TCG Anadolu, the Navy's Flagship: What is it? What Is Not?

TCG Anadolu: The Biggest Ship in Turkish History and the Flagship of the Navy 

Today is a historic day for the Turkish Naval Forces. Because the largest ship in Turkish naval history, the TCG Anadolu, will be handed over to the Turkish Navy today in a state ceremony. The fact that May 14 is being used as a propaganda product of the Erdoğan government for the elections does not and should not diminish the value of TCG Anadolu. 

Contrary to what is often emphasized in its presentation, TCG Anadolu is not an aircraft carrier, but a landing ship. It is basically a ship designed for amphibious operations and landing craft. However, since it is also a landing ship capable of carrying aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing, some commentators cannot help but refer to the Anadolu as Turkey's 'aircraft carrier'. Ultimately, it is a hybrid ship that is also considered an amphibious/light aircraft carrier. In this context, for readers who are curious about the differences between aircraft carriers and amphibious ships, I will briefly mention some points.

Aircraft Carriers

Aircraft carriers are large ships that can carry air force elements and fighter aircraft for ship groups and fleets cruising in the oceans, especially to counter attacks from the air. Aircraft carriers are, as the name suggests, ships designed to carry aircraft. Such ships are not designed to carry land combat vehicles such as tanks, armored vehicles, cannons, etc. The hatches at the stern of the ship, which are used to land landing vehicles in order to make landings and are indispensable for landing missions, are not found on aircraft carriers. We can think of large aircraft carriers as the average main jet base of the Turkish Air Force. Depending on the size and capabilities of the ship, a total of 30-80 fighter jets (including small special mission aircraft) can be deployed on aircraft carriers. The most advanced country in the field of aircraft carriers is the United States. The cost of each of the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers used by the US Navy is estimated at 9 billion dollars. In this respect, aircraft carriers, which are too expensive for many countries in the world to purchase, are also complex and costly ships that are difficult to maintain and repair. Rather than countries like us, which have coasts on inland seas, countries with coasts on open seas and oceans need to use aircraft carriers. Even during the Ottoman period, Turkish maritime industry did not prioritize sailing to the oceans. I believe that Turkey's geography does not require us to have an extremely expensive system such as aircraft carriers that would burden the Turkish economy. Using such ships in the Aegean Sea is out of the question. It can be used in the Mediterranean, but under current conditions, it may cause a greater cost than the benefit it will bring. However, in the coming years, depending on the development of the Turkish economy, Turkey's position in the world and its strategic expectations, the inclusion of aircraft carriers in the inventory of the Turkish navy may be considered. One of the requirements of being a great country is to have a navy with aircraft carriers. 

Amphibious Ships

Amphibious assault ships can be described as a floating "military unit". Such ships are equipped with ground troops, tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, etc., which are not available on aircraft carriers. More precisely, these ships are used to transport such warfare vehicles and equipment with their personnel from one place to another by sea, and to enable them to make landings. Amphibious ships also have short runways, but they offer a surface suitable for helicopter landings instead of aircraft. Helicopters of attack, transportation, ambulance, etc. types are deployed on amphibious ships to support landing operations. Attack helicopters are used during landings, especially for fire support to ground troops. The presence of helicopters is also used as a force multiplier for flying troop operations, to land behind the enemy by helicopter, to surround and encircle the enemy.

Some navies prefer to deploy British AV-8B Harrier fighter jets, which are capable of vertical take-off and landing on the runways of new type amphibious ships, or the F-35B, a fifth generation fighter jet. In this context, modern amphibious ships are built to carry 6-22 fighter jets.

What is the Class of the Republic of Turkey Ship (TCG) Anadolu?

