https://www.bairdmaritime.com/work-...orld/4653-feature-turkish-navy-s-new-spy-ship
TURKISH NAVY’S NEW SPY SHIP
Although not often recognised as a maritime power, Turkey has for many years operated a powerful naval force.
The Turkish Navy’s contemporary order of battle features more than 100 combat assets, including submarines, frigates, missile-armed fast attack craft and mine warfare vessels, and there are numerous new warships in build.
Due for completion in 2021 is the indigenously-built light aircraft carrier
Anatolia. Under construction by Selef Shipbuilding, it is based on the Royal Spanish Navy’s
Juan Carlos 1 amphibious warfare vessel
, and will operate F-3B Lightning II fighter bombers.
Turkey’s’ naval commitments include participation in NATO and multilateral operations and exercises, and membership of the United Nations’ UNIFIL Maritime Task Force, which carries out security patrols off Lebanon. Long-term tensions between Ankara and Athens are another important reason why the country retains a large naval force.
Now comes news that Turkey will quite soon be joining that elite group of navies which operate dedicated signal intelligence gathering (SIGINT) vessels.
Launched at the Tuzia shipyard on February 9, 2019 was the, “trials, training and intelligence vessel”
Ufuk. Speaking at the launching ceremony, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan left no doubt that the ship’s main role will be SIGINT, and stated that developments in Syria, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea meant that there was an urgent requirement for such an asset.
Analysts believe that the new vessel will also have some focus on the divided nation of Cyprus, particularly in view of Ankara’s reported displeasure over Nicosia’s current prospecting for oil in the seaways off the Mediterranean island.
Ufuk has a length of 99.5 metres, and displaces 2,400 tonnes. The ship’s design is based upon that of Turkey’s Ada-class frigates, but it is powered by diesel engines, which enable a top speed of just 18 knots, rather than by gas turbines. There is a stern flight deck to support operations by a light helicopter, but no hangar.
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https://turkishnavy.net/2019/02/10/tcg-ufuk-launched/
TCG Ufuk Launched
The previously
unnamed test and evaluation ship has now a name and a pennant number: A-591 TCG
Ufuk.
The ship, the first one in Turkish Navy to bear that name, was launched on 9th February 2019.
TCG
Ufuk shows a striking resemblance to Ada class corvettes. Even some main physical attributes like the length, width, drought of the ships are the same. Here is a comparison chart:
--------------------TCG Ufuk---------Ada Class
Length (meters) -----99,5--------------99,5
Width (meters) ------14,4--------------14,4
Draft (meters) --------3,6---------------3,9
Displacement (tons) 2400--------------2300
Speed (knots) --------18+ --------------29+
Two most obvious differences between this ship and the Ada class corvettes are that that TCG
Ufuk doesn’t have any weapons. The test and evaluation ship does have a flight deck to support 10-tonne class helicopters but does not have a hangar.
According to news reports, TCG
Ufuk will have an all diesel main propulsion whereas the Ada class ships have a combined gas turbine and diesel engines as main propulsion. The top speed is given as 18+ knots, which is considerably slower than 29 knots top speed of Ada class corvettes.
During the launching ceremony, the President of Turkey Mr. Erdoğan told that this ship was the first intelligence gathering ship built by national means and mentioned the importance of signal intelligence.
The intelligence gathering mission of this ship may explain why the ship will have a 100 tons more displacement compared to Ada class corvettes despite having no weapons and the sensors associated with fire control and why its construction was not published much compared to other defense industry projects.
The commissioning of TCG
Ufuk is scheduled for July 2020.
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https://turkishnavy.net/2019/02/05/test-and-evaluation-ship-takes-shape/
Test And Evaluation Ship Takes Shape
A CGI image of the Test and Evaluation Ship showing her general configuration. The lack of weapons, the enclosure of the section between the funnel and the mast are particularly striking features.
The project was first made public in a presentation made by Undersecreteriat for Defence Industries, (SSM) during the 7th Naval Systems Seminar in 2017. SSM simply told that they have signed a contract for a Test and Evaluation Ship.
More information was released in a presentation made by the engineering company STM during the same event. According to STM, they are the main contractor of a project, where one Test and Evaluation Ship (TaES) will be constructed by Istanbul Denizcilik Shipyard. The ship will have hull form of Ada class corvettes. Aselsan, as a subcontractor is responsible for the manufacturing of the mission systems to be used on board.
STM also shared the above photo. The ship showed there has a striking resemblance to Ada class corvettes. Two most obvious differences between this ship and the Ada class corvettes are this ship doesn’t have a gun in A position and any other weapons. The space between the mast and the funnel, where 8 Harpoon missiles are installed in Ada class ships doesn’t exist in the TaES. The aft of the superstructure is also slightly different. The superstructure aft of the funnel is larger since the TaES doesn’t have the STAMP remote-controlled gun system and anti-torpedo countermeasures system, the deck on which these systems are installed is added to the hull.
According to news reports, the TaEs will have an all diesel main propulsion whereas the Ada class ships have a combined gas turbine and diesel engines as main propulsion. The top speed of the TaES will be lower than Ada class corvettes.
Since TaES shares the same hull and superstructure of the Ada class corvettes, I believe the physical measurements of the TaES will be same or very similar of Ada class ships.
On the left are the mast and forward superstructure of the first Ada class corvette TCG Heybeliada. On the right are the mast and the forward structure of the Test and Evaluation Ship. Although the shape is similar, the number of supports on the mast of the TaES is much more compared to TCG Heybeliada. Obviously, more sensors will installed on TaES.
The stern view of the TaES and TCG Heybeliada. The TaES does have a flight deck and a hangar. But the shape of the superstructure at the aft is different.