Ada-class corvette

The Ada class is a class of anti-submarine corvettes developed primarily for the Turkish Navy during the first stage of the MILGEM project. The Turkish Navy has commissioned all four Ada-class corvettes.

TCG Burgazada during joint exercise in the Eastern Mediterranean, 26 August 2020
Class overview
Name	Ada class
Builders	Istanbul Naval Shipyard
Operators	Turkish Naval Forces  Pakistan Navy  Ukrainian Navy
Preceded by	Burak class
Subclasses	Babur class
Built	2005–present
In service	2011–present
Planned	10
Completed	4
Active	4
General characteristics
Type	Patrol and anti-submarine warfare corvette
Displacement	2,400 tonnes
Length	99.56 m (326 ft 8 in)
Beam	14.40 m (47 ft 3 in)
Draft	3.90 m (12 ft 10 in)
Installed power	Main: 31,640 kW (42,430 hp) RENK CODAG Aux: 4 x 588 kW (789 hp)
Propulsion	1 gas turbine, 2 diesels, 2 shafts
Speed	Economy: 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) Maximum: 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Endurance	21 days with logistic support 10 days autonomous
Boats & landing craft carried	2 x RHIB
Complement	93 including aviation officers, with accommodation up to 106
Sensors and processing systems	Combat Management System: G-MSYS (GENESIS MİLGEM Savaş Yönetim Sistemi) Search radar: SMART-S Mk2^[1] Weapon control: STING EO Mk2 Sonar: TBT-01 Yakamoz Communication: SatCom, GPS, LAN, ECDIS/WECDIS, Link 11/16 Navigation: ECPINS-W, ALPER LPI IPMS: UniMACS 3000 Others: X-Band radar, Fire Control Radar
Electronic warfare & decoys	SIGINT: ARES-2N^[2] Others: Laser/RF systems, ASW jammers, DG, SSTD
Armament	Guns: 1 × 76 mm (3 in) Oto Melara Super Rapid (retractable for lower radar cross section, guidance by fire control radar and electro-optical systems), A position 2 × 12.7 mm (0.50 in) Aselsan STAMP Stabilized Machine Gun Platform (guidance by Laser/IR/TV and electro-optical systems, automatic and manual modes), B position Anti-ship missiles: 8 × Harpoon or Atmaca Anti-aircraft warfare: 1 × RAM Block I Torpedoes: 2 × 324 mm (13 in) Mk.32 twin launchers for Mk.46 torpedoes Torpedo Defence System: Sea Sentor Surface Ship Torpedo Defense System
Aircraft carried	Hangar and platform for: S-70B Seahawk ASW helicopters Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)
Aviation facilities	Capability of storing armaments, 20 tons of JP-5 aircraft fuel, aerial refueling (HIRF) and maintenance systems

Development

The design objective of the Ada class was to build a modern littoral combat ship, with national anti-submarine warfare and high-seas patrol capabilities, while extensively using the principles of low observable technology in its design.^[3]

According to the Ada class acquisition model, Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) signed R&D contracts for two prototype ships considered to be testing platforms. Thus, being an open-end project, first and second ships of the class were expected to be slightly different in terms of vessel design and system configuration. The subsequent vessels, scheduled to be built by private shipyards, would have a more optimized design and configuration.^[4]

All four ships of the series, TCG Heybeliada, TCG Büyükada, TCG Burgazada and TCG Kınalıada were built by the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command. The construction works of the lead ship, TCG Heybeliada commenced on 26 July 2005. TCG Heybeliada was launched with a ceremony attended by Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on 27 September 2008. On 2 November 2010, Heybeliada initiated sea acceptance trials in the Sea of Marmara.^[5][6] Heybeliada entered navy service on 27 September 2011.^[7] Cost of the TCG Heybeliada was reported around US$260 million.^[8]

The production of the second ship of the class, TCG Büyükada, commenced on 27 September 2008. Büyükada was expected to incorporate weapon systems with notable performance, such as the ASELSAN air-search radar. Büyükada was launched on 27 September 2011 and underwent sea acceptance trials before it was officially commissioned on 27 September 2013. In September 2013, then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that the Ada-class was to be temporarily put on hold after the completion of the first two corvettes by the Istanbul Naval Shipyard, and that the bid won by RMK Marine to build six more corvettes was canceled. Motives behind this decision was reported other shipbuilders complaining about the bidding process. He added that a new bidding process would take place.^[9] Construction of TCG Burgazada commenced on 17 December 2014. The ship was launched in June 2016 and commissioned on 4 November 2018.^[10] Turkish Naval Forces Command (TNFC) received its fourth and last Ada-class corvette, TCG Kinaliada (F-514) on 29 September 2019, in the commissioning ceremony held at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard.^[11]

