Taking place at the Sedef Shipyard in Istanbul, on Monday, April 10, 2023, a ceremony was held to celebrate the inauguration of the TCG Anadolu Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) as the new flagship for the Turkish Navy.
TCG Anadolu joined the Turkish Navy on January 21, 2023, however, it was only April 10 that the inauguration ceremony was held which was attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
President Erdogan was the chief guest at the ceremony, along with other high-level participants, including ministers, senior leaders, defense company representatives and Turkish Navy officials. Speaking on the occasion, President Erdoğan emphasized that Anadolu became the first UCAV (drone combat) carrier among other capabilities.
Erdoğan also outlined other projects of the Turkish defense industry and stated that the defense budget will reach US$75 billion in the next period.
The Chief of the Turkish Naval Staff, Admiral Ercument Tatlioglu, stated in his speech that bringing the Anadolu TCG into operational service is the Navy's policy. He also provided information about the capacity of the new flagship. He underlined that Anadolu has an area of 9,200 square meters for air assets.
The Anadolu TCG steel plate cutting ceremony took place on 30 April 2016, and as planned, the keel of the first block took place on 5 February 2018. On 4 May 2019, the new LHD was launched from dry dock.
On March 4, 2022, the Turkish Navy hoisted the Turkish flag on the LHD, and she completed her first "technical voyage" on March 7, 2022. TCG Anadolu started sea trials in June 2022, and her delivery to the Turkish Navy was completed on 21 January 2023.
Depending on the mission being carried out, TCG Anadolu can deploy 12 manned or unmanned combat aircraft, 21 types of helicopters, and combat drones as air assets. For amphibious assault missions, Anadolu can carry 13 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), 27 ZAHA amphibious assault rifles, 6 armored personnel carriers, 33 various light and heavy vehicles, and 15 trailers on its decks. To shift marine troops and heavy equipment, Anadolu can also carry 4 mechanized landing craft (LCM) and 2 landing craft, vehicles, personnel (LCVP).
TCG Anadolu was converted into a drone carrier after the US broke off its partnership with Turkey on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project. Then, Baykar Makina, a Turkish drone manufacturer, announced in early 2021 that it was working on an aircraft carrier-specific UCAV (Bayraktar TB-3) – which can be called a folding wing and upgraded version of the Bayraktar TB2 drone.
TCG Anadolu will be the largest ship of the Turkish Navy with a length of 231 meters, a width of 32 meters and a displacement of 27,436 tonnes. The carrier has a top speed of 20.5 knots and a range of 9,000 nautical miles when fully loaded.
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