A senior procurement official said that the Turkish Navy is scheduled to purchase two locally built logistical support ships, over the weekend.
The ships will be deployed to the southeastern Mediterranean and to the eastern Black Sea, two important regions, the significance of which is growing for Turkey.
The Under secretariat for Defense Industries, the procurement agency, released a request for information for 12 of the country’s largest shipyards and the reply time was delayed until December 19th. Now the SSM is evaluating the reply bids for the program.
The procurement official said that the ships will have a large fuel section and communications equipment. It will be quite easy for us to manufacture the two logistical support ships.
The ships, depending to their size and communications equipment, are set to cost over USD 100 million each. Aselsan, the military communications plant, is set to provide the equipment.
The official said that “The logistical needs of our sea fleets are quite large, and it has been decided to meet such needs on the location.” Turkey is at odds with Greek Cyprus over oil and gas search activities with Israel in the eastern Mediterranean. The ships will be protected by nearby frigates and other vessels.
The Turkish Navy has several vessel programs. It is discussing the development of new intermediate-class frigates, currently dubbed the TF100, that would replace the German-made Mekos, to be deployed to the Aegean and the Black Sea in the next decade.
The official said that “Our new main frigate will remain the TF2000. The TF100, if decided to be built, would be a follow up to the German Meko type frigates and would be something smaller and simpler for the transition to the TF2000 air defense frigates.”
