New TCG Pirireis Submarine Enters Service

On August 2024 24th, the commissioning ceremony for the TCG submarine Pirİ Reis (S-330), the first of six REİS class submarines built as part of the YTDP (Yeni Tip Denizaltı Projesi, new type submarine) project, took place at the Aksaz naval base (Marmaris).

TCG stands for Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Gemisi (Ship of the Republic of Turkey). Piri Reis is the nickname of Piri Hacı Mehmet, a famous16th century Ottoman admiral renowned for his cartographic work.

The ceremony also saw the official opening of the following events:

• The flagging and sea trials of the second REİS class submarine, the TCG Hizirreis (S-331), scheduled to enter service in 2025 ;
• The dock equipment of the third submarine of the same class, the TCG Muratreis (S-332), scheduled for sea trials in 2025 with entry into service in 2026;
• The opening of the Aksaz military arsenal, designed to implement the projects carried out by ASFAT (Société anonyme de fonctionnement des usines et des arsenaux militaires);
• The entry into service of the three supply tankers Yakit-2 (Y-161), Yakit-3 (Y-162) and Yakit-4 (Y-163), built by the Desan-Özata consortium. The first of the four tankers of this type, Yakit-1 (Y-160), was already operational before the ceremony;
• The commissioning of a 3,000-tonne floating dock for submarines.

The commissioning of the last 3 Reis class submarines, the TCG Aydin Reis (S-333), the TCG Seydi Ali Reis (S -334) and the TCG Selman Reis (S-335), are expected respectively in 2027, 2028 and 2029 respectively.

The importance of the YTDP project and the opening of an additional military arsenal within the Ministry of National Defence explains the presence, during this ceremony, of the President of the Republic himself, Mr Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Minister of National Defence, Mr Yaşar Güler, and the Commander of the Naval Forces, Admiral Ercüment Tatlioğlu.

The YTDP project was launched on 22 June 2005 by decision of the Defence Industry Executive Committee (SSİK). Five companies responded to the tender (Armaris (Spain), Fincantieri Cantieri Navali İtaliani S.SpainItalySpainI (Germany), Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors (United StatesSpainavantia S.A. (Spain)][1] but by 12 November 2007, following an extension of the deadline for responses, only DCNS (which had taken over the Armaris activities), HDW/MFI and Navantia S.A. had submitted concrete proposals to the Under-Secretariat of State for the Defence Industry (SSM).

Following a decision by the Defence Industry Executive Committee (SSİK) on 22 July 2008, talks began with Germany’s HDW/MFI ( Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH / Marine Force International), which was selected for the quality of its offer. The agreement between SSM and HDW/MFI was signed on 2 July 2009 and came into force on 22 June 2011. It provides for the construction of six 214TN class Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) submarines at the Gölcük naval dockyard (although the idea of 212 class submarines had been mooted). The submarine must have a modern combat system and be able to sail for a fortnight in total immersion, undetected thanks to a low thermal and acoustic signature.

With Turkey’s withdrawal from the JSF programme, where the prime contractor is American, the YTDP is the last Turkish defence industrial project for which the prime contractor is foreign. The next project, MilDen (Milli Denizaltı, national submarine), has already been entrusted to the Gölcük military arsenal on the basis of the experience acquired in the YDTP project. This is why, as requested when the agreement was signed, some thirty Turkish companies are involved in 81% of the programme: Havelsan, Aselsan, Roketsan, Gürdesan, Sirena Marine, Ayesaş, Meteksan, STM, Koç Bilgem, Aritaş, İ-Marine, Tübitak, İdeal, Milsoft, etc., some of which are partners of German companies such as Atlas. Other foreign companies, such as Raytheon, are also involved in the project.

Given its estimated cost of 2.060 billion euros and the need to carry out other priority armaments programmes, the YTDP project is one of the Turkish defence programmes financed by foreign loans. An agreement for a loan of €1.878 billion over 21 years, 85% of which is in the form of an export credit, has been signed between the Prime Minister’s Turkish Undersecretariat of the Treasury (prior to the reform of the Turkish state) and a consortium led by Bayerische Landesbank. The agreement provides for a low borrowing interest rate and a 7-year grace period before repayment begins. Another loan agreement has been signed with a consortium led by WestLB AG [London branch] for 309 million euros, as prepayment of the 15% of the total amount required for the project to come into force.

The project was supposed to be completed 13 years after it was signed on 2 July 2009, i.e. by 2 July 2022 at the latest. The TCG Pirireis is therefore 2 years behind schedule, and the last submarine, the TCG Selman Reis, should, according to the latest official announcements, be delivered in 2029, i.e. seven years behind schedule. Taking into account the adjustments made to the timetable during the course of the programme, the delivery of the TCG Pirireis was scheduled to take place 62 months after the first welding ceremony, which took place on 8 October 2015, i.e. no later than 8 December 2019, which represents an even greater delay of almost four years and eight months in relation to the delivery date. And as the TCG Pirireis launch ceremony took place in Gölcük on 22 December 2019, the start of trials (on 3 January 2023) was already behind schedule. As a result, TKMS (ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems AG, formerly HDW-MFI) had to pay delay penalties estimated at €2 million. It should be noted that the successive delays can be explained by changes requested by the Turkish Navy during the course of the project: the length of the submarine, for example, was initially increased from 66.30 to 67.60 metres, and the name of the class of boat changed at the same time from Cerbe to Reis.

A Reis class submarine has a crew of 27 and can accommodate an operational team of 11. Its main characteristics are a displacement of 1,860 tonnes on the surface (2,013 tonnes when submerged), a speed of ten knots on the surface (20 knots when submerged) and a range of 420 nautical miles when submerged at a speed of 8 knots. The submarine is equipped with a low-probability-of-intercept (LPI) radar, an integrated ISUS-90/72 mission control system and a multi-link tactical data system (11/22 links). It has eight 533mm torpedo tubes capable of carrying heavy torpedoes (Mk48 ADCAP Mod6 AT or AKYA) and anti-ship torpedoes (UGM-84A Harpoon Blok II ASM or ATMACA). The possibility of carrying IDAS (Interactive Defence and Attack System for Submarines) missiles and cruise missiles is also being studied.

The YTDP programme is a key step in the process of empowering the Turkish defence industry. In line with the ‘Blue Homeland’ concept, it demonstrates the importance attached to the Navy and in particular to its submarine fleet, which, with the entry into service of the TCG PİRİREİS, comprises 13 vessels (four Ay-class, four Gür-class, four Preveze-class and one Reis-class). By 2033-2038, we can imagine a rejuvenated and strengthened format for this fleet with the withdrawal from service of the four very ageing Ay-class submarines, the presence of six REİS-class submarines, four modernised Gür-class and four Preveze-class submarines, and the first Milden-class submarines. The array would be completed by light submarines of the STM-500 and/or L SUB 33 type, developed by STM and Dearsan respectively, and a number of underwater drones including the AUV65 developed by Dearsan.

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[1] Some sources claim that a Russian company also bought the tender.