Turkish Navy commissions lead boat of new submarine class

The Turkish Navy formally welcomed a new diesel-electric submarine into service in a ceremony at Aksaz Naval Base on Saturday, August 24. TCG PiriReis, which honours a 16th century Ottoman navigator and cartographer, is the lead submarine of the six-strong Reis-class being built by Gölcük Naval Shipyard.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was guest of honour at the commissioning ceremony of PiriReis, which occurred on the same day that the second Reis-class boat, the future TCG HizirReis, began undergoing its official sea trials.

PiriReis has a length of 68.35 metres, a hull diameter of 6.3 metres, a displacement of 1,850 tonnes, and a crew complement of 40 officers and enlisted sailors. The submarine is fitted with an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system that consists of a fuel cell and batteries. The AIP system allows the submarine to sail over long distances without snorkeling.

The armament includes Mark 48 torpedoes, mines, and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Future weapons options will include Turkish-built Akya heavyweight torpedoes and Atmaca missiles.

PiriReis and its sisters are variants of the Type 214 submarines developed by Germany's Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft.