Türkiye advances in indigenous aircraft carrier project as construction phase begins

ANKARA

Türkiye has embarked on an ambitious endeavor to construct a next-generation aircraft carrier, with the nascent project, yet to be officially named, seeing its first concrete step materialize last month.

Having already commissioned TCG Anadolu, the world’s first UAV carrier, Türkiye resolved to initiate the conceptual design phase for its indigenous aircraft carrier during a defense industry committee meeting held under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Jan. 3, 2024, in the capital Ankara, according to a report by daily Hürriyet.

Subsequently, the navy’s design project office established a dedicated working group, comprising 110 personnel, to oversee the indigenous aircraft carrier initiative.

The conceptual design phase has since reached fruition and the project has transitioned into the construction phase. The steel cutting process, a pivotal milestone in shipbuilding, was conducted at Istanbul Shipyard last month.

Over 40 defense industry firms are poised to play a role in the vessel’s design and construction, according to the daily.

The carrier is projected to span 285 meters in length, 72 meters in beam, with a draft of 10.1 meters, displacement of 60,000 tons and an operational capacity of 50 aircraft.

At twice the scale of TCG Anadolu, the new carrier’s flight deck is engineered to accommodate 20 aircraft, while its hangar will house an additional 30.

The vessel will be manned by a contingent of approximately 800 personnel and boasts an endurance of 60 days at sea without resupply.

Crucially, this naval behemoth will augment Türkiye’s strategic projection beyond its territorial waters. It will enable sustained air operations independent of terrestrial bases, thereby amplifying the country’s sphere of influence, naval deterrence and aerial supremacy in maritime domains.

A defining advantage of this next-generation aircraft carrier is its ability to operate in international waters unimpeded by third-party territorial constraints, eliminating the necessity for overflight permissions from foreign states.

Designed to traverse as far as the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, the carrier will not be limited to military operations alone. It will serve as a multifaceted platform, capable of humanitarian aid missions, evacuation operations and disaster relief efforts, delivering air support and logistical capabilities across a broad spectrum of scenarios.

Upon completion, Türkiye will ascend to an elite echelon, joining the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom and China as the fifth nation capable of independently designing and constructing an aircraft carrier of 60,000 tons or greater displacement.

The TCG Anadolu incorporated a 70 percent indigenous content rate, whereas the forthcoming aircraft carrier aspires to surpass an 80 percent localization threshold.