Finance
Turkey building a sub as it ramps up homemade defence industry
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 4, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 4, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Turkey starts building its first indigenous submarine and sells a corvette to Romania, boosting its defence industry.
ANKARA, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Turkey's defence ministry said on Thursday construction work had started on its first indigenous submarine (MILDEN), adding that Ankara had also completed its first sale of a corvette warship to a NATO ally by inking an agreement with Romania.
NATO member Turkey, which has ramped up defence industry production and cut dependence on foreign providers, said last week that contractors had begun building its indigenous TF-2000 naval air defence destroyer. It will be part of the planned "Steel Dome" multi-layered air defence system.
At its weekly briefing, the ministry said the ASFAT company operating under its jurisdiction had inked a deal with Romania's defence ministry to export one Akhisar light corvette, marking the first such sale by Turkey to a NATO ally.
"Following the construction of the first block of the TF-2000 Air Defense Destroyer at our Istanbul Shipyard Command, construction of the first test block of our National Submarine (MİLDEN) has begun at our Golcuk Shipyard Command," it added.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Jonathan Spicer)
An indigenous submarine is a submarine that is designed and built within a specific country, utilizing local resources and technology, rather than being imported from foreign manufacturers.
A corvette warship is a small, fast naval vessel designed for convoy escort duty and coastal patrol. It is typically armed with missiles and anti-submarine weapons.
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a military alliance of countries from North America and Europe established for mutual defense against aggression.
A naval air defense destroyer is a type of warship equipped with advanced systems to protect naval fleets from aerial attacks, often featuring radar and missile systems.
The Steel Dome is a multi-layered air defense system designed to intercept and destroy incoming threats such as missiles and aircraft, enhancing national security.
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