Türkiye’s domestic naval engineering supplier, STM, will integrate indigenous combat systems to the republic’s Gür class diesel electric attack submarines.
The Gür class is a Turkish designation for the German-manufactured Type 209 submarine.
Its sister – the Preveze class – is similar, however, GlobalData Defence Analyst, Wilson Jones, points out that “Türkiye considers the Gür to be a separate class because of a handful of advanced features.”
The class incorporates a new fire control system integrated with sonar, data links, target acquisition and tracking capabilities.
Türkiye is the largest adopter of the Type 209, having purchased four lighter Type 209/1200 (the suffix denotes the tonnage displacement of the submarine) between 1994 and 1999, and eight heavier Type 209 T1 and T2/1400 boats (four of each) between 1994 and 2007.
STM's latest contract will evolve the nation's Type 209/1400 submarines. These boats have a maximum speed of 10 knots (kt) surfaced and 22kt dived. There are eight 533-millimetre bow torpedo tubes and the submarine can carry up to 14 torpedoes.
Mid-life modernisation
STM’s integration service programme is due to be completed in the next six years.
Previously, STM was contracted to perform similar sevrices in the Mid-Life Modernisation Program of Türkiye’s Preveze class submarines in 2019.
Acceptance of the Inertial Navigation System, CTD Probes, Chilled Water System and Static Inverters, which have been procured and integrated on board TCG Preveze by STM, was completed in 2023, and the modernisation of the submarines under the project continues.
The Preveze class Mid-life Modernisation Programme covers the developemnt of four submarines, namely, TCG Preveze (S-353), TCG Sakarya (S-354), TCG 18 Mart (S-355) and TCG Anafartalar (S-356). STM takes the role of co-ordinator partner in the project with responsibilities of procuring nine systems, and the platform integration of all systems procured under the project.
Likewise, the new contract will bring STM to the forefront of Türkiye’s indeginsing defence industry as it looks to modernise all four Gür class boats: TCG Gür (S-357), TCG Canakkale (S-358), TCG Burakreis (S-359) and TCG Birinci Inonu (S-360).
