The MİLGEM project, from the Turkish words Milli Gemi (National Ship), is a Turkish national warship program, the purpose of which is to build a modern littoral combat warship with indigenous anti-submarine warfare and high-seas patrol capabilities, extensively using the principles of stealth technology in its design.
The project covers construction of eight corvettes and four frigates for the Turkish Navy, with possible exports to other countries.The project is generally described as the subclasses of multi-purpose warships capable of sustaining a sea war in a littoral combat environment.
MİLGEM Project Office (MPO) of the Turkish Navy Research and Development Center Command (ARMERKOM) designed and developed the vessel platform. MİLGEM's design concept covers a multipurpose patrol warship, which can be deployed in a range of missions, including reconnaissance, surveillance, target identification, early warning, anti-submarine warfare, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air warfare, and amphibious operations. It features a steel hull and fragmentation resistant composite superstructure. Fore and aft masts and the funnel have been constructed with sea resistant aluminium alloys. The class ships are designed to fully operate at sea state 5 and partially operate at sea state 6. Reduction and management of the ship signatures was taken as the major input during the whole design phase. Many classified precautions were taken in order to reduce hydrodynamic, acoustic, magnetic, IR, radar signatures, and therefore, to achieve the specified level of stealth feature. Collective Protection Zones are designed to ensure the ships ability under NBC conditions. Locally designed degaussing system minimizes the magnetic signature for protection against the magnetic mines.
The design concept and mission profile of the MİLGEM class bears similarities with the Freedom class littoral combat ship developed by Lockheed Martin as the first member of the next generation of USN warships, though the MİLGEM class corvettes are more heavily armed, while the LCS-1 has a higher speed and variable mission modules.
| General characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Class and type: | Patrol and Anti-Submarine Warfare |
| Type: | Corvette |
| Displacement: | 2,300 tonnes |
| Length: | 99.56 m |
| Beam: | 14.40 m |
| Draft: | 3.89 m |
| Installed power: | Main: 31,640 kW CODAG Aux: 4 x 588 kW |
| Propulsion: | 1 gas turbine, 2 diesels, 2 shafts |
| Speed: | Economy: 15 knots Maximum: 30 knots |
| Range: | 3,500 nautical miles (6,480 km) @ 15 knots |
| Endurance: | 21 days with logistic support 10 days autonomous |
| Boats and landing craft carried: | 2 Rhib |
| Complement: | 93 including aviation officers, with accommodation for up to 106 |
| Sensors and processing systems: | Combat Management System: G-MSYS (GENESIS MİLGEM Savaş Yönetim Sistemi) |
| Electronic warfare and decoys: | SIGINT: ARES-2N Others: Laser/RF systems, ASW jammers, DG, SSTD |
| Armament: | Guns:
Anti-surface missiles:
Anti-aircraft missiles:
Torpedoes:
|
| Aircraft carried: | Hangar and platform for:
|
| Aviation facilities: | Capability of storing armaments, 20 tons of JP-5 aircraft fuel, aerial refueling (HIRF) and maintenance systems |
