Turks buy Rolls-Royce engines for navy ships

Özgür Ekşi ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

British company Rolls-Royce will supply engines and propulsion equipment for three new ships commissioned by the Turkish Navy, under a deal with a private Istanbul-based shipyard, Rolls-Royce sources said.

The deal between Rolls-Royce and Istanbul Denizcilik marks the first Turkish procurement of British equipment for the Navy since 1992, when Turkey bought British Tigerfish torpedoes.

Rolls-Royce officials would not disclose the financial terms of the deal on the grounds that negotiations were under way on similar contracts elsewhere. The total budget of the project is nearly 130 million euros.

Istanbul Denizcilik will design and build one Submarine Rescue Mother Ship (MOSHIP) and two Rescue and Towing Ships (RATSHIP) at their yard in Tuzla. Rolls-Royce will supply tunnel thrusters and retractable thrusters for all three vessels, as well as the main propulsion thrusters for MOSHIP.

After a long absence, British firms returned to the Turkish market in 2011 when they took part in the International Defense Fair in Istanbul. Turkey and Britain then signed a memorandum of understanding on defense industry cooperation during President Abdullah Gül’s high-profile visit to London in November 2011.