Barbaros-class frigate

The Barbaros-class frigates[1] are among the most modern frigates in the Turkish Navy. They were designed in Germany and are part of the MEKO group of modular warships, in this case the MEKO 200 design. Two ships were built in Germany and two in Turkey with German assistance. They are larger than the previous Yavuz-class frigates and are also faster due to using CODOG machinery rather than pure diesels.

Class overview
NameBarbaros, MEKO 200 TN-II
Builders
Operators Turkish Navy
Preceded byYavuz class
Succeeded byIstanbul class
SubclassesSalih Reis class
In commission1997–present
Completed4
Active4
General characteristics
TypeFrigate
Displacement
  • 3,100 tons standard
  • 3,350 tons full load
Length
  • 116.7 metres (383 ft) (F244, F245)
  • 118.0 metres (387.1 ft) (F246, F247)
Beam14.8 metres (49 ft)
Draught4.25 metres (13.9 ft)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) on gas turbine
  • 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) on diesel only
Range4,100 nautical miles (7,600 km; 4,700 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement24 officers, 156 enlisted men
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Radar
  • Thales SMART-S Mk2
  • Decca 2040 BT
  • HSA D08
  • HSA STIR -24, HSA STIR 18
  • Sonar
  • SQS-56
Electronic warfare
& decoys		Racal Cutlass, Racal Scorpion, Mk 36 decoy
Armament
Aircraft carried1 × S-70B Seahawk or AB 212 ASW helicopters
Aviation facilitiesHangar and platform

The first two vessels (F 244 and F 245) are defined as the Barbaros class (MEKO 200 TN Track II-A) while the last two vessels (F 246 and F 247) are defined as the Salih Reis class (MEKO 200 TN Track II-B) by the Turkish Navy.

Salih Reis subclass ships are built with 8-cell Mk. 41 VLS and longer than Barbaros class vessels to accommodate 16-cell Mk. 41 VLS upgrade in the future while Barbaros-class vessels built with Mk.29 Sea Sparrow launchers that planned to be replaced by 8-cell Mk. 41 VLS.

Modernization projects

Barbaros-class vessels (F 244, F 245) have received an 8-cell Mk41 vertical launcher system (VLS) module, which replaced the obsolete Mk.29 Sea Sparrow launcher, while Salihreis-class vessels (F 246, F 247) have received a second 8-cell Mk 41 VLS module which brings the total number of cells to 16. Additionally the old AWS-9 3D air search radars in all 4 vessels has been replaced by modern Thales SMART-S Mk2 3D radars.[2]

On 3 April 2018 a contract was signed between ASELSAN–HAVELSAN Joint Venture and the secretariat for Defense Industry (SSM) regarding the Barbaros Class Frigate mid-life upgrade project.[3][4] Project includes a heavy upgrade which including new weapons systems, a new combat management system, new radars and sensors, replacing current mast with an integrated mast and various upgrades. All 4 ships are included in this project. Expected finish year for project is 2025.[5][6]

The mid-life modernization program projects to double the number of anti-ship missiles that vessel is equipped with while also replacing it by locally designed and produced Atmaca anti-ship missiles, substitution of the Oerlikon Sea Zenith CIWS systems with 1 Phalanx and 1 Aselsan Gokdeniz CIWS, change the existing TACTICOS combat management system with Havelsan "B-SYS Combat Management System" and adopt a 127mm main gun to the frigates. Finally against asymmetric threats that the vessels may face 2x2 L/UMTAS launchers are planned to be integrated to the frigates.[7][8]

Ships of the class
Ship[9] Namesake Builder Launched Commissioned
Barbaros class
TCG Barbaros (F 244) Hayreddin Barbarossa Blohm & Voss, Hamburg 29 September 1993 23 May 1997
TCG Oruçreis (F 245) Oruç Reis Gölcük Naval Shipyard, Kocaeli 28 July 1994 23 May 1997
Salihreis subclass
TCG Salihreis (F 246) Salih Reis Blohm & Voss, Hamburg 26 September 1997 22 July 1998
TCG Kemalreis (F 247) Kemal Reis Gölcük Naval Shipyard, Kocaeli 22 July 1998 8 June 2000

References
  1. Barbaros Class frigates, Turkish Navy official website
  2. Video of the visit of F246 Salihreis to the port of Odesa (Ukraine), on 30 March 2018. The new SMART-S Mk2 Radar is installed.
  3. "Modernization of the Barbaros Class Frigates, MSI Turkish Defense Review (in Turkish)". Archived from the original on 2019-12-29. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  4. Mid-Life Modernisation For Barbaros Class Frigates, article in the website turkishnavy.net
  5. ŞAHİN, ANIL (2020-01-11). "Barbaros Sınıfı Fırkateyn Yarı Ömür Modernizasyonu Projesi". SavunmaSanayiST (in Turkish). Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  6. "Barbaros Sınıfı Fırkateyn Yarı Ömür Modernizasyonu Projesi BARBAROS SINIFI FIRKATEYN YARI ÖMÜR MODERNİZASYONU PROJESİ - SSB". www.ssb.gov.tr. Archived from the original on 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  7. "Mid-Life Modernization for Turkish Navy's MEKO 200 Frigate". www.navyrecognition.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
  8. Ozberk, Tayfun (2021-01-11). "MLU of Turkish Navy's Barbaros-class frigates Passes Critical Design Phase". Naval News. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
  9. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995

Media related to Barbaros class frigates at Wikimedia Commons

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