Launching of the first domestic frigate "Istanbul" (F-515) took place at one of the defense shipyards TurkeyPresident of the country Tayyip Erdogan attended the ceremony.
“Being strong militarily, economically and diplomatically is not so much a choice for us as a necessity,” Erdogan said, speaking at the launching ceremony of the frigate.
According to him, in 2002 the country was implementing 20 projects in the defense industry, today this number has grown to 700.
“We have become a country that, along with its own needs for land and sea equipment, also satisfies the needs of friendly and allied countries. We are among the 10 countries that can design, build and maintain their own warships. We are among the three or four leading countries in the production of drones, including strike drones, our drones are watched with envy all over the world,” the Turkish leader said.
Frigate "Istanbul" class I became the fifth military vessel launched under the national program for the construction of military ships - MİLGEM. In total, it is planned to build four frigates. Earlier, four Ada-class small combat vessels (corvettes) were launched in Turkey, but the Istanbul frigate is the first military vessel in its class. The length of the frigate is 113 meters, the width is 14,4 meters, the displacement is about three thousand tons. Unlike the Ada corvettes, the Istanbul frigate is equipped with a surface-to-air missile launch system. The frigate will be transferred to the command of the Turkish Navy in 2023.
