A significant step has been taken, once again demonstrating Türkiye's strength and determination in the defense industry. The MİLGEM İstif Class frigates İZMİR (F-516) and İZMİT (F-517), built under the coordination of the Presidency of Defense Industry and through a partnership between TAİS and STM, were launched on January 10-11, 2025.
These new ships will further strengthen the Turkish Navy, following the previously delivered TCG ISTANBUL (F-515), the first of the stacking-class ships.
The İstif-class frigates, equipped with a local content rate exceeding , will represent the success of Turkish engineering with high technology in the world's seas. These new members of the Turkish navy will play an important role in protecting the Blue Homeland and will strengthen Türkiye's independence at sea.
The Head of the Defense Industry, Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, announced this important development via the X platform, stating, "The unwavering guardians of the Blue Homeland have met the sea!" Görgün also expressed his gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his support and thanked the companies, subcontractors, and personnel of the Presidency of Defense Industry, including TAİS, STM, Anadolu Shipyard, Sedef Shipyard, Sefine Shipyard, ASELSAN, and HAVELSAN, for their contributions to the project's success.
The MİLGEM project, which enhances Türkiye's power at sea, also showcases the country's domestic and national production capacity in the defense industry. Equipped with advanced technology and domestically produced weapon systems, these frigates and corvettes represent a critical step in the modernization of Türkiye's naval forces.
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