Ankara has officially started work on its first indigenous submarine as part of a broader push to localize strategic naval technology. Construction of the National Submarine, designated MILDEN, recently began at Gölcük Shipyard Command. The milestone comes shortly after Turkey initiated the TF-2000 air-defense destroyer program at Istanbul Shipyard—another flagship effort in the country’s naval modernization drive.
Turkey’s defense industry has been growing at pace over the past two decades, underscored by new agreements worth approximately $6.5 billion signed last week alone to support the Steel Dome air and maritime defense architecture. By developing its own submarines and major surface combatants, Turkey aims to build a more independent defense ecosystem and reduce its reliance on imported military platforms.
The trend mirrors an international movement in which major regional powers are prioritizing indigenous submarine production. South Korea’s KSS-III Dosan Ahn Chang-ho series continues to expand with additional ballistic-capable platforms now under construction. India is advancing both Kalvari conventional submarines and its longer-range nuclear-armed Arihant boats, while Australia prepares for next-generation attack-class diesel-electric submarines under the SEA 1000 initiative.
As more nations invest in sovereign undersea capability, Turkey’s MILDEN program positions the country to join a select group of submarine-producing nations and enhances Ankara’s long-term maritime deterrence strategy.
