STM Delivers Section50 To Be Integrated On TCG SELMANREİS

Gölcük Naval Shipyard has taken delivery of the final "Torpedo Section" – the bow section of submarines that houses the torpedo tubes – in the Reis-Class submarine programme, having been produced for the first time in Türkiye using national means under the coordination of STM. The Section 50 component will be integrated into TCG SELMANREİS.

Another critical stage has been reached in the Turkish Navy New Type Submarine Project, launched by the Defence Industry Agency (SSB) for one of the most active navies in the world, the Turkish Naval Forces.The know-how required to manufacture the “Section 50” bow section that houses the torpedo tubes (main armaments) of the submarine, is possessed by only a few countries around the world. The fourth and final batch delivery of the “Torpedo Section” was concluded successfully after being produced for the first time in Türkiye with Turkish engineering under the coordination of STM by Gürdesan Gemi Makinaları Sanayii Ticaret A.Ş. through indigenous and national means.

One “Torpedo Section” produced for Reis-class submarines was delivered to Gölcük Naval Shipyard by sea. The fourth and last Torpedo Section to be produced in Türkiye will be integrated into TCG SELMANREİS, the final submarine in the project, at Gölcük Naval Shipyard. STM and Gürdesan completed the delivery of the first Torpedo Section to be integrated into TCG MURATREİS in September 2021, and the second and third deliveries to be integrated into TCG AYDINREİS and TCG SEYDİALIREİS in July 2022.

Demir: We will continue to localize critical systems

Commenting on the delivery, Prof. Dr. İsmail Demir, President of the SSB, said, “We are continuously making efforts to increase the strength of our country in the Blue Homeland.   With the participation of STM engineers and representatives from the domestic industry, we completed the final delivery of the bow sections, including the torpedo tubes, which we produce by local means for the Reis-Class submarines. It is my hope that this last delivery that we make for Reis-Class submarines, the most modern submarine platform in our country, will be beneficial to our country, our Navy and the Blue Homeland. We will continue to take steps to localize critical systems.”

Güleryüz: We have Exceeded Our Targeted Indigenousness Ratio

Özgür Güleryüz, General Manager of STM, stated that the local production of the submarine torpedo section could be considered a historical success: “STM completed the manufacture and delivered the first Torpedo Section in the last year and the second and third Torpedo Section in last July. The fourth and last Torpedo Section has now been delivered to Gölcük Naval Shipyard. Despite this being the first time we have carried out production at this level, we made all deliveries on time without any delay in the project thanks to the knowledge, experience and spectacular effort of STM’s engineers. We take pride in having exceeded the targeted indigenous rate for Reis-class submarines that were set to enhance the capabilities of our Navy in defence of the Blue Homeland. I offer my congratulations to all of the staff and stakeholders who contributed to this project through which we have gained significant experience on the path to national submarine production.”

Firing capability of 8 torpedoes/guided missiles

The Torpedo Section is the most critical part of Reis-class submarines, which will be the most modern submarine platforms in the inventory of the Turkish Navy. The sections house the main armaments and systems of the submarine, allowing the firing of torpedoes and/or guided missiles. The Torpedo Section produced allows Reis-class submarines to be armed with eight 533mm torpedo tubes. The delivery of six Reis-class submarines is planned under the project. The section containing the torpedo tubes of the first two submarines was manufactured by the German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), who is the main contractor in the project. The Torpedo Sections to be fitted to the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th submarines are being produced for the first time in Türkiye by the Gürdesan Company, with STM as the main subcontractor.

STM’s critical role in Reis-class submarines

STM is undertaking key roles in the production of Reis-class submarines. Having put its design competence and experience on the table for NTSP, STM is now handling the entire coordination of the project within the scope of the Torpedo Section. Expert teams at STM are taking care of the construction plans, checking their assembly, getting them ready for delivery and keeping track of the delivery stages. Aside from the torpedo section, STM is also carrying out the design, engineering and system integration activities for the NTSP. Contributing to the indigenisation efforts related to the construction materials of the ship and the installed devices/systems, STM is ensuring also the domestic production of submarine non-pressure tight hull blocks and various GRP (Composite Submarine Superstructure) units.

Turkish Navy New Type Submarine Project

Aiming to meet a requirement of the Turkish Navy, six Reis-class submarines meeting the criteria of the Submarine Operations Concept are being constructed with the maximum participation of Turkish industry at Gölcük Naval Shipyard. The intention in the Turkish Navy New Type Submarine Project is to commission six submarines with air-independent propulsion systems, capable of launching many types of torpedoes and missiles as well as laying mines, and equipped with armaments for engaging with underwater, surface and land targets. The first submarine is planned to be in service this year. Equipped with an Air-Independent Propulsion System (AIP), Reis-class submarines will have the ability to remain underwater for weeks at a time without surfacing. These submarines, which boast low-noise navigation capabilities, will be able to operate covertly for long periods. The submarines are 68 meters in length, weigh over 2,000 tons and have crew of 40. The first submarine in the project, TCG PİRİREİS, was built in Gölcük Naval Shipyard and was launched in March 2021. TCG PİRİREİS began its sea trials in December 2022. Under the project, a ceremony was held on May 23, 2022 for transferring of TCG HIZIRREİS to floating dock and for the First Welding of TCG SELMANREİS with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The names of the Reis-class submarines that will serve Turkish Naval Forces Command are as follows:

TCG PİRİREİS, TCG HIZIRREİS, TCG MURATREİS, TCG AYDINREİS, TCG SEYDİALİREİS and TCG SELMANREİS.

STM Submarine Projects

As part of its design, construction and modernisation activities, STM is producing indigenous and flexible engineering solutions for the surface and submarine platforms of the Turkish Navy and those of friendly and allied nations, aiming to address specific needs and ensure more effective mission performance. Undertaking crucial tasks in the submarine modernisation and construction projects of the Turkish Navy, STM successfully completed the modernisation of two Ay-class submarines in the role of main contractor in 2015. Continuing its system supply and platform integration activities as a pilot partner in the modernisation of four Preveze-class submarines, STM has at the same time been active since 2016 as the main contractor in the modernisation of the French-made Agosta 90B Khalid-class submarines owned by Pakistan. Under the Agosta 90B Modernisation project, STM completed the delivery of the two submarine, while the modernisation works for the third submarine are continuing in Pakistan. Designed entirely by STM engineers using national resources, the small-sized STM500 submarine project entered the pressure hull test production phase in June 2022.

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About STM

STM has been serving the Turkish defence sector for over a quarter of a century in areas that include engineering, technology and consultancy services, working in fields that are critical for Turkey and its allies. It applies its advanced capabilities and technologies to a broad range of strategic fields, ranging from naval platforms to satellites, from tactical mini-UAV systems to cybersecurity, and from big data analytics to artificial intelligence applications.