On January 10, 2011, Turkey signed a loan agreement in the amount of € 2.19 billion ($ 2.9 billion) to finance a program to build six submarines.
Back in 2009, Istanbul signed a contract with Hovaldswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (a division of ThyssenKrupp Marin Systems AG) and Marinforce International LLP (MFI) for the supply of kits for the construction of 6 Type 214 submarines with an air-independent main power installation.
The construction of the submarine will be carried out at the Gelcuk naval shipyard in the Izmit region (Turkey), under the leadership of a consortium formed by HDW and MFI. Previously, this shipyard built 11 Type-209 submarines for the Turkish Navy. It is planned that the first Type-214 submarine will be delivered to the Turkish Navy in 2015.
Modern submarine fleet of the Turkish Navy
At present, the Turkish submarine fleet includes 6 submarines of the German project 209/1200 of the Atylay type (built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, HDW). They entered the fleet from 1975 to 1989.
The performance characteristics of the project 209/1200
Displacement: 990 t - surface and 1200 t - underwater;
Length - 56 m;
Width - 6 m;
Draft - 5.5 m;
The highest surface speed - 10, underwater - 22 knots;
Cruising range - up to 5000 miles at a speed of 8 knots;
The single-shaft power plant of the ship consists of four diesel generators (DG) with a capacity of 1000 hp each. each, and the main propulsion electric motor (GED) with a capacity of 5000 hp;
Armament consists of eight 533-mm torpedo tubes with ammunition load up to 20 torpedoes;
Crew - 33 people.
According to the Turkish fleet modernization program, by 2015, all Atylai will undergo rearmament at Turkish shipyards, they will be equipped with ship-to-ship missiles of the Harpoon type, which can be fired from torpedo tubes.
The Turkish Navy has 8 Project 209/1400 submarines of the Prevez class. They were built at Turkish shipyards according to a German, albeit improved design. They were commissioned from 1994 to 2007.
Performance characteristics of the submarine of project 209/1400 of the "Prevez" type
Displacement - up to 1464/1586 t;
The highest surface speed - 10, underwater - 22 knots;
Length - 62 m, width - 6, 2 m;
Draft 5, 5 m;
The cruising range is 5000 miles, but at half the speed, i.e. only 4 knots;
The power plant on the Prevez-class submarines consists of four MTU 12V396 SB83 diesel generators of 900 hp each. and one power plant with a capacity of 4000 hp;
Crew - 35 people;
Armament: 8 533-mm torpedo tubes and Mk37 torpedo ammunition on Prevez reduced to 14 units, for the sake of placing another 6-8 Harpoon missile launchers on board the boat or completely replacing its torpedo ammunition with rocket ammunition, allowing firing from torpedo tubes …
The boat is even less noisy than Atylai, and due to its small dimensions it is also difficult to detect. The low autonomy and low underwater speed of Turkish boats are compensated by the increasing combat effectiveness due to the introduction of the Harpoon anti-ship missiles into the ammunition load. The downside of this weapon is that Ankara is completely dependent on the US in terms of technology: missiles, containers, test and auxiliary equipment, spare parts, technical documentation for anti-ship missiles are all from the States. The Pentagon continues to train Turkish naval personnel, provide technical support for UGM-84L missiles and perform other tasks for the material support of anti-ship missiles. Preveza are also planning to improve, for example: they will be able to install minefields.
Gradually 6 submarines of the "Atylay" type will be replaced by 6 submarines with air-independent power plants of project 214/1500 of the German-British consortium HDW - MFI. This will happen between 2015 and 2025.
TTX project 214/1500
Length - 63 m;
Width - 6, 3 m;
Submerged displacement of 1700 tons;
The maximum submerged speed will be no more than 20 knots;
The number of the crew will be reduced to 27 people;
The number of torpedo tubes is 8, they will be used for firing torpedoes, underwater launch missiles and for mine laying.
The boat is capable of diving to a depth of 400 m.
The design of the engines and the special coating of the submarine's hull will reduce the level of its noise captured by the hydroacoustics. The submarines will be built at Turkish shipyards, the modular principle of its design will contribute to the further modernization of this boat series by Turkish shipbuilders.
This size and composition allows Ankara to fully control the area of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, the entire Black Sea basin. The Turkish command envisaged such a plan for the modernization of the submarines in service and the commissioning of new submarines, which makes it possible to keep at least 13-14 submarines on alert at the same time. They can go out to sea and deliver a torpedo or missile strike at the enemy.
To support the submarine, in terms of rescue operations, a series of 4 special vessels MOSHIP (literally - mother ship, mother ship) is being built, designed to carry out search and rescue operations to rescue crews and failed, damaged or sunk at a depth of up to 600 m underwater boats. The Turkish command believes that a maximum of 72 hours is enough for the new mother ship to carry out a successful rescue operation, to raise the crew of the shipwrecked boat to the surface or to ensure the survivability of a submarine lying on the ground (drifting) for the time during which the crew with MOSHIP specialists will cope with malfunctions. The vessel will be able to reach any point in the operational responsibility zones of the Turkish Navy in the Black Sea or the Mediterranean Sea within 2 days. The MOSHIP vessel has an abundance of decompression and emergency recompression facilities. In particular, in its pressure chamber, designed for 32 people, almost the entire team of submarines of projects 209/1400 or 214 is placed. A crane with a telescopic boom with a lifting capacity of 35 tons is capable of receiving cargo on the aft deck of a ship with an area of 314 sq. m at sea state up to 6 points.
Performance characteristics of the vessel MOSHIP
Cruising range up to 4500 miles (at 14 knots);
Maximum travel speed - up to 18 knots;
The length of the rescue vessel at the waterline - 82.5 m;
Width - 20.4 m;
Draft - 5.0 m;
Displacement - 4500 tons.
Given the sad state of the submarine forces of other states in the Black Sea: Georgia and Abkhazia have no submarines, Bulgaria 1 Submarine (also in a practically incapacitated state, in continuous repair), Russia 2 submarines ("Alrosa", "Prince George" - they plan to write it off). True, the Black Sea Fleet has 3 large anti-submarine ships and 7 small ones, which somewhat strengthens its position. The Turkish submarine fleet has an overwhelming superiority in the Black Sea.
Promises were made to strengthen the Black Sea Fleet with new frigates, corvettes, artillery ships and non-nuclear submarines. But it must be remembered that Turkey has gone far in the development of its submarine fleet. In order for the Black Sea Fleet to argue on the topic "Who is the master of the sea", it is necessary to commission the Black Sea Fleet at least 1 submarine per year (15-20 years), while not writing off old ones. This is given the fact that the Black Sea Fleet must also respond to the challenges of the era in the Mediterranean.
