ASFAT has disclosed new details of Turkey's indigenous submarine programme, including its dimensions, endurance and hydrogen-based air-independent propulsion system.
MİLDEN Reaches Key Milestone as First Test Block Is Revealed
Turkey's National Submarine (MİLDEN) project has reached an important stage with the completion and public exhibition of its first test block.
ASFAT, the project's main contractor, is currently working on the first phase of the programme. The first test block was displayed publicly for the first time at TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland, providing a closer look at the submarine's developing design and construction approach.
According to ASFAT General Manager Mustafa İlbaş, the test block will undergo both destructive and non-destructive testing. These tests are intended to validate the structure before the project moves into subsequent phases and full-scale production.
The programme is currently planned to culminate in the delivery of the first MİLDEN submarine to the Turkish Naval Forces in 2032. ASFAT says the project is progressing according to schedule.
A Submarine Designed for Extended Underwater Endurance
MİLDEN is being designed around a combination of conventional diesel propulsion and a hydrogen-based air-independent propulsion (AIP) system.
According to ASFAT General Manager Mustafa İlbaş, the AIP system will be one of the submarine's most important features. The system will use hydrogen-based power generation alongside the conventional engines, allowing the submarine to remain submerged for longer periods without relying on atmospheric air.
MİLDEN is planned to be more than 80 metres long, with a displacement of approximately 2,700 tonnes and a mission endurance of more than 50 days. These figures indicate a submarine designed for sustained operations rather than short-duration coastal missions.
The combination of AIP technology, a relatively large hull and an indigenous weapons and sensor architecture is intended to give MİLDEN greater underwater endurance and operational flexibility than Turkey's existing submarine fleet.
The first MİLDEN test block was publicly displayed for the first time at TEKNOFEST Mavi Vatan in Gölcük. The block will undergo destructive and non-destructive testing before the programme moves to subsequent phases.
Our Assessment
MİLDEN's significance goes beyond the construction of another submarine for the Turkish Navy. The project represents an attempt to establish an indigenous submarine design and production capability at a much deeper level.
The planned hydrogen-based AIP system is particularly important. Long underwater endurance is one of the defining characteristics of modern conventional submarines, and an indigenous AIP capability could reduce dependence on foreign propulsion technologies.
The combination of a large platform, extended underwater endurance and an indigenous weapons and sensor architecture could give MİLDEN a substantially different capability compared with Turkey's current submarine fleet.
The real test for MİLDEN will not simply be whether Turkey can build the submarine. It will be whether Turkey can establish a sustainable domestic submarine design ecosystem around it.
Source: ASFAT / Mavi Vatan
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