Turkish Navy New Type Submarine Project (Reis-class)

Background and Specifications

Under the Turkish Navy’s operational requirements, sixReis-class submarinesare being constructed at Gölcük Naval Shipyard with maximum participation from the Turkish defense industry. TheNew Type Submarine Projectaims to commission submarines equipped withAir-Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems, capable of launching various types of torpedoes and missiles, deploying naval mines, and engaging underwater, surface, and land targets.

Equipped with AIP technology, the Reis-class submarines will be able to operate submerged for weeks without surfacing, significantly enhancing their stealth and endurance. Featuring low-noise navigation capabilities, they will conduct prolonged covert operations. Each submarine will measure 68 meters in length, displace over 2,000 tons, and accommodate a crew of 40.

The first submarine in the program,TCG PİRİREİS, built at Gölcük Naval Shipyard, was delivered to the Turkish Navy on August 24, 2024. The second submarine,TCG HIZIRREİS, completed its first sea trials on September 17, 2024, and carried out its first dive on September 18, 2024. The third submarine,TCG MURATREİS (S-330),was launched on May 29, 2025, coinciding with the anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul.

The submarines to serve with the Turkish Naval Forces Command are:

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

STM’s Role 

Under a subcontracting agreement signed on December 12, 2009, between STM and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (tkMS), STM is undertaking significant responsibilities in the construction of sixReis-class submarines (Type 214)at Gölcük Naval Shipyard, all equipped with air-independent propulsion systems.

Within this strategically critical project, STM’s tasks include:

• Participating in design, engineering, and system integration activities
  
• Providing technical support to Gölcük Naval Shipyard as required by the Turkish Naval Forces Command
• Contributing to the localization of materials, equipment, and systems used in shipbuilding
• Increasing the share of local industrial participation in the project
• Ensuring domestic production of non-pressure hull sections and certainGRP (Submarine Composite Superstructure) unitsforming the composite submarine superstructure
• Overseeing the domestic production ofSection 50, the forward section housing the submarine’s torpedo tubes
  

Section 50: A Critical Milestone

Section 50, representing the forward-most part of the submarine, is one of the most critical components of the Reis-class platforms. It houses the submarine’s primary weapons systems, including the torpedo tubes and mechanisms for launching guided missiles.

Thanks to the domestic production of Section 50, Reis-class submarines will be equipped with eight 533mm torpedo tubes. Under the NTSP, six Reis-class submarines are scheduled for delivery. The torpedo sections for the first and second submarines were manufactured by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), the main contractor of the project. However, the torpedo sections for the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth submarines have been produced domestically in Türkiye for the first time under STM’s main subcontractorship at Gürdesan Gemi Makinaları Sanayii Ticaret A.Ş.

STM successfully completed the deliveries of Section 50 in 2023, marking a historic milestone as Türkiye’s first domestic production of this critical submarine component—a capability mastered by only a handful of countries worldwide. This achievement is considered a significant step forward on the path to indigenous submarine production, representing invaluable experience for Türkiye’s national submarine programs.