Turkey presents the first drone carrier ship, a first for the Mediterranean
Turkey unveiled an amphibious assault ship built to carry light aircraft and military drones on Monday. TCG Anadolu, 231 meters long and 32 meters wide, can accommodate combat helicopters and military drones, as well as 94 vehicles, including 13 tanks. It is a vessel that incorporates the design of the Spanish Juan Carlos, a multi-function vessel of a similar class, but the use of drones is a novelty in the Mediterranean sector.
“Turkish Bayraktar TB3 and Kizilelma drones and Hurjet light fighters will be able to take off and land on the vessel,” said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, campaigning for re-election in May. The TB3 is the piston-engine drone already widely used in Ukraine and Azerbaijan, while the Kizilelma is a new model, currently in the prototype stage, more advanced and equipped with a turbojet engine. The drone has two hardpoints capable of carrying a wide variety of missiles and bombs, making it suitable for reconnaissance and strike missions.
Erdogan said the new ship will allow Turkey to "carry out military and humanitarian operations to the four corners of the world, if necessary". The fact that it is an amphibious ship and aircraft carrier allows it great flexibility, even if obviously the formula has limitations. The maximum displacement is 27,000 tons, roughly the same as our Cavour but smaller than the Trieste, and the expected speed is 21 knots.
NATO member Turkey has significantly developed its defense industry in recent years, and Ankara has particularly boasted the success of its combat drones. Drones developed by the Baykar company – co-managed by one of Erdogan's sons and daughters – have been used in Azerbaijan, Libya and Ukraine. Kiev used them in the early hours of last year's Russian invasion.
China unveiled its first military drone carrier last year, reflecting the growing importance of unmanned aircraft in modern warfare. The future will be more and more of this type of means.
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The article Turkey presents the first drone carrier, a novelty for the Mediterranean comes from Scenari Economici .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/la-turchia-presenta-la-prima-nave-porta-droni-una-novita-per-il-mediterraneo/ on Wed, 12 Apr 2023 16:10:25 +0000.