NutLoose
14th Apr 2023, 20:26
Originally designed as a multipurpose landing ship carrying helicopters, the F35 and or possibly Harrier, but due to their removal from the F-35 programme it appears they are wholeheartedly turning her into a drone carrier with multiple modifications to serve that purpose.
Maybe it’s just me, but they do appear to be ahead in the game in forward thinking and relatively cheap drone technology. Something we all should be looking at.
The Turkish Navy on Monday celebrated the entry into service of its new flagship, the TCG Anadolu, now the country’s largest warship, with an inauguration ceremony held about three months after the ship’s actual delivery due to scheduling conflicts. The Anadolu is classed as an amphibious assault ship, but officials in Turkey say they have big plans to also use the vessel as a carrier for different tiers of armed drones (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/turkeys-fighter-like-drone-emerges-for-taxi-tests).
Based on the design of Spain’s Juan Carlos I amphibious assault ship (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/8670/this-headcam-video-of-a-harrier-pilots-low-level-mission-is-like-being-there), Anadolu was laid down at the Sedef Shipyard in the city of Istanbul beginning in 2018. The vessel was launched just one year later and preliminary trials were completed in 2022. Speaking at the delivery ceremony also held at Sedef, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan noted that 70% of Anadolu was built using only parts and components made in Turkey, including its weapons, combat systems, radars, infrared search-and-track capability, and electronic warfare suite. Erdogan also prominently highlighted Anadolu’s ability to carry and deploy a variety of armed drones (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42894/ukraine-strikes-russian-backed-forces-using-turkish-made-tb2-drones-for-the-first-time), which is a concept that Turkey has been envisioning for the vessel for some time now. Since the ship was initially ordered back in 2015, Anadolu has evolved to become a unique multipurpose vessel that also can focus on unmanned aircraft operations. In this way, it should move beyond traditional manned rotary-wing capabilities, basically acting as a light aircraft carrier for combat drones.
A mix of all these capabilities will give the ship a lot of flexibility for its class.
In February of this year, it was reported (https://www.businessinsider.com/turkey-preparing-for-first-aircraft-carrier-tcg-anadolu-with-drones-2023-2) that in order to realize the shift in Anadolu’s air wing, the vessel would undergo slight refits to its infrastructure to better support drone operations. These were to include the introduction of drone control stations with satellite terminals for longer-range connections, the installation of a ‘roller system’ (https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/05/here-is-how-uavs-will-be-recovered-aboard-tcg-anadolu/) at the ship’s bow to help launch the uncrewed aircraft, the addition of an arresting gear system on the deck to facilitate unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) landings, and safety nets for the recovery of smaller types of drones. Discussions about Anadolu’s air wing have drawn the most attention. The vessel has a 58,600-square-foot flight deck in a ski-jump configuration with six landing points for medium-lift transport, assault, or general-purpose helicopters, and an additional two spots for heavier transport types, according to an article published by Daily Sabah (https://www.dailysabah.com/business/defense/turkiye-commissions-its-largest-warship-worlds-1st-drone-carrier).
Compatible rotary-wing assets are known to include types like the T129 ATAK (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40122/turkish-cops-now-have-their-own-attack-helicopters) and the AH-1W Super Cobra (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/37149/the-ah-1w-super-cobra-has-been-retired-from-the-marine-corps-after-34-years-of-service) attack helicopters as well as SH-60B anti-submarine warfare helicopters. AS532 Cougars, S-70/UH-60 Black Hawks, and CH-47F Chinooks could supply medium and heavy utility support. Erdogan added that the fixed-wing TAI Hürjet (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42784/turkey-in-talks-to-buy-more-f-16s-as-it-struggles-to-revamp-fighter-fleet)trainer/light fighter will be able to take off from and land on Anadolu, as well. While this has been looked into and supposedly simulated (https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/04/turkey-plans-to-deploy-indigenous-aircraft-hurjet-on-lhd-anadolu/), we do not know if this is actually a real concept that the Turkish Navy is looking to pursue, as there are major training and equipment demands that go with it. It certainly is an interesting mention regardless.The ministry’s press release stated that Anadolu “can deploy 12 manned or unmanned combat aircraft, 21 different types of helicopters, and [UCAVs] depending on the operation to be carried out within the scope of the aircraft transport capability.”
