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Ada (English: Island) or Milgem class corvette, from the Turkish words Milli Gemi (National Ship), is the name of one of two Turkish national warship programs (the other being the TF-2000 project); the purpose of which is to build a modern littoral combat warship with indigenous capabilities, extensively using the principles of stealth technology in its design. Construction of the first Milgem class corvette, F-511 TCG Heybeliada, began on 26 July 2005. TCG Heybeliada was put to sea with a ceremony on September 27, 2008 (during which the construction of F-512 TCG Buyukada, the second Milgem class warship, also began) and is scheduled to be completed by 25 October 2010, when it will start undergoing full sea trials before being officially commissioned. F-511 TCG Heybeliada is expected to enter service in early 2011. A total of twelve Milgem class warships (eight corvettes and four frigates) will be built for the Turkish Navy, with possible exports to other countries
Evolution of the Milgem program
When the Milgem project was officially launched in 1996, the initial plan was to locally build MEKO A-100 corvettes of Blohm+Voss, a German shipbuilding company which specializes in building high technology warships and submarines.
In the early 2000s, the partnership plan with Blohm+Voss was shelved and the Turkish Navy decided to design and build a completely indigenous corvette. Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command executes and coordinates the design, development and construction works of the Milgem project since 12 March 2004.
The design concept and mission profile of Milgem bears similarities with the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS-1) developed by Lockheed Martin as the first member of the next generation of USN warships.
Ada class corvette / F-100 class frigate
Eight of the twelve Milgem class warships will be named the Ada class and will be classified as corvettes, while four of them will be named the F-100 class and will be classified as frigates.
The F-100 class will feature a slightly larger hull and will be equipped with the Mk.41 VLS and ESSM, along with other additional systems for improved multi-role combat capabilities. The Mk.41 VLS (Vertical Launching System) is capable of firing RIM-66 Standard, RIM-162 ESSM and VL ASROC missiles, and the F-100 class frigates will be used as a testing platform for the new class of four indigenous AAW frigates of the Turkish Navy, known as the TF-2000 program. The experience and technological know-how gained with the Milgem project will play an important role in determining the design characteristics and the development process of the TF-2000 class frigates, as well as the selection of the systems and equipment which will be used on these ships.
Launch
TCG Heybeliada (F-511), the lead ship of the Milgem class corvettes and frigates, was launched on September 27, 2008, with a ceremony that was attended by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an. According to the planned schedule, TCG Heybeliada will enter service in early 2011, when the sea trials and tests of the weapon systems will be completed.
Meanwhile, production of the second Milgem class warship, TCG Buyukada (F-512) has also commenced on September 27, 2008. F-512 will incorporate the ASELSAN radar (instead of the SMART-S Mk2) and also use the Mk.41 VLS. F-512 will be the prototype for the F-100 class multi-role frigates.
Export
According to a CNN Turk news report on September 27, 2008, the navies of Canada, Pakistan, Ukraine and a number of South American countries have expressed interest in acquiring Milgem class warships. Pakistan will acquire 4 Milgem class corvettes over a 10-year program, of which 3 will be manufactured in local shipyards.
Name: Milgem (Ada class / F-100 class)
Building: 2
Planned: 12
General characteristics
Type: Corvette / Frigate
Displacement: 2200+ tons (Milgem) 3500+ tons (TF-100)
Length: 99.00 m
Beam: 14.40 m
Draught: 3.75 m
Propulsion: 1 gas turbine, 2 diesels, 2 shafts, 30,000 kW
Speed: Economy: 15 knots
Maximum: 29+ knots
Range: 3,500 nautical miles (6,480 km) @ 15 knots
Endurance: 21 days with logistic support, 10 days autonomous
Complement: 93 including aviation officers, with accommodation for up to 104
Sensors and processing systems:
Fire control: G-MSYS (GENESIS Milgem Sava? Yonetim Sistemi)
Search radar: SMART-S Mk2
Other sensors: X-Band radar, fire control radar, navigation radar, LPI radar, sonar
Navigation and communication systems:
Electronic Navigation, SatCom, ECDIS/WECDIS, GPS, LAN
Combat Management System: GENESIS (Gemi Entegre Sava? ?dare Sistemi)
Navigation and ship control: EPK?S (Entegre Platform Kontrol ve ?zleme Sistemi)
Integrated Platform Management System: Imtech UniMACS 3000
Electronic warfare and decoys:
EW radar, Laser/RF systems, ASW jammers, DG, SSTD
Armament:
Guns: 1 x 76 mm (retractable for lower radar cross section, guidance by fire control radar and electro-optical systems), A position
2 x 12.7 mm Aselsan STAMP Stabilized Machine Gun Platform (guidance by Laser/IR/TV and electro-optical systems, automatic and manual modes), B position
Anti-surface missile: 8 x Harpoon Missile (or RBS15 Mk.III)
Anti-aircraft missile: 21 x RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile) PDMS
Torpedoes: 2 x 324 mm Mk.32 triple launchers for Mk.46 torpedoes
Aircraft carried:
Hangar and platform for S-70-B2 Sea Hawk ASW helicopters and/or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), with the capability of storing armaments, 20 tons of JP-5 aircraft fuel, aerial refueling (HIRF) systems and maintenance systems |