Spain's Juan Carlos I is considered to be an amphibious/light aircraft carrier hybrid. Capable of landing troops both from the sea and from the air (with helicopters), it has a runway with a ramp designed for Harrier-type fighter jets. 757 feet long and weighing 26,000 tons, Juan Carlos I was known as the only ship of its class ever used. The Spanish navy wanted to replace the Harrier fighter jets deployed on this ship with F-35B fighter jets, but failed to convince Madrid. For now, Spain is not buying F-35Bs. The Harriers have not been abandoned either. In this respect, the ship continues to be used as a mixed ship (aircraft/amphibian). 

According to many sources, the TCG Anadolu, which was modeled after the Juan Carlos I with the board number L-61, has L-400 written on its board. The "L" here is the initial letter of the English word "Landing". We can easily infer the following from this. The Turkish navy sees the TCG Anadolu not as an aircraft carrier, but as a landing ship, and prefers to call it as such. It sees it as an amphibious assault ship.

Some Features of the TCG Anadolu Amphibious Assault Ship

The Anadolu is physically and dimensionally very similar to Spain's Juan Carlos I. In fact, TCG Anadolu was built using the technology of the Spanish shipyard. The hull structure is very similar. Spanish Navantia Shipyard provided technical support for TCG Anadolu, whose construction was completed at Sedef Shipyard, and TCG Trakya, whose construction will soon begin. Sedef Shipyard benefited from Navantia's experience with the Juan Carlos 1 LHD. 

In addition to a ramp that allows short-range take-off, the ship also has a pool for amphibious landing vehicles. The difference from the Spanish ship is that most of the systems used on the ship are domestically produced systems. 

TCG Anadolu (L-400) is considered to be Turkey's first ship in the amphibious assault ship (LHD) class. The ship is expected to play an important role in the amphibious operation phases of naval operations in Turkey, which is surrounded by seas on three sides. In 1964, during the atrocities in Cyprus, the Turkish government considered landing on the island, but since they did not have even small landing ships, they waited for 10 years, and when the Turkish navy finally had the means to land, an amphibious operation was carried out on the island in 1974. In this respect, TCG Anadolu should be seen as a serious capability that will add strength to the power of the Turkish navy. Work on the construction of this ship, which is planned to serve as the flagship of the Turkish Naval Forces Command from today, started in 2014. The design is based on the design of the amphibious assault ship Juan Carlos I. Additional improvements were also made to the design of the Spanish ship. For example, the Phalanx Close-in weapons system (CIWS), which is placed on the bow of the TCG Anadolu, is a feature not found on the Juan Carlos. 

Instead of the Harrier, some 50 TB3s, which are the folding wing version of Baykar-made TB2s, will be deployed on board the TCG Anadolu. In this respect, the TCG Anadolu is the world's first ship to deploy UAVs. There are some who argue that the US is the first in this regard. As a result, the deployment of UAVs on this ship will be an important force multiplier, and this ship will be able to serve to carry the air group to very extreme points in possible naval operations. TCG Trakya, the twin sister of TCG Anadolu, but slightly larger, is also in the production phase, thus increasing Turkey's military sphere of influence.

Built in line with the needs of the Turkish navy, TCG Anadolu will be able to host 8-10 fully-equipped General Utility helicopters or the same number of attack helicopters such as Atak and Cobra on its deck. The TCG Anadolu, which is capable of delivering a battalion of fully equipped soldiers to the desired region, is expected to add strength to the Turkish navy in the Black Sea, Aegean and Mediterranean. Under normal circumstances, the TCG Anadolu was expected to be delivered to the Turkish navy before the pandemic. However, when evaluations for the purchase of 16-20 F-35B, fifth-generation fighter jets capable of vertical landing and take-off, it was decided to install a 12-degree "ski jump" ramp on the bow of the ship, which necessitated some changes in the construction phase of the ship and a delay in the schedule. There were also disruptions in the schedule due to the pandemic that affected the whole world in March 2020.

Ship's Technical Data:

Displacement: 27,436 tons (fully loaded)

Length: 231 meters

Width 32 meters

Height 58 meters

Speed: Maximum 21.2 kts (39.26 km/h)

Range: 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km)

Cruising Time: 30 days (without logistical support)

Thanks to the hatch in the stern of the ship, 4 mechanized landing craft (LCM) or 2 air cushioned landing craft (LCAC) (we don't have them yet), 2 personnel landing craft (LCVP) and unmanned maritime vehicles (UUVs) can be carried inside. TCG Anadolu: has the capability to serve as a hospital ship or a supply (aid) transport ship in peacetime. The ship has a total carrying capacity of 1,223 people.  

The ship's self-defense system (armament): 2 Phalanx Block 1B, 5 ASELSAN STOPs, 1 RAM (can be added upon request), 

Air vehicles expected to be deployed in the future: Bayraktar TB-3 (around 50), Bayraktar Kızılelma (around 10), CH-47F Chinook, AS532 Cougar, S-70B Seahawk, AH-1W Super cobra (may be Atak-2 in the future).

Some Systems and Capabilities Needed with TCG Anadolu:

TCG Anadolu is seen as a major capability that the Turkish navy has acquired. And so it should be. However, along with the capabilities that such ships bring, there is also the problem of protecting such ships. There is a need for a sufficient number of surface ships with strong air defense systems to adequately protect TCG Anadolu.

The Gabya class, which the Turkish Navy currently uses for air defense purposes, has to use weapons based on outdated technologies. The SM-1MR missiles on these ships are air defense missiles that are no longer relevant for modern naval warfare. The ESSM (Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles) system, which is considered the most modern missile in the inventory, does not have a long range. The Navy is in the process of acquiring a Trench Air Defense System. In addition, there is a need for MIDLAS (VLS), Barbaros VLS, Istif class frigates and the TF-2000 destroyer to enter service. 

The number of transportation helicopters expected to be deployed on TCG Anadolu is not sufficient. The 24 S-70B Seahawk helicopters and 2 AB-212 helicopters currently in the Navy inventory need to be replaced with new ones, both in terms of number and due to their aging systems. The fact that S-70B helicopters are also used as Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) helicopters necessitates the replacement of S-70Bs with other types of helicopters for transportation purposes only. Channeling the S-70Bs to their primary missions is an important need for the Navy. The AB-212s, which everyone agrees are outdated, should be replaced with similar helicopters as soon as possible.

Conclusion

It seems that it has been decided that Bayraktar TB-3 and Kızılelma UAVs will also take part in the handover ceremony of the TCG Anadolu ship to the Turkish Navy. As of yesterday, images of these UAVs from the ship's deck were already being shared with the press. In addition to the S-70B Seahawk helicopters seen on the ship's runway, the AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters, which were previously in the Land Forces inventory, will also take their place in the ceremony as attack helicopters of the Turkish Naval Forces Command.

TCG Anadolu (L-400) ready for the ceremony. Today, she starts to serve as the flagship of the Turkish Naval Forces. We wish the best to our navy and our country. I would like to congratulate and appreciate our people at all levels who worked hard, sweated their hearts and minds in all phases of the ship's design and construction.

Reference:

Gündem News, "When will TCG Trakya be finished?", Yerli Silah Sanayii, February 22, 2022, https://yerlisilahsanayii.com/tcg-trakya-ne-zaman-bitecek/#:~:text=TCG%20TRAKYA%20SON%20DURUM,physical%20works%20have%20not%20begun%20yet.

Yunus Berat Tahan, "Bayraktar TB3 and KIZILELMA will take part in the delivery ceremony of TCG Anadolu!", April 9, 2023, DefenceTurk.net, https://www.defenceturk.net/tcg-anadolunun-teslim-toreninde-bayraktar-tb3-ve-kizilelma-yer-alacak

Kyle Mizokami, "Every Single Aircraft Carrier in the World", March 20, 2023, Popular Mechanics, https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a38696676/every-single-aircraft-carrier-in-the-world/

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