Turkish Navy to address capability gaps with new OPV launches
The first OPV, Akhisar P 1220, enters the waters at the ASFAT launch event on 23 September (Photo: ASFAT).
Turkey is asserting it naval shipbuilding credentials and place as a major maritime power with the delivery of three ships in one day.
Turkish defence company ASFAT launched two new Akhisar-class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), Akhisar (P 1220) and Kochisar (P 1221), for the Turkish Navy at an event on 23 September 2023.
Meanwhile on the same day at Istanbul Naval Shipyard, the first of four new Babur-class corvettes, PN Babur (F280) was delivered to the Pakistan Navy.
Shephard reported in April 2022 that construction on the Akhisar-class OPVs had started following the completion of a critical design review. At 108.2m-long and displacing 2,985t they are on the large size for an OPV and have an armament comparable to a corvette including an
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Subsea surveillance: why connecting military and civilian assets could be crucial]()
Subsea surveillance: why connecting military and civilian assets could be crucial
As costs rise and threats multiply, maritime awareness is shifting from platforms to networks, and civilian infrastructure plays a central role.
-
![Shoreline vulnerability drives Gulf interest in USV networks]()
Shoreline vulnerability drives Gulf interest in USV networks
Ukraine’s combat-proven Magura uncrewed surface vessel is attracting Gulf state interest as the Iran war exposes gaps in layered maritime air defence, raising questions about whether low-cost attritable systems can gain a foothold in a procurement culture historically drawn to high-end Western platforms.
-
![SOF Week 2026: US NSW explores 3D-printed USVs for forward-deployed operations]()
SOF Week 2026: US NSW explores 3D-printed USVs for forward-deployed operations
US Naval Special Warfare Command is assessing the feasibility of rapidly producing expendable mid-sized USVs in theatre to support SOF and maritime security missions.
