TCG Istanbul (F-515) traverses the Bosporus in celebration of the 100th year of the Turkish Republic
Class overview
Name	Istanbul class
Builders	Istanbul Naval Shipyard[1] Anadolu Shipyard[1] Sedef Shipyard[1] Sefine Shipyard[1]
Operators	Turkish Naval Forces  Indonesian Navy (future)[2]
Preceded by	Barbaros class
Cost	$500 million per unit
Built	2017–present
In commission	2024–present
Planned	Total 10: Turkey: 8 Indonesia: 2
Building	5
Completed	3
Active	1
General characteristics
Type	Multirole frigate
Displacement	3,100 tonnes[3]
Length	113.2 m (371 ft 5 in)[3]
Beam	14.40 m (47 ft 3 in)[3]
Draft	4.05 m (13 ft 3 in)[3]
Installed power	4 x 560kw Generator[4][3]
Propulsion	Combined diesel and gas (CODAG) arrangement: 1 x GE LM2500 Gas turbine[4][3] 2 x 5.766HP MTU Diesel Machine[4] 2 x Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP)[4]
Speed	Economy: 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)[3] Maximum: >29 kn (54 km/h; 33 mph)[3]
Range	5,700 nmi (10,600 km; 6,600 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)[3][4]
Boats & landing craft carried	2 x Rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB)[3]
Complement	123[3][4]
Sensors & processing systems	Radars: Aselsan Cenk-400N 2D GaN based solid-state transmit/receive modules AESA search radar with 1000 targets tracking capacity and ~400 km maximum range[5][6] Aselsan ALPER-200N LPI Surface Radar Aslesan AKREP-300N (AKR-D Block B-1/2) Fire Control Radar[7][6] Other systems: Aselsan SeaEye-AHTAPOT Electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting system[7] Aselsan PIRI-100 IRST Aselsan TAKS-100/76GFCS main gun fire control system ATMACA 100/AFCS anti-ship missile fire control system, HİSAR 100N/FCS air defence missile fire control system Aselsan KULAÇ Sounder system DEMES meteorological measurement system AHTAPOT-100 Electro-optical director, ANS 510-M gyro system,[8] LIAS 200-N Advanced Laser Warning Receiver System,[4] Infrared Trace Management System,[4] Sonar: Aselsan FERSAH 100N/MF hull mounted sonar[7] Communications: SATCOM, Link 11/16, Link 22 Local Area Network, Internal Communication System, Underwater phone[4][9] Combat Systems: Havelsan ADVENT Combat Management system,[4] GEMS Integrated combat system, IdentIFF M5 TPX & I/LR IFF system, AcroSAT Ku-120-M Satellite combat system, AcroSAT Ku-150-M Satellite combat system[8]
Electronic warfare & decoys	ESM: ASELSAN ARES 2N/NGE[10] ECM: Aslesan AREAS 2NC/E[10] ARES-NEWS Central management system Decoy: Aselsan HIZIR Torpedo countermeasures system[10] Aselsan KARTACA-N Decoy ejection system[8]
Armament	Guns: 1 × MKE 76 mm/62-caliber gun[4][11] or OTO Melara 76 mm Super Rapid (only on TCG Istanbul) main gun[12] 1 × Aselsan GOKDENIZ 35 mm dual barreled CIWS[13][4] 2 × Aselsan SMASH 200/25 25 mm RCWS[4] Anti-ship missiles: 4 × 4 (total 16) Atmaca anti-ship missiles[4] Vertical launching system: 16-cell MiDLAS vertical launching system for Istanbul (further ships may contain more VLS):[14][10] up to 16 SAPAN or SIPER Block 1 Surface-to-air missiles[4][15] or up to 64 smaller Hisar-D surface to air missiles Torpedoes: ZIPKIN 100/D Torpedo tube system[8] 2 × 324 mm (13 in) Double Torpedo launchers with Roketsan Orka or MK-46M5 Torpedoes[4]
Aircraft carried	Hangar and platform for: S-70B Seahawk ASW helicopter[3] KALKAN VTOL Titra Alpin 2

The Istanbul-class frigates (also known as TF-100, MILGEM II, İstif and I class) are a class of multirole frigates currently being constructed for the Turkish Naval Forces and the Indonesian Navy.^{[3] [16][17][18]} The ship class developed under the MILGEM national warship program with enhanced endurance and MiDLAS vertical launching system (VLS) for multi-role capability.^[10][2][19] Turkish company STM is the designer and prime contractor of the ship class.^[1][3] The class is also offered for export. Ships of the class are made by four Turkish shipyards. The frigate class is fast and highly maneuverable due to using of CODAG technology.^[3]

On 19 January 2017, the Turkish Navy held a ceremonial steel cut for the lead ship TCG Istanbul (F 515).^[20] Istanbul was laid down on 3 July 2017 and launched on 23 January 2021.^[21][10]

Design

The Istanbuls ^[22] have the guns, self protection and anti-submarine warfare systems of the Ada-class.^[23] but with twice the number of anti-ship missiles^[23] and will be equipped with the indigenous MDAS vertical launching system.^[10]

The first ship of the class, TCG Istanbul, was laid down on 19 January 2017. The fifth and largest modern warship to be both indigenously designed and built in Turkey under the MILGEM program, it is claimed that more than 75% of its systems are of indigenous manufacture.^[24] Its steel cutting ceremony was attended by Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Işık and senior military officers, including Admiral Bülent Bostanoğlu, Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces.^{[citation needed]}

Construction took six years and the vessel was commissioned into service on 19 January 2024.^[25][26]

History and background

The Istanbul class has its origins in the Turkish MILGEM project for developing national warships and warship building industry. The program calls for the construction of a warship family in three classes, where all vessels would be designed with high degree of commonality. The first product of the project emerged as the Ada-class anti-submarine/patrol corvette. The Istanbul class, originally known as the TF-100 class under the MILGEM-G designation, belongs to the second development phase, where the structure of the Ada class corvette is extended to host multi-role capabilities.^{[citation needed]}

Export

It was stated in Aselsan's 2023 Annual Report that the Istanbul-class frigate was exported to an unnamed Middle Eastern country.^[38]

Indonesian shipyard PAL Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding with TAIS Shipyards on procuring the Istanbul-class frigate in June 2025. Minister of Defense of Indonesia, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, signed the procurement contract for two frigates on 26 July 2025.^[39] On 19 January 2026, during the DIMDEX 2026 expo in Doha, Qatar, TAIS Shipyards signed a US$1 billion agreement with Barzan Holdings of Qatar to supply TCG İzmir and İçel to the Indonesian Navy. Barzan Holdings will provide the loan to Indonesia for the acquisition of the frigates.^[40] Turkish media Defence Turk claimed that the export agreement is yet to be confirmed as there are issues which are "under negotiation".^[41]

Ships in the class

See also

• List of frigate classes in service

References

External links

Media related to Istanbul class frigates at Wikimedia Commons