At present, the new folding-wing Bayraktar TB3 (https://baykartech.com/en/bayraktar-tb3/) designed by the Turkish drone-maker Baykar is expected to be Anadolu’s primary armed drone. The TB3 is a naval evolution of the company’s combat-proven TB2 drone, which has gained particular prominence (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ukraine-claims-tb2-drones-sunk-russian-patrol-boats-off-snake-island)throughout the ongoing conflict in Ukraine after years of increasing popularity. The TB3, however, is being designed specifically with the ability to take off and land on aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships with short runways.
Baykar released the first images of the TB3 (https://www.aviacionline.com/2023/03/first-look-at-the-new-bayraktar-tb3-which-will-have-the-ability-to-operate-from-aircraft-carriers/) late this March, revealing that the drone will officially be unveiled during Turkey’s TEKNOFEST 2023 to be held at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport between April 27 and May 1. The TB3 has yet to take to the skies in any publicized capacity, but the company has said that flight testing is set to begin sometime this year.
Baykar’s jet-powered Kizilelma drone (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/turkeys-fighter-like-drone-emerges-for-taxi-tests) is also intended to be a part of Anadolu’s air wing being that the aircraft is similarly designed to take off from short-runway carriers. While this type is still early in its development having first flown just last December (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/turkeys-new-fighter-like-drone-takes-flight-for-a-few-seconds), the company is specifically identifying it as Turkey’s first fighter UCAV.
The company has stated that Kizilelma will have an endurance of five to six hours, a combat radius of 500 nautical miles, a service ceiling of 35,000 feet, and a maximum speed nearing Mach 1. Baykar has also divulged the drone’s maximum takeoff weight to be 13,228 pounds, including a payload of 3,306 pounds. Kizilelma took its first flight (https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2022/12/19/turkeys-future-unmanned-fighter-jet-conducts-first-flight/) in December of last year.
more and pretty pictures at
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/turkeys-drone-carrier-amphibious-assault-ship-enters-service
Maybe it’s just me, but they do appear to be ahead in the game in forward thinking and relatively cheap drone technology. Something we all should be looking at.
The Turkish Navy on Monday celebrated the entry into service of its new flagship, the TCG Anadolu, now the country’s largest warship, with an inauguration ceremony held about three months after the ship’s actual delivery due to scheduling conflicts. The Anadolu is classed as an amphibious assault ship, but officials in Turkey say they have big plans to also use the vessel as a carrier for different tiers of armed drones (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/turkeys-fighter-like-drone-emerges-for-taxi-tests).
Based on the design of Spain’s Juan Carlos I amphibious assault ship (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/8670/this-headcam-video-of-a-harrier-pilots-low-level-mission-is-like-being-there), Anadolu was laid down at the Sedef Shipyard in the city of Istanbul beginning in 2018. The vessel was launched just one year later and preliminary trials were completed in 2022. Speaking at the delivery ceremony also held at Sedef, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan noted that 70% of Anadolu was built using only parts and components made in Turkey, including its weapons, combat systems, radars, infrared search-and-track capability, and electronic warfare suite. Erdogan also prominently highlighted Anadolu’s ability to carry and deploy a variety of armed drones (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42894/ukraine-strikes-russian-backed-forces-using-turkish-made-tb2-drones-for-the-first-time), which is a concept that Turkey has been envisioning for the vessel for some time now. Since the ship was initially ordered back in 2015, Anadolu has evolved to become a unique multipurpose vessel that also can focus on unmanned aircraft operations. In this way, it should move beyond traditional manned rotary-wing capabilities, basically acting as a light aircraft carrier for combat drones.
A mix of all these capabilities will give the ship a lot of flexibility for its class.