On 4 November 2019, the Defense Industries Administration (SSB) of Turkey announced that Turkey's ASW corvette TCG Kinaliada successfully test-fired Atmaca anti-ship cruise missile. Turkish Navy plans to replace the inventory of Harpoon ASM by 2022.^[12]

Characteristics

The class vessels are propelled by a RENK CODAG Cross-Connect propulsion plant. It consists of a gas turbine rated at 23,000 kilowatts (31,000 hp) and two diesel engines rated at 4,320 kW (5,790 hp). Each diesel engine drives one controllable pitch propeller via a two-speed main reduction gear. The cross-connect gear splits the power from the gas turbine via both main reduction gears to the two shafts. The ship can be operated in Diesel mode, in single gas turbine mode, or in CODAG mode. CODAG is where diesel and gas turbine engines are providing combined power (27,320 kW).

The design concept and mission profile of the Ada-class corvette bears similarities with the Freedom-class littoral combat ship of the U.S. Navy. The Ada-class corvettes are more heavily armed, and are equipped with more capable radar and sonar systems. The Freedom class has a higher speed and variable mission modules.^[13]

GENESIS (Gemi Entegre Savaş İdare Sistemi, i.e., Ship Integrated Combat Management System), a network-centric warfare management system developed by HAVELSAN and initially used in the upgraded G-class frigates of the Turkish Navy, was contracted for the first two corvettes on 23 May 2007.^[14][15] In the last Ada-class corvette, Kınalıada, the ADVENT combat management system (an upgraded version of GENESIS) is installed instead of GENESIS system. It is also planned for Burgazada to be retrofited with the ADVENT combat management system.^[16] The class ships have a national hull mounted sonar developed by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.^[17] The sonar dome has been developed by STM's subcontractor ONUK-BG Defence Systems, extensively employing nano-enhanced Fiber Reinforced Polymer.^[18] The Ada class features an Electronic Chart Precise Integrated Navigation System (ECPINS), supplied by OSI Geospatial.^[19] Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) for controlling machinery, auxiliary systems, power generation and distribution was delivered by STM's subcontractor Yaltes JV. Main systems integrated to IPMS are power management system, fire detection system, fire fighting, damage control system, CCTV system and stability control system.^[20]

Naming

"Ada" means island in Turkish. Each individual ship of the class is named for a Turkish island, in particular the Prince Islands in the Sea of Marmara to the southeast of Istanbul. The lead ship of the class, TCG Heybeliada, is named after Heybeliada island, where the Turkish Naval High School is located.

Ships in the class

 Turkey - Turkish Navy

Pennant no.	Name	Namesake	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Status
F-511	Heybeliada	Heybeliada	Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command	26 July 2005	27 September 2008	27 September 2011	Active
F-512	Büyükada	Büyükada	Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command	27 September 2008	27 September 2011	27 September 2013	Active
F-513	Burgazada	Burgazada	Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command	17 December 2014	21 June 2016	4 November 2018	Active
F-514	Kınalıada	Kinaliada	Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command	8 October 2015^[21]	3 July 2017	29 September 2019	Active

 Pakistan - Pakistan Navy

Main article: Babur-class corvette

Pennant number	Name	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Status
Istanbul Naval Shipyard (INSY)
F280	Babur	4 June 2020^[22]	15 August 2021^[23]
F282	Khyber	1 May 2021^[24]
Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW)
F281	Badr	25 October 2020^[25]	20 May 2022
	Tariq	5 November 2021^[26]

 Ukraine - Ukrainian Navy

Pennant no.	Name	Namesake	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Status
Okean Shipyard -   Ukraine
F211 ^[27]	Hetman Ivan Mazepa^[28]	Ivan Mazepa	STM & Ukrainian shipbuilder Okean	7 September 2021^[29]	2 October 2022^[30]
			STM & Ukrainian shipbuilder Okean				Ordered^[31]

Export

On 6 April 2011, Indonesia and Turkey signed a defense industry cooperation agreement, including the construction of two Ada-class corvettes for the Indonesian Navy.^{[citation needed]}

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has ordered 2 corvettes with construction to be performed jointly by the Turkish STM and Ukrainian shipyard.^[32][33] Under the deal, the first vessel will be delivered to Ukraine by the end of 2023 unfinished, to then be completed in Ukraine.^[34] The deal was signed in December 2020 worth $256 million.^[35][36]

In DSA 2022, STM has proposed their 99M OPV based on Ada-class to Royal Malaysian Navy for their Littoral Mission Ship batch II program.^[37]

