Milgem
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Milgem, from the Turkish words Milli Gemi (National Ship), is the name of the Turkish corvette program; the purpose of which is to build a modern corvette with indigenous capabilities. Construction of the first Milgem class corvette, TCG Heybeliada, began on 26 July 2005. TCG Heybeliada will be put to sea on 23 August 2007 and is scheduled to be completed by 25 October 2010, when it will start undergoing full sea trials before being officially commissioned. A total of twelve Milgem class corvettes will be built for the Turkish Navy, with possible exports to other countries.
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[edit] 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. İstanbul 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.
[edit] Technical specifications of Milgem
Displacement: 2,000 t
Dimensions: 99.00 m x 14.40 m x 3.75 m
Propulsion: 1 gas turbine, 2 diesels, 2 shafts, 30,000 kW
Economic speed: 15 knots
Maximum speed: 29+ knots
Range: 3,500 nautical miles @ 15 knots
Endurance: 21 days with logistic support, 10 days autonomous
Sensors: 3D search radar, X-Band radar, fire control radar, navigation radar, LPI radar, sonar
Electronic warfare: EW radar, Laser/RF systems, ASW jammers, DG
Navigation and communication systems: Electronic Navigation, SatCom, ECDIS/WECDIS, GPS, LAN
Fire control: G-MSYS (Genesis Milgem Savaş Yönetim Sistemi)
Navigation and ship control: EPKİS (Entegre Platform Kontrol ve İzleme Sistemi)
Cannons: 1 x 76 mm (guidance by fire control radar and electro-optical systems, retractable for lower radar cross section), 2 x 12.7 mm (guidance by Laser/IR/TV and electro-optical systems, automatic and manual modes)
Missiles: 8 x Harpoon Missile, 21 x RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile) PDMS
Torpedoes: 2 x 324 mm Mk.32 triple launchers for Mk.46 torpedoes
Aviation: Hangar and platform for S-70-B2 SeaHawk 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
Crew: 93 including aviation officers (with accommodation for 104)
[edit] Future applications
There are plans of adding a Mk.41 VLS (Vertical Launching System) which is capable of firing ESSM (Evolved Sea Sparrow), VLA (Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket), and Standard missiles, using Milgem corvettes as a testing platform for the new class of indigenous multirole frigates of the Turkish Navy, known as the TF-2000 programme. 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 frigates, as well as the selection of the systems and equipment which will be used on these ships.
[edit] See also
| Ship classes of the Turkish Navy | |
|---|---|
| Frigates | SalihReis Class | Barbaros Class | Yavuz Class | G Class | TF-2000 Class |
| Corvettes | Milgem Class | B Class |
| Submarines | Gür Class | Preveze Class | Atılay Class | AIP Class |
| Fast Attack Missile & Torpedo Boats | Kılıç Class | Yıldız Class | Rüzgar Class | Doğan Class | Kartal Class |
| Mine Warfare Ships | A Class Mine Hunter | E Class Mine Hunter | F Class Mine Sweeper | S Class Mine Sweeper | K Class Mine Sweeper |
| Main Landing Ships | OsmanGazi Class | SarucaBey Class | Ertuğrul Class LST | LPD Class |
| Landing Crafts | Ç-117 Class LCT | Ç-302 Class LCM |
