Turkey Unveils World’s First Drone Carrier and Largest Warship TCG Anadolu

Siddhant Sandhu
April 18, 2023
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On April 10, Turkey commissioned its largest warship in a much-anticipated inauguration ceremony. The TCG Anadolu, billed as the world’s first Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) carrier, was spotted with a prototype of the latest Bayraktar TB3 on its deck. According to Turkish media Daily Sabah, the ship would be Turkey’s first aircraft carrier and the first ship in the world with an air wing formed largely of unmanned aircraft. Three months before the official inauguration event, the ship was given to the Turkish Navy.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan emphasized that the vessel would house many Turkish manned and unmanned aerial aircraft, saying, “The TCG Anadolu is the world’s first warship in its field where UAVs can land and take off.”

World’s First Drone Carrier- TCG Anadolu

The TCG Anadolu is a landing helicopter dock (LHD) type amphibious assault ship based on Spain’s flagship, the Juan Carlos I. It is 32 meters broad and 231 meters long, with a displacement of 27,436 tonnes. It has a range of 9,000 nautical miles, a top speed of roughly 21 knots, and can operate at sea for 50 days.

The TCG Anadolu was originally intended to ferry a fleet of helicopters and short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) jets, including the F-35B. Any chance of this happening has been diminished since the United States dropped Turkey from the global F-35 fighter jet development program in response to Ankara’s decision to purchase Russia’s S-400 air missile defence systems in 2019. Turkey intended to purchase at least 100 F-35 warplanes.

Built Specifically for UAVs

This compelled the country to reconsider its development strategy and undertake additional changes to transform the TCG Anadolu into a carrier of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), and uncrewed fighter jets in addition to helicopters. The ship’s air wing will most likely be made up of Bayraktar TB3s with short-runway capability. Along with drones, the TCG Anadolu will house a variety of aircraft, including the T129 Atak, AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters, and SH-70B utility helicopters built in Turkey.

It was revealed in February of this year that the ship would undergo minor infrastructure improvements to allow drone operations to realize the change in Anadolu’s air wing. Drone control stations with satellite terminals for longer-range connections were to be installed, as well as a “roller system” at the ship’s bow to aid in uncrewed aircraft launch, an arresting gear system on the deck to facilitate UCAV landings, and safety nets for the recovery of smaller drone types. The TCG Anadolu will be able to host a battalion-sized force, as well as flying and command personnel. The Anadolu has six landing and takeoff zones for medium-load transport, assault, or general-purpose helicopters, as well as two other zones for heavy cargo transport helicopters, despite the fact that its flight deck is not long enough for classic warplanes to land and take off.

It is capable of transporting both light and heavily armored vehicles, as well as tracked and wheeled vehicles. Its lightweight deck can accommodate up to 30 wheeled vehicles, such as armored personnel carriers and amphibious vehicles. The ship’s hangar can transport at least 12 medium-load helicopters. Depending on the ship’s function, more helicopters may be carried on the light vehicle deck at the same time to increase the number. Tanks and other large, tracked vehicles with thick armor can be transported on the carrier’s heavy vehicle deck, which is located at the top of the pool.

Glimpses of TGC Anadolu

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