See also

• Istanbul-class frigate
• Jinnah-class frigate
• TF2000-class frigate

References

1. Turkish Navy purchases Thales sensors, Defense Aerospace, 19 December 2007
2. ARES-2N (Turkey), Naval Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), electronic support and threat-warning systems, Jane's Radar And Electronic Warfare Systems, 3 February 2011
3. Patrol and Anti-Submarine Warfare Ship (MILGEM- Milli Gemi – National Ship) Project, SSM, Turkey
4. Acquisition of Design Services and Platform Construction and Outfitting Equipment for MILGEM Project Prototype Ship and Second Ship, SSM, Turkey, Retrieved 6 December 2010
5. (in Turkish) Newsletter about TCG Heybeliada 4 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Turkish Navy, 12 November 2010
6. First Turkish MILGEM begins sea trials, Richard Scott, IHS Jane's, 22 November 2010
7. (in Turkish) Newsletter about TCG Heybeliada 28 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Turkish Navy, 27 September 2011
8. Turkiyenin urettigi ilk savas gemisi Heybeliada seyirde, Umit Kozan, 12 November 2010
9. "Koç'un aldığı o ihale yenilenecek". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 27 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
10. Turkish Navy commissions third Milgem corvette TCG Burgazada, Naval Today, 5 November 2018
11. Turkish Navy receives fourth and last Milgem corvette, Janes Group UK, 1 October2019
12. "Turkey Test Fires Atmaca Anti-Ship Missile from MILGEM Corvette". Quwa. 12 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
13. Milgem Class Multimission Corvettes, Turkey, Naval Technology, Retrieved 6 December 2010
14. MILGEM Project, GENESIS Combat Management System 24 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Havelsan, Retrieved 6 December 2010
15. Havelsan advances MILGEM integration, Jane's IDEX 2011 exhibition news, Retrieved 25 February 2011
16. "ADVENT COMBAT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM". Defence Turkey. from the original on 3 February 2021.
17. Indigenous Sonar Wet-End System Production and Integration Project, SSM, Turkey
18. MİLGEM Corvette Sonar Dome 17 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Onuk-BG Defence Systems, Turkey
19. OSI Geospatial Selected by the Turkish Navy to Provide W-ECPINS for the MILGEM Corvette New Build Program 15 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, OSI Geospatial News Release, 4 June 2009
20. YALTES MILGEM IPMS Project 12 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Yaltes JV, Retrieved 6 December 2010
21. . Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
22. "Keel Laid For Pakistan Navy's First MILGEM Corvette". defenseworld.net. 8 June 2020.
23. "Turkey Launches First MILGEM Corvette for Pakistan". defenseworld.net. 16 August 2021.
24. "Turkey Laid Keel Of Pakistan Navy's Third Jinnah-Class MILGEM Corvette". navalnews.com. 6 May 2021.
25. "Karachi Shipyard Lays Keel of Pakistan Navy's Second MILGEM-Class Corvette". navalnews.com. 27 October 2020.
26. "Keel laid for Pakistan Navy's fourth Milgem-class corvette". janes.com. 9 November 2021.
27. "В Туреччині побудували корпус майбутнього флагмана ВМС України". Militarnyi (in Ukrainian). 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
28. Zelenskyi, Volodymyr (18 August 2022). "Про присвоєння імені гетьмана Івана Мазепи корвету класу «Ada» Військово-Морських Сил Збройних Сил України". Office of the President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 18 August 2022.
29. "У Туреччині заклали перший корвет для ВМС України (фото)". Promyslovyy Portal (in Ukrainian). 7 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
30. Zelenska, Olena (2 October 2022). "On the launch of the Ukrainian corvette Hetman Ivan Mazepa". Facebook (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2 October 2022.
31. Bekdil, Burak Ege (28 July 2021). "Ukrainian official reveals number of Ada-class corvettes on order from Turkey". Defense News. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
32. Bekdil, Burak Ege (28 July 2021). "Ukrainian official reveals number of Ada-class corvettes on order from Turkey". Defense News. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
33. "Суднобудівний завод "Океан" обрано для реалізації корветної програмиy". ocean-shipyard. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
34. "Ukraine under pressure as Russia gas deal nears end". Emerald Expert Briefings. 26 November 2019. doi:10.1108/oxan-es249060. ISSN 2633-304X. S2CID 243123958.
35. Bekdil, Burak Ege (28 July 2021). "Ukrainian official reveals number of Ada-class corvettes on order from Turkey". Defense News. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
36. AA, DAILY SABAH WITH (22 December 2020). "Turkey-made Ukrainian navy corvettes to be built in Okean shipyard". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
37. "DSA 2022: STM positions itself for Malaysian naval programmes | Shephard".