahl class mine hunter M-1064 FGS Grömitz is conducting a port visit in Istanbul. She is the first foreign warship to visit Istanbul this year. FGS Grömitz left her homeport Kiel, in early January and as the flagship of the NATO Standing Maritime Group Two Task Unit 01, she is taking part in the NATO operation in the Aegean Sea as part of the international efforts to stop illegal trafficking and migration. Using a 54,3-meter long ship as a flagship for a multinational operation is not common. This class of ships is designed to localize, identify, and neutralize all types of ..read more

On March 5, 2024, a contract signing ceremony took place at the Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition between the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces (QENF) and Dearsan Shipyard for the design and construction of 2 units of 50-meter fast attack craft. The Commander of the Qatari Naval Forces, Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Hassan Al Sulaiti, President of the Defense Industry, Professor Dr. Haluk Görgün, and Dearsan Shipyard Chairman, Mr. Aziz Yıldırım, took part in the ceremony. The 50-meter attack craft is based on the FAC 46 design of the shipyard. The vessels will be 50.7 meters long and 9.20 met ..read more

In this photograph captured in February 2022, TCG Sokullu Mehmet Paşa is seen departing her homeport in Tuzla for sea trials of the Aselsan Gökdeniz air defence system. The gun can be seen at the rear of the vessel under cover. The Turkish Navy announced that the Rhein class multi-purpose ship TCG Sokullu Mehmet Paşa was decommissioned on 25 February 2024. The ship was a patrol boat tender for the German Navy. She was built in Schlichting Shipyard in Traveminde as FGS Donau and commissioned to the German Navy in 1964. She was recommissioned into the Turkish Navy in 1997 and replaced her sister ..read more

The Turkish armored vehicle producer, Otokar, is showcasing the Tulpar Medium Tank equipped with the Leonardo HITFACT Mk II 120mm turret at the World Defence Show 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Designed as a versatile platform, the Tulpar can accommodate various configurations including a light tank, infantry fighting vehicle, armored personnel carrier, reconnaissance vehicle, command and control vehicle, air defense, ambulance, repair and recovery vehicle, mortar vehicle, and other variants. The Tulpar boasts a range of variants from 28,000 kg to 45,000 kg, meeting diverse global requirements ..read more