The winner of the $1.5 billion portion of Milgem program will be known on July 4, when Turkey’s top decision-making body on defense procurement, the Defense Industry Executive Committee will choose from two top Turkish shipyards, namely RMK Marine and Dearsan, Hürriyet Daily News reported.
The contract entails construction of the remaining six of eight corvettes, under the framework of the first Turkish multibillion dollar program to construct warships. The task of constructing the first two ships has been entrusted to military shipyards and they have already completed their tasks. The Navy has put into operation the first ship named TCG Heybeliada, while the second one the TSC Büyükada, has been put to sea.
This is just the initial step in the development of Turkish navy fleet and its construction programs, since Turkey plans to take a step further in the upcoming period and construct the TF2000, its first national frigate, due in the 2020s.
“ The Milgem has been very useful from the point of design, development and construction of a national ship, and we are going to build on this experience to obtain the capability to build bigger warships.
“ We can produce 70 or 80 percent of all the needs in the Navy. The sole exception is submarines and engines, and we are moving with concrete steps on that,” Hürriyet Daily News cited a procurement official as saying.
[mappress]
Naval Today Staff, June 5, 2012