The ''Istif''-class frigates are a group of eight multirole

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

s currently being constructed for the

Turkish Naval Forces The Turkish Naval Forces (), or Turkish Navy (), is the naval warfare service branch of the TAF. The modern naval traditions and customs of the Turkish Navy can be traced back to 10 July 1920, when it was established as the ''Directorate o ...

. Developed under the MILGEM national warship program as the I-class frigate, the ''Istanbul'' class is an enlarged version of the anti-submarine corvette, with enhanced endurance and MIDLAS Vertical Launching System (VLS) for multi-role capability. On 19 January 2017, Turkish Navy held a ceremonial steel cut for the

lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships that are all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very comple ...

TCG ''Istanbul'' (F 515). ''Istanbul'' was

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...

on 3 July 2017 and launched on 23 January 2021.

History and background

The ''Istif'' class has its origins in the Turkish MILGEM project for developing national warships and warship building industry. The program calls for the construction of a warship family in three classes, where all vessels would be designed with high degree of

commonality In aviation, fleet commonality is the economic and logistic benefits of operating a standardized fleet of aircraft that share common parts, training requirements, or other characteristics. Different types of commonality Commonality policies ...

. First product of the project emerged as Ada-class anti-submarine/patrol corvette. The ''Istanbul'' class, originally known as the TF-100 class under MILGEM-G designation, belongs to the second development phase, where structure of the Ada class vessel is extended to host multi-role capabilities.

Design

The ''Istif'' class is an enlarged variant of the Ada class and will feature a slightly larger hull for improved endurance. In addition to retaining the guns, self protection and

anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in the older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations ar ...

systems of the Ada class, the ''Istif'' class will have twice the number of anti-ship missiles and will be equipped with the indigenous MDAS

vertical launching system A vertical launching system (VLS) is an advanced system for holding and firing missiles on mobile naval platforms, such as surface ships and submarines. Each vertical launch system consists of a number of ''cells'', which can hold one or mo ...

, capable of firing HISAR and other missiles, along with other systems for improved multi-role combat capabilities. The experience and technological know-how gained with the ''Istanbul'' class will play an important role in determining the design characteristics and the development process of the TF-2000-class destroyers, as well as the selection of the systems and equipment which will be used on these significantly larger and more capable warships. The first ship of the class, TCG ''Istanbul'', was laid down on 19 January 2017. The fifth and largest modern

warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is used for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as b ...

to be both indigenously designed and built in Turkey, it is claimed that at least 75% of its systems will be of indigenous manufacture. Its steel cutting ceremony was attended by Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Işık and senior military officers, including Admiral Bülent Bostanoğlu, Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces. Construction took six years and the vessel was commissioned into service on 19 January 2024.

Export

It was stated in Aselsan 2023 Annual report that İstif class frigate was exported to an unnamed Middle Eastern country.

Ships in the class

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Istanbul Class Frigate Frigate classes Proposed ships Frigates of the Turkish Navy

History and background

Design

Export

Ships in the class

See also

References