Turkey building a sub as it ramps up homemade defence industry

Turkey has started building its first fully domestic submarine, called MILDEN. The first test block of MILDEN is under construction now at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard. This submarine is part of a wider effort by Turkey to strengthen its own defense industry and rely less on foreign suppliers.

In addition to the submarine, work recently began on the country’s new surface warship project: the TF-2000 air-defense destroyer. The TF-2000 will be a key element of a planned multi-layered air defence system called “Steel Dome.”

Also, Turkey has made its first ever export of a corvette warship to a NATO ally. It sold an Akhisar-class light corvette to Romania. This shows that not only is Turkey building new warships, but it is also exporting them internationally.

The MILDEN submarine is expected to be a modern diesel-electric submarine with about 2,700 tonne displacement and will be much more advanced than Turkey’s older submarines. Its construction marks a historic milestone for Turkey’s defence sector.

Overall, these developments — new submarine, destroyer and warship exports — show that Turkey is investing heavily to build a strong, self-reliant navy.

Turkey has taken a major step in naval defence by starting to build its first indigenous submarine, called MILDEN. The announcement, made on December 4, 2025, came during a regular briefing of the Turkish Defence Ministry. The submarine’s first test block is now under construction at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard Command, marking a historic milestone as the country’s first fully home-built submarine.

This submarine project is part of a larger push to strengthen Turkey’s domestic defence industry and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. Along with MILDEN, the ministry said contractors had recently started building the first block of the TF-2000 naval air-defence destroyer — another major warship. The TF-2000 will be a central piece of Turkey’s planned “Steel Dome” multi-layered air-defence system.

In addition, Turkey has completed its first-ever sale of a corvette warship to a NATO ally. The sale involved an Akhisar light corvette exported to Romania. According to the ministry, this is the first time Turkey sold a warship to a NATO partner.

These steps reflect a broader transformation: Turkey is now actively expanding its domestic military production capabilities, including submarines, destroyers, and warships. The MILDEN project is especially important because it promises a submarine built with Turkish design and technology.

If all goes as planned, MILDEN and other new ships will strengthen the Turkish navy’s capacity, and Turkey will become more self-reliant in defence. This shift may also impact regional security balance as Turkey gains more control over its maritime power.

References

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/turkey-building-sub-it-ramps-up-homemade-defence-industry-2025-12-04/