Turkish Navy’s dream for several decades came true. TCG Anadolu, which will assume the flagship role, officially entered the service for the Turkish Navy. The delivery was announced on January 21, 2023, but the ceremony was conducted on April 10 due to the ongoing tests, and the schedule of the Turkish officials.
The steel cutting ceremony of three I-class frigates, awarded last week to the partnership STM-TAIS, also took place following the commissioning ceremony of TCG Anadolu.
The Turkish President was the chief guest at the ceremony, along with other high-level participants, including ministers, senior leadership, defense company representatives and Turkish Navy officials. Speaking on the occassion, President Erdogan emphasized that Anadolu will be the first UCAV carrier ship among its other capabilities.
“The TCG Anadolu, which we have commissioned, is the first warship in the world in this area where drones can land and take off with the largest and heaviest helicopters. She has features that will enable us to conduct military and humanitarian operations in any corner of the world if needed.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkiye
Erdogan also underlined other projects of the Turkish defense industry and stated that the defense budget will reach $75 billion in the following period.
The Chief of the Turkish Navy, Admiral Ercument Tatlioglu, stated in his speech that taking TCG Anadolu into the service is a result of the Turkish Navy’s “from the motherland to the open seas” policy. He also gave information about the capacity of the new flagship. He underlined that Anadolu features a 9.200 meter-square area for air assets.
“Depending on the operation, TCG ANADOLU can deploy 12 manned or unmanned combat aircraft, 21 different types of helicopters, and UCAVs as air assets. As land vehicles, she can deploy 13 tanks, 27 amphibious assault vehicles, 6 armored personnel carriers, 33 various light and heavy vehicles, and 15 trailers in her deck. Anadolu is also carry 4 LCMs and 2 LCVPs”
Admiral Ercument Tatlioglu, Chief of the Turkish Naval Operations
TCG Anadolu‘s Steel Cutting Ceremony took place on April 30, 2016, and the keel laying of the first blocks took place on February 5, 2018, as planned. On May 4, 2019, the new LHD was launched from dry dock. On 04 March 2022, the Turkish Navy raised the Turkish flag on the LHD, and she completed her first “technical voyage” on 07 March 2022. TCG Anadolu began the sea trials in June 2022, and her delivery to the Turkish Navy was completed on January 21, 2023.
TCG Anadolu: The first UAV Carrier in the world
TCG Anadolu has reportedly planned to be transformed into a drone carrier after the U.S. broke the partnership with Turkiye on the F-35 JSF project. As a result, Baykar, a Turkish drone manufacturer, announced in early 2021 that it was working on a specific UCAV called TB-3, an improved and folding-wing version of the combat-proven TB2 drone that would be deployed aboard TCG Anadolu.
The TCG Anadolu will be the largest ship of the Turkish Navy with a length of 231 meters, a width of 32 meters and a displacement of 27,436 tons and will strengthen the Turkish Navy’s force projection capabilities. The ship will have a top speed of 20.5 knots and a range of 9000 nautical miles when fully loaded.