Weapon systems integration is underway on the Turkish frigate TCG Istanbul, the first of the eponymous class, where after the installation and launch test of Hisar anti-aircraft missiles, we now have the -test-loading of 16 Atmaca anti-ship missile launch tubes (it is not clear from the released photos if these are “full” or ballasted for stability testing) in the ship’s midship.
This double load compared to the usual frigates offers greatly increased power in surface warfare on the ship, as it will be able to launch either two missiles against large targets, or to deal with multiple targets. Until now the standard anti-ship missile load for ships up to frigate size was 8, but now several designs have appeared that go to 16. Such as the German MEKO A200 (purchased by Algeria and Egypt), the British Arrowead 140 in its Polish version , and Constellation for the US Navy. The Turkish effort stands out, however, because the Istanbul class is around 3,000-3,1000 tons, i.e. at the “lower” size limit for such a weapon load.
The Turkish Navy is already building 3 more Istanbul-class frigates – at the same time – and has announced that it will order 4 more.
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Tags: Turkeys Istanbulclass frigate tests loading Atmaca missiles
