Navy set to commission new submarine

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is set to attend the inauguration of the Aksaz Shipyard Command in the country's Aegean province of Muğla, accompanied by a ceremonial commissioning of naval platforms, which will see the country integrate a new submarine into its fleet.

The ceremony, scheduled for Aug. 24, will mark the commissioning of the Pirireis, the first of six “Reis” class submarines, meticulously constructed under a domestic submarine project. The Pirireis submarine derives its name from an eminent Ottoman mariner and cartographer.

The remaining five submarines in the project are slated for phased deployment over the next four years, according to the defense sources.

Meanwhile in the ceremony, the Hızırreis submarine will commence its flag-raising and sea trial phases, and the Muratreis submarine will begin dock outfitting operations.

Additionally, the fuel vessels and the world's largest 3,000-ton submarine dock will be brought into service.

The Reis class submarines, among the most advanced in the Turkish Navy, were initiated under a resolution by the Defense Industry Executive Committee in June 2005. The Pirireis, the first of its class, was launched in 2019.

These submarines, designed with a low acoustic signature, are approximately three meters longer than standard submarines, measuring 67.6 meters in length. Excluding periscopes, their height is 13.1 meters, with an underwater displacement of 2,013 tons. The vessels can achieve a surface speed exceeding 10 knots and a submerged speed surpassing 20 knots, with a crew capacity of 27.