Anadolu showcases Turkiye's indigenous endeavours, but will its drone carrier concept take off?
Anadolu pictured with drones and helicopters on its flight deck for its commissioning (Photo: Turkish Ministry of National Defence)
Having signed a contract for the ship in 2015, Anadolu was initially destined to operate the Lockheed Martin F-35B fighter jet.
After Ankara's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system led to its ejection from the multi-national fighter programme, Turkiye was forced to revise its plans, leading the ship to become a fully-fledged drone carrier to fly the Baykar Bayraktar TB-3 and Kizilelma drones.
As the most prominent single product of the Turkish defence industry and its largest locally built ship, Anadolu serves as a potent symbol of Ankara's domestic defence capabilities and its ambition to become a more powerful player on
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 2 free stories per week
- Daily news round-up email service
- Access to all Decisive Edge email newsletters
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
More from Naval Warfare
-
MDL and TKMS partnership becomes sole bidder for India’s $8 billion P751 contract
The partnership is understood to be the only remaining contender for the contract which could be signed in 2026.
-
Egypt wins $625 million US deal to modernise its Ambassador IV fast-attack ships
The State Department said the sale will increase the Egyptian Navy's tactical capabilities.
-
Singapore’s navy starts naval patrols with uncrewed vessels
The unmanned patrol vessels have utilised collision-avoidance AI and expertise from Western allies in their design and construction.
-
US Navy seeks the best combinations of crewed vessels with commercial UAVs and USVs
The service will conduct Operation Southern Spear to identify the most appropriate manned/unmanned formations for domain awareness and counternarcotics operations.
-
Learning from Japan: how to transform a fleet at speed
At a recent event in London, lessons were shared based on the experiences of the Japanese Navy and how it has been building a fleet rapidly.