Turkey Introduces New Warship – the Drone Carrier

Submitted by tatwood on Sat, 04/29/2023 - 15:23

Gcaptain.com reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used a ceremony showcasing a new military carrier to burnish his defense credentials ahead of close-run general elections next month. Erdogan recently presided over the commissioning of Turkey’s first drone, tank, and helicopter carrier, the TCG Anadolu, near Istanbul. It is part of the latest display of home-grown defense equipment including prototypes of new fighters and drones.

On Monday, Erdogan presided over the commissioning of Turkey’s first drone, tank, and helicopter carrier, the TCG Anadolu, near Istanbul. It is part of the latest display of home-grown defense equipment including prototypes of new fighter jets and drones.

The backstory: Ankara’s original plan was to deploy F-35 B-model fighter jets, which can take off from shorter runways, on its largest warship. But its plans had to change after the United States removed Turkey, a NATO ally, from its F-35 program over Ankara’s purchase of Russian S-400 defense systems in 2019. Turkey then converted TCG Anadolu into a drone carrier.

The carrier is expected to increase Turkey’s operational capabilities in the Aegean and the Mediterranean, where tensions run high over territorial rifts with Greece and Cyprus. Erdogan’s seeking to bolster support from nationalist voters ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14. The multipurpose Amphibious Assault Ship TCG Anadolu is able to transport the necessary combat and support vehicles to crisis areas with an amphibious battalion. Story and photos via Gcaptain.com, Bloomberg and courtesy of the Turkish Navy.

Our thanks to CDR David Place (USN/Ret), davidplace47[at]gmail[dot]com, and Robin E. Alexander, President ATC, alexander technical[at]gmail[dot]com, for their assistance with this report, the background for which appeared in their  # 23 - 5 - 21 APRIL 2023 edition of the UNMANNED SYSTEMS NEWS (USN). Thanks also to CAPT Julio Guiterrez (USN/Ret) for sourcing this information.

David distributes the USN, a free, comprehensive newsletter in PDF format every week or two, as well as serial news flashes, from which this NREF news update was sourced. To be included in his distribution, simply send a subscribe request to davidplace47[at]gmail[dot]com.