Turkey’s carrier battlegroup takes shape

Turkey’s ambitious naval projects —an aircraft carrier, a destroyer and a submarine —signal a bold bid for naval power and geopolitical prestige.

This month, Naval News reported that the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the commencement of three significant naval projects: the MUGEM aircraft carrier, the TF-2000 destroyer and the MILDEN submarine.

Naval News mentions that the steel-cutting ceremonies for MUGEM and TF-2000 were held at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard, while the MILDEN ceremony took place at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard.

In terms of dimensions, Naval News states in a separate October 2024 report that the MUGEM carrier features an optimized hull form for superior seakeeping, stability and maneuverability, with a bow design that reduces fuel consumption by 1.5% and improves underwater noise propagation.

Naval News mentions that MUGEM will initially have three runways — two for takeoff and one for landing — without a catapult system. However, the report states that a modular ramp design will be used until a domestic catapult system is developed.

For its air wing, the report says the carrier can house up to 50 aircraft, including manned and unmanned systems, with space for 20 aircraft on the deck and 30 in the hangar.

In terms of armament, Naval News says the MUGEM will be armed with a 32-cell MIDLAS Vertical Launch System, four Gökdeniz Close-in Weapon Systems (CIWS) and six Aselsan 25-millimeter STOP Remote Weapon Systems.

Naval News says that the MUGEM carrier’s dimensions include a length of 285 meters, a beam of 72 meters, a draft of 10.1 meters, a displacement of 60,000 tons, a maximum speed of over 25 knots, a cruising speed of 14 knots and a range of 10,000 nautical miles at cruising speed.

Alongside the