The Turkish Navy will develop new,
intermediate-class frigates, the TF100, that would replace the German-made
Mekos. The new frigates will be deployed to the Aegean and Black Sea in the
next decade.
“Our new main frigate will remain the TF2000. The TF100, when built,
would be a follow-up to the German Meko-class frigates
and would be something smaller and simpler for transition to the TF2000 air
defense frigates,” said a senior official at Turkish defense ministry. (Hurriyet
Daily News, 21 December)
The roughly 3,500-ton Meko 200-type frigates entered service in the 1990s. Turkey has about 10 of these frigates. The Turkish Navy will need to replace them with the new one, like the proposed TF100s, around 2020.
The star of the Turkish Navy will be the four-plus-four TF2000 air
defense frigates that are scheduled to be deployed in the 2020s.
Turkey will also continue to produce to Milgem-class corvettes. The
TCG Heybeliada has already joined the Navy and the TCG Buyukada has been put to
sea.
File photo: Turkish naval ships (AA Photo/ Hurriyet Daily News)
