TCG Kemalreis (F 247)

TCG Kemalreis (F 247) is a Barbaros-class frigate of the Turkish Navy.

TCG Kemalreis in July 2022
History
Turkey
Name	Kemalreis
Namesake	Kemal Reis, And Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
Builder	Gölcük, Kocaeli
Launched	22 July 1998
Commissioned	8 June 2000
Identification	Pennant number: F 247
Nickname(s)	Kemal Pasha
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class & type	Barbaros-class frigate
Displacement	3,100 tons standard 3,350 tons full load
Length	118.0 metres (387.1 ft)
Beam	14.8 metres (49 ft)
Draught	4.25 metres (13.9 ft)
Propulsion	2 shaft CODOG, controllable pitch propellers , 2 General Electric LM-2500 gas turbines 60,000 hp 2 MTU 20V 1163 diesel-engines, 13,060 hp (9,740 kW)
Speed	32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) on gas turbine 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) on diesel only
Range	4,100 nautical miles (7,600 km; 4,700 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement	24 officers, 156 enlisted men
Sensors & processing systems	Radar Thales SMART-S Mk2 Decca 2040 BT HSA D08 HSA STIR -24, HSA STIR 18 Sonar SQS-56
Electronic warfare & decoys	Racal Cutlass, Racal Scorpion, Mk 36 decoy
Armament	1 × Mk 41 Mod 8 VLS for 32 × RIM-162 ESSM Sea Sparrow PDMS (SAM) or 8 Sea Sparrow PDMS(SAM) 2 × Mk 141 quad-pack Launcher for 8 × RGM-84 Harpoon 1 × 5 inch /54 gun 3 × Oerlikon Contraves Sea Zenith 25mm CIWS gun systems 2 × Mark 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tube sets
Aircraft carried	1 × S-70B Seahawk or AB 212 ASW helicopters
Aviation facilities	Hangar and platform

Development and design

Main article: Barbaros-class frigate

Barbaros-class frigates were designed in Germany and are part of the MEKO group of modular warships, in this case the MEKO 200 design. Two ships were built in Germany and two in Turkey with German assistance. They are larger than the previous Yavuz-class frigates and are also faster due to using CODOG machinery rather than pure diesels.

The first two vessels (F 244 and F 245) are defined as the Barbaros class (MEKO 200 TN Track II-A) while the last two vessels (F 246 and F 247) are defined as the Salih Reis class (MEKO 200 TN Track II-B) by the Turkish Navy.

Salih Reis subclass ships are built with 8-cell Mk. 41 VLS and longer than Barbaros class vessels to accommodate 16-cell Mk. 41 VLS upgrade in the future while Barbaros-class vessels built with Mk.29 Sea Sparrow launchers that planned to be replaced by 8-cell Mk. 41 VLS.

Construction and career

Kemalreis was launched on 22 July 1998 by Gölcük Naval Shipyard in Kocaeli and commissioned on 8 June 2000.^[1]

On 3 September 2022, Kemalreis became the first Turkish warship to dock in Israel after relations were fully restored between the two countries after a decade.