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The Turkish Navy has officially commissioned its first Reis-class submarine, TCG Piri Reis (S-330), equipped with advanced Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology. This significant addition marks a major milestone in Türkiye’s ongoing efforts to enhance its underwater warfare and maritime defense capabilities.

Turkish Navy celebrated multiple achievements on August 24, 2024, at the Aksaz Naval Base, where the TCG Piri Reis was commissioned. The event also marked the initiation of sea trials for the second Reis-class submarine, TCG Hizir Reis (S-331), and the docking of the third, TCG Murat Reis (S-332), for fitting.

The grand ceremony was attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, along with high-ranking officials from the Turkish Navy and the defense industry.

President Erdoğan, addressing the ceremony, highlighted the strategic importance of these developments: “Submarines are the primary strategic elements of our naval forces. The TCG Piri Reis, which has been commissioned today, is the first of our six submarines that have an air-independent propulsion system.”

“Denizlere hâkim olan cihana hâkim olur” prensibiyle bu alandaki kapasitemizi sürekli ileriye taşımayı sürdüreceğiz. 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/z0GfohAoq8

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) August 24, 2024

“Our Reis class submarines are equipped with qualifications much more advanced than their counterparts across the world. The Piri Reis submarine is capable of operating for a long duration without surfacing,” he added.

The Turkish Navy plans to commission the second submarine, TCG Hizir Reis, in 2025, following the initiation of flag hoisting and sea trials. The TCG Murat Reis, currently undergoing dry dock equipping, is slated for commissioning in 2026. Construction of the fourth submarine, TCG Aydin Reis, along with the fifth, TCG Seydi Ali Reis, and sixth, TCG Selman Reis, is progressing rapidly. The goal is to commission all submarines under this project by 2029.

President Erdoğan and the Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces confirmed that Reis-class submarines will be equipped with Atmaca and Gezgin missiles. The Atmaca missile, produced by Roketsan, entered service in 2022.

These submarines are crucial for both the Turkish Navy’s capabilities and Türkiye’s defense industry. The expertise gained from this project will support the development of the National Submarine (MİLDEN) project, planned for the 2030s. The Gezgin missile (also known as Turkish Tomahawk), designed for long-range land attack, is another key addition to these submarines.

The success of the Reis-class project is set to significantly influence Türkiye’s future naval ambitions, particularly the development of the National Submarine (MİLDEN) project.

Reis-Class Submarines

The Reis-class submarines represent a critical leap in Türkiye’s defense strategy, enhancing the nation’s ability to conduct long-endurance missions underwater without surfacing. The TCG Piri Reis, the first of its class, was launched in 2019 and boasts impressive capabilities, including a length of 68.35 meters and a capacity of 40 personnel.

Key Features of TCG Piri Reis:

• Displacement: 1,850 tons
• Length: 68.35 meters
• Crew Capacity: 40 personnel
• Speed: 10 knots on the surface, 20 knots underwater
• Armament: Equipped with indigenous GEZGİN long-range cruise missile, ATMACA anti-ship guided missiles and AKYA Torpedo.

Turkish Navy commissions first Reis-class air-independent propulsion submarine TCG Piri Reis 🇹🇷

TCG PİRİREİS will be equipped with GEZGİN long-range cruise missile, ATMACA anti-ship guided missiles and AKYA Torpedo ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/5ZKU9c876L

— IRIA (@IRIA_Research) August 27, 2024

These submarines are equipped with advanced systems and weapons, including Turkiye-made weapons, that will play a crucial role in anti-surface and anti-submarine operations, ISR tasks, and special forces operations.

MILDEN Project

The Reis-class submarines aim to enhance the Turkish Navy’s operational strength and play a pivotal role in advancing Türkiye’s defense technology and industrial capabilities. The knowledge and expertise gained from this project are expected to lay a robust foundation for the development of future indigenous submarines under the National Submarine (MİLDEN) project, which is currently in the design phase and slated for the 2030s.

Several Turkish companies, including ASELSAN, HAVELSAN, MilSOFT, STM, Koç Information and Defense, TÜBİTAK, and AYESAŞ, are contributing to the project by developing essential subsystems like navigation and data management systems, data links, and torpedo countermeasure systems.

President Erdoğan emphasized that the experience gained from the Reis-class submarines would serve as a strong foundation for building indigenous submarines equipped with entirely domestic systems. “This progress has significantly contributed to the development of our national submarine project, MİLDEN. Our goal is to outfit our national submarines with entirely indigenous systems and devices, ensuring they are fully armed with domestic weapons,” Erdoğan stated.