Giresun University Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Cenk Özgen wrote about the place of Turkey's National Aircraft Carrier (MUGEM) Project in the future vision of the Turkish Naval Forces for AA Analysis.
