On January 19, 2026, Turkish shipbuilding consortium TAIS signed an agreement with Qatar’s Barzan Holdings for two frigates at the DIMDEX 2026 exhibition in Doha, valued at approximately $1 billion USD. The vessels are intended for the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL).
TAIS posted the deal on its social media accounts, which was followed by Qatar MoD’s press release, including the cost of the agreements. The next day, Barzan Holdings posted on social media that the agreement is for the Indonesian Armed Forces. In June 2025, TAIS signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia for two I-class frigates during the Indo Defence 2024 exhibition.
According to information obtained by Naval News at the exhibition, the sixth and eighth frigates of the programโcorresponding to the second and fourth I-class frigatesโwill be exported to Indonesia. Within the MILGEM program, the first four vessels are ADA-class corvettes, while the fifth ship is the lead I-class frigate TCG ฤฐstanbul. Barzan Holdings is financing the deal: They will grant a loan to Indonesia for this Turkish frigate acquisition project.
The two frigates originally planned for delivery to the Turkish Navy as future TCG ฤฐzmir and TCG ฤฐรงel will therefore be transferred to the export program. TAIS will build two additional I-class frigates for the Turkish Navy, which will become the 13th and 14th ships of the MILGEM program. Currently, 7 frigates are under construction simultaneously at the shipyards affiliated with TAIS.
“H. E. Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al-Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs witnessed the signing of purchase agreement for two frigates between Barzan Holdings and the Turkish company TAIS, with the value of one billion US Dollars, on behalf of one of Barzan Holdingsโ international clients, in the presence of a number of senior officers and officials,” said Qatar MoD in a press release.
Tรผrkiye has previously exported four Ada-class corvettes to Pakistan, with deliveries underway, and has exported corvettes to Ukraine, Malaysia, and Romania under the broader MฤฐLGEM export program.
I-class frigate program
The I-class program was developed to replace Tรผrkiye’s ageing YAVUZ-class (MEKO 200TN-Track I) frigates as an evolution of the Ada-class corvettes under the MฤฐLGEM project. The lead ship, TCG ฤฐstanbul (F-515), was delivered to the Turkish Navy in January 2024. TAIS is currently constructing seven I-class frigates for the Turkish Navy, with three launched to date: TCG ฤฐzmir (F-516), TCG ฤฐzmit (F-517), and TCG ฤฐรงel (F-518). The fourth hull was launched in September 2025. Entry of the three frigates into service for the Turkish Navy is expected in 2027.
The I-class frigates measure 113.2 meters in length with a beam of 14.4 meters and a displacement of approximately 3,000 tons. The vessels employ CODAG propulsion, combining two MTU diesel engines with one LM2500 gas turbine, achieving speeds exceeding 29 knots. Endurance is rated at 5,700 nautical miles at 14 knots.
The platform integrates predominantly Turkish systems, with an indigenization rate approaching 80 percent. Primary weapons of the Turkish Navy version include ATMACA anti-ship missiles manufactured by Roketsan, a 76mm main gun, and the GรKDENฤฐZ close-in weapon system developed by Aselsan. The MฤฐDLAS vertical launch system accommodates HISAR air-defense missiles. Sensor suite features the CENK-S active electronically scanned array radar, while combat management is handled by HAVELSAN’s ADVENT system. Anti-submarine warfare capabilities include FERSAH sonar, MK 46 or ORKA lightweight torpedo, and HIZIR torpedo countermeasures system. The program involves approximately 220 Turkish companies across 150-plus systems.
