MUGEM-class aircraft carrier

The MUGEM-class aircraft carrier is an initiative by the Turkish Navy to build a fully indigenous aircraft carrier. MUGEM is a Turkish acronym for Milli Uçak Gemisicode: tur promoted to code: tr , meaning "National Aircraft Carrier".^[5][6] The construction of the first MUGEM-class aircraft carrier started on 2 January 2025.^[1][2][3]

Class overview
Name	Milli Uçak Gemisicode: tur promoted to code: tr (National Aircraft Carrier)
Builders	Istanbul Naval Shipyard
Operators	Turkish Naval Forces
Preceded by	Anadolu class
Building	1[1][2][3]
General characteristics [4][5][1][2][3]
Type	Aircraft carrier
Displacement	60,000 t (59,000 long tons)
Length	285 m (935 ft 0 in)
Beam	72 m (236 ft 3 in)
Draught	10.1 m (33 ft 2 in)
Propulsion	4 × LM2500 gas turbines
Speed	25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)+ (maximum)
Range	10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi)
Crew	800+
Armament	32 cell MİDLAS VLS 4 × GOKDENIZ CIWS 6 × STOP RWS
Aircraft carried	Up to 50
Aviation facilities	Hangar for 30 aircraft

Development

Plans for constructing a large Turkish aircraft carrier were first announced in April 2023 by the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who held talks with companies from Spain and the United Kingdom on the issue.^[7] Contrary to earlier assumptions and news reports by the media,^[7] it was later revealed that the future aircraft carrier would not be a larger version of TCG Anadolu, but a completely new design.^[4][5][1][3]

On 15 February 2024, the Design and Projects Office of the Turkish Navy announced that it will be a STOBAR aircraft carrier with an overall length of 285 metres (935 ft 0 in),^[4][5][1][3] beam of 72 m (236 ft 3 in),^[4][5][1][3] draught of 10.1 metres (33 ft 2 in),^[4][5][1][3] and displacement of 60,000 tonnes (59,000 long tons).^[4][5][1][3] It is to have a COGAG^[4][5][1][3] propulsion system and a maximum speed of more than 25 knots (29 mph; 46 km/h).^[4][5][1][3] In terms of dimensions (length, beam, and draught) it is similar to the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy, but has a lower displacement.^{[4][5][1][3][a]}

On 25 April 2024, new details were released when press was welcomed at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard.^[4] A model of the ship was first shown at the 2024 SAHA EXPO, with further details being released, like propulsion, dimensions, and design elements.^[4]

The construction of the first MUGEM-class aircraft carrier began on 2 January 2025.^[1][2] The first MUGEM-class aircraft carrier is being built at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard.^[1][2]

Flight deck

MUGEM is being designed in a STOBAR configuration with a modular ski-jump at the bow. The Turkish defence industry is also underway at developing an indigenous catapult system. With the ski-jump being modular by design, this can be removed and the ship could be reconfigured as a CATOBAR carrier.^[4]

Aircraft

The ship is planned to carry several different types of aircraft, both manned and unmanned.^[4]

Potential aircraft include:

• Bayraktar TB3
• Bayraktar Kızılelma
• TAI Anka-3
• TAI Hürjet
• TAI TF Kaan

Construction

The construction of the first MUGEM-class aircraft carrier began on 2 January 2025.^[1][2][3]

See also

• List of aircraft carriers in service

Notes

1. The type of displacement has not been explicitly revealed in the specifications, possibly due to the ongoing evaluation of the aircraft, unmanned combat aerial vehicles, and helicopters to be used, which will determine a more precise estimation for the full load displacement.