Turkey is joining the ranks of countries that build diesel-electric submarines. The MILDEN (Milli Denizaltı) submarine has been laid down at the shipyard in Gölcük.
It may seem surprising, but today, fewer countries build diesel-electric submarines than nuclear ones. While nine countries either have nuclear submarines or have them under construction, only eight countries are developing simpler non-nuclear designs:
- Russia,
- Germany,
- China,
- France,
- Italy,
- Japan,
- South Korea,
- Spain.
All other countries rely on foreign designs to equip their navies with submarines, but more often than not, they simply purchase ready-made submarines from abroad. Turkey will soon join this small group of countries, having laid the keel for its first domestically designed submarine at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard. Below, we’ll take a closer look at what this warship is all about.
Today, the Turkish Navy operates 12 diesel-electric submarines of various variants of the German Project 209. This design is quite old, having been developed back in the 1960s, and construction began more than 50 years ago, in 1971. Not only are these vessels quite outdated, but they were originally designed for coastal operations and are, to put it mildly, unsuitable for the open ocean. And since Turkey, having laid the keel for its first aircraft carrier and a fairly powerful destroyer, has declared its naval ambitions, it needs entirely different submarines for operations in the open ocean.
Of course, nuclear submarines are ideally suited for such purposes, but it seems the Turks have decided to start by gaining experience building simpler submarines—which diesel-electric submarines certainly are.
It should be noted that the MILDEN project—the name given to Turkey’s first submarine, which is aimed at designing and building a new class of submarines—is an ambitious undertaking by the Turkish defense industry. As part of this project, electronics, communications and detection systems, as well as propulsion systems and weaponry, are also being developed for use on the submarine.
The national submarine development program is coordinated by Turkey’s Marine Research Center and began in March 2012. Following the completion of the conceptual design phase last year, construction of the first vessel began on January 2, 2025, as planned. The Turkish Navy plans to commission the first submarine of this class in the early 2030s.
Development and design work for the MILDEN project is being carried out by the MILDEN Design Office, located at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard. The office currently employs 28 people, including 23 engineers and five technical designers.
The MİLDEN platform will be a major milestone for the Turkish defense sector, showcasing cutting-edge technology and national capabilities.
As for the known specifications, the submarine is over 80 meters long. It will have a surface displacement of about 2,700 metric tons, making it the largest submarine in the Turkish Navy.
German Project 205 submarines have a displacement of just under 1,500 metric tons.
The MILDEN-class submarine will be equipped with an air-independent propulsion system, which will significantly improve its stealth and range. The MİLDEN will be fitted with modern Turkish-made weapon systems, such as 533-mm AKYA torpedoes, ATMACA anti-ship missiles, and GEZGİN-class cruise missiles currently under development by Roketsan for striking land targets. The design calls for eight torpedo tubes, and the submarine will carry a warhead of 16 torpedoes.
Actually, that’s all we know so far. Neither the diving depth nor the speed has been reported anywhere yet. However, to sum up, we can say that for the conditions of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, this is exactly what’s needed. And this submarine will have quite significant export potential.
