Aselsan completes Barbaros frigate mid-life upgrade project
TCG Orucreis, leading vessel in the Barbaros-class MLU. (Photo: Aselsan)
The upgrade has replaced a significant number of systems and elements with indigenous Turkish technology.
Turkish defence firm Aselsan has completed the mid-life upgrade (MLU) of the Turkish Navy’s Barbaros-class frigate TCG Orucreis.
The four frigates of the Barbaros class, variants of the MEKO 200 frigate by the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Germany (now ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, TKMS) were commissioned between 1995–2000, and their MLU is expected to extend their active lifespan until 20240.
The upgrade process, which began in 2018, is extensive and is intended to future-proof the vessels against the potential threats of the 2020s.
Beyond that goal though, it has followed the rising trend of Turkish shipbuilding and replace international systems with
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