İstif-class frigate

The Istif-class frigates are a group of eight^[10] multirole frigates currently being constructed for the Turkish Naval Forces.^[11] Developed under the MILGEM national warship program as the I-class frigate, the Istanbul class is an enlarged version of the Ada-class anti-submarine corvette, with enhanced endurance and MIDLAS Vertical Launching System (VLS) for multi-role capability.^[6] On 19 January 2017, Turkish Navy held a ceremonial steel cut for the lead ship TCG Istanbul (F 515).^[12] Istanbul was laid down on 3 July 2017 and launched on 23 January 2021.^[13][6]

TCG Istanbul (F-515) at the Bosporus strait, during the naval parade for celebrating the centennial of the Turkish Republic, October 29, 2023.
Class overview
Name	Istif class
Builders	Istanbul Naval Shipyard
Operators	Turkish Naval Forces
Preceded by	Barbaros class
Built	2017–present
In commission	2024-present
Planned	8
Building	5
Completed	3
Active	1
General characteristics
Type	Multirole frigate
Displacement	3,100 tonnes
Length	113.2 m (371 ft 5 in)
Beam	14.40 m (47 ft 3 in)
Draft	4.05 m (13 ft 3 in)
Installed power	4 x 560kw Generator[1]
Propulsion	1 x GE LM2500 Gas turbine[1] 2 x 5.766HP MTU Diesel Machine[1] 2 x Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP)[1]
Speed	Economy: 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph) Maximum: 29 kn (54 km/h; 33 mph)
Range	5,700 nmi (10,600 km; 6,600 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)[1]
Boats & landing craft carried	2 x RHIB
Complement	123[1]
Sensors and processing systems	Radars: Cenk-400N 4D AESA search radar, ASELSAN ALPER-200N LPI Surface Radar, AKREP-300N (AKR-D Block B-1/2) Fire Control Radar,[2] Systems: TAKS-100/76GFCS main gun fire control system, ATMACA 100/AFCS anti-ship missile fire control system, HİSAR 100N/FCS air defence missile fire control system, KULAÇ Sounder system, DEMES meteorological measurement system, AHTAPOT-100 Electro-optical director, PIRI-100 IRST, ANS 510-M gyro system,[3] LIAS 200-N Advanced Laser Warning Receiver System,[1] Infrared Trace Management System,[1] SeaEye-AHTAPOT EO Reconnaissance and Surveillance system[2] Sonar: FERSAH 100N/MF hull mounted sonar[2] Communications: SATCOM, Link 11/16, Link 22 Local Area Network, Internal Communication System, Underwater phone[1][4] Combat Systems: ADVENT Combat Management system,[1] GEMS Integrated combat system, IdentIFF M5 TPX & I/LR IFF system, AcroSAT Ku-120-M Satellite combat system, AcroSAT Ku-150-M Satellite combat system[5]
Electronic warfare & decoys	ESM: ASELSAN ARES 2N/NGE[6] ECM: AREAS 2NC/E[6] ARES-NEWS Central management system Decoy: Aselsan HIZIR Torpedo countermeasures system[6] KARTACA-N Decoy ejection system[7]
Armament	Guns: 1 × OTO Melara 76 mm Super Rapid or MKE National Naval Gun main gun[1] 1 × Aselsan GOKDENIZ 35 mm dual barreled CIWS[1] 2 × Aselsan STOP 25 mm RCWS[1] Anti-ship missiles: 2 × 8 Atmaca anti-ship missiles[1] Vertical launching system: 16-cell MIDLAS Vertical Launching System:[6] up to 16 SAPAN or SIPER Block 1 Surface-to-air missiles[1][8] or up to 64 smaller Hisar-D surface to air missiles Torpedoes: ZIPKIN 100/D Torpedo tube system[9] 2 × 324 mm (13 in) Triple Torpedo launchers with MK-46M5 or Orka Torpedoes[1]
Aircraft carried	Hangar and platform for: S-70B Seahawk ASW helicopter Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)

History and background

The Istif class has its origins in the Turkish MILGEM project for developing national warships and warship building industry. The program calls for the construction of a warship family in three classes, where all vessels would be designed with high degree of commonality. First product of the project emerged as Ada-class anti-submarine/patrol corvette. The Istanbul class, originally known as the TF-100 class under MILGEM-G designation, belongs to the second development phase, where structure of the Ada class vessel is extended to host multi-role capabilities.

Design

The Istif class^[14] is an enlarged variant of the Ada class and will feature a slightly larger hull for improved endurance. In addition to retaining the guns, self protection and anti-submarine warfare systems of the Ada class,^[15] the Istif class will have twice the number of anti-ship missiles^[15] and will be equipped with the indigenous MDAS vertical launching system,^[6] capable of firing HISAR and other missiles, along with other systems for improved multi-role combat capabilities. The experience and technological know-how gained with the Istanbul class will play an important role in determining the design characteristics and the development process of the TF-2000-class destroyers, as well as the selection of the systems and equipment which will be used on these significantly larger and more capable warships.

The first ship of the class, TCG Istanbul, was laid down on 19 January 2017. The fifth and largest modern warship to be both indigenously designed and built in Turkey, it is claimed that at least 75% of its systems will be of indigenous manufacture.^[16] Its steel cutting ceremony was attended by Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Işık and senior military officers, including Admiral Bülent Bostanoğlu, Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces.

Construction took six years and the vessel was commissioned into service on 19 January 2024.^[17][18]

Model of TCG Istanbul (F-515)

Export

It was stated in Aselsan 2023 Annual report that İstif class frigate was exported to an unnamed Middle Eastern country.^[19]

Ships in the class

F515 TCG Istanbul, the lead ship of Turkish Navy's Istif-class multipurpose frigates, as it traverses the Bosphorus in celebration of the 100th year of the Republic of Türkiye.

Pennant no.	Name	Namesake	Builder	Launched	Commissioned	Status	Note
F-515	TCG Istanbul	Istanbul	Istanbul Naval Shipyard	23 January 2021	19 January 2024	In service	[20]
F-516	TCG İzmir	İzmir	Anadolu Shipyard	10 January 2025		Planned	Launched[21]
F-517	TCG İzmit	İzmit	Sedef Shipyard	11 January 2025		Planned	Launched[22]
F-518	TCG İçel	İçel	Sefine Shipyard			Planned	Under Construction[13]
F-519	TCG Akdeniz	Mediterranean Sea	Anadolu Shipyard			Planned	Under Construction[23]
F-520	TCG Karadeniz	Black Sea	Sedef Shipyard			Planned	Under Construction[24]
F-521	TCG Ege	Ege	Sefine Shipyard			Planned	[25]
F-522	TCG Marmara	Marmara	Anadolu Shipyard			Planned

See also

• TF-2000-class destroyer
• Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate (Russia)
• Type 054A frigate (China)
• Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate (Russia)
• Talwar-class frigate (India)
• Miguel Malvar-class frigate (Philippines)
• Tamandaré-class frigate (Brazil)