ASFAT, the Turkish government-owned shipbuilding firm, has secured key contracts to build Turkey’s first indigenous air defense destroyer, known as the TF-2000, along with four offshore patrol vessels. The construction of the TF-2000 involves assembling around 60 separate blocks, aiming for completion by 2030. This advanced warship will stretch 149 meters (489 feet) long with a 21-meter (69 feet) beam and will feature a helicopter landing pad designed to support 15-ton class helicopters.
The TF-2000 is built to endure challenging sea conditions with wave heights up to 4 meters (13 feet). It offers a 45-day operational endurance without resupply and can stay deployed for up to 180 days without needing assistance from shore facilities. The vessel is expected to remain in service for more than 40 years. Its weapons systems comprise a vertical launching system, point defense missile capabilities, a 127-mm naval gun, close-in weapon systems, 25-mm stabilized guns, and torpedo launchers to address diverse maritime threats.
Technologically sophisticated, the TF-2000 will be equipped with phased array radars with a low probability of intercept, an electro-optical targeting director, a laser warning system, and sonar systems located at the bow and operating at low frequencies. The propulsion system combines diesel and gas engines to deliver speeds of up to 26 knots (48 kilometers per hour or 30 miles per hour). This multi-role destroyer will support not only air defense but also anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, electronic warfare, counter-terrorism, special operation tasks, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities.