In February of this year, it was reported (https://www.businessinsider.com/turkey-preparing-for-first-aircraft-carrier-tcg-anadolu-with-drones-2023-2) that in order to realize the shift in Anadolu’s air wing, the vessel would undergo slight refits to its infrastructure to better support drone operations. These were to include the introduction of drone control stations with satellite terminals for longer-range connections, the installation of a ‘roller system’ (https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/05/here-is-how-uavs-will-be-recovered-aboard-tcg-anadolu/) at the ship’s bow to help launch the uncrewed aircraft, the addition of an arresting gear system on the deck to facilitate unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) landings, and safety nets for the recovery of smaller types of drones. Discussions about Anadolu’s air wing have drawn the most attention. The vessel has a 58,600-square-foot flight deck in a ski-jump configuration with six landing points for medium-lift transport, assault, or general-purpose helicopters, and an additional two spots for heavier transport types, according to an article published by Daily Sabah (https://www.dailysabah.com/business/defense/turkiye-commissions-its-largest-warship-worlds-1st-drone-carrier).
Compatible rotary-wing assets are known to include types like the T129 ATAK (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40122/turkish-cops-now-have-their-own-attack-helicopters) and the AH-1W Super Cobra (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/37149/the-ah-1w-super-cobra-has-been-retired-from-the-marine-corps-after-34-years-of-service) attack helicopters as well as SH-60B anti-submarine warfare helicopters. AS532 Cougars, S-70/UH-60 Black Hawks, and CH-47F Chinooks could supply medium and heavy utility support. Erdogan added that the fixed-wing TAI Hürjet (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42784/turkey-in-talks-to-buy-more-f-16s-as-it-struggles-to-revamp-fighter-fleet)trainer/light fighter will be able to take off from and land on Anadolu, as well. While this has been looked into and supposedly simulated (https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/04/turkey-plans-to-deploy-indigenous-aircraft-hurjet-on-lhd-anadolu/), we do not know if this is actually a real concept that the Turkish Navy is looking to pursue, as there are major training and equipment demands that go with it. It certainly is an interesting mention regardless.The ministry’s press release stated that Anadolu “can deploy 12 manned or unmanned combat aircraft, 21 different types of helicopters, and [UCAVs] depending on the operation to be carried out within the scope of the aircraft transport capability.”
At present, the new folding-wing Bayraktar TB3 (https://baykartech.com/en/bayraktar-tb3/) designed by the Turkish drone-maker Baykar is expected to be Anadolu’s primary armed drone. The TB3 is a naval evolution of the company’s combat-proven TB2 drone, which has gained particular prominence (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ukraine-claims-tb2-drones-sunk-russian-patrol-boats-off-snake-island)throughout the ongoing conflict in Ukraine after years of increasing popularity. The TB3, however, is being designed specifically with the ability to take off and land on aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships with short runways.
Baykar released the first images of the TB3 (https://www.aviacionline.com/2023/03/first-look-at-the-new-bayraktar-tb3-which-will-have-the-ability-to-operate-from-aircraft-carriers/) late this March, revealing that the drone will officially be unveiled during Turkey’s TEKNOFEST 2023 to be held at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport between April 27 and May 1. The TB3 has yet to take to the skies in any publicized capacity, but the company has said that flight testing is set to begin sometime this year.
Baykar’s jet-powered Kizilelma drone (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/turkeys-fighter-like-drone-emerges-for-taxi-tests) is also intended to be a part of Anadolu’s air wing being that the aircraft is similarly designed to take off from short-runway carriers. While this type is still early in its development having first flown just last December (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/turkeys-new-fighter-like-drone-takes-flight-for-a-few-seconds), the company is specifically identifying it as Turkey’s first fighter UCAV.
The company has stated that Kizilelma will have an endurance of five to six hours, a combat radius of 500 nautical miles, a service ceiling of 35,000 feet, and a maximum speed nearing Mach 1. Baykar has also divulged the drone’s maximum takeoff weight to be 13,228 pounds, including a payload of 3,306 pounds. Kizilelma took its first flight (https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2022/12/19/turkeys-future-unmanned-fighter-jet-conducts-first-flight/) in December of last year.
more and pretty pictures at
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/turkeys-drone-carrier-amphibious-assault-ship-enters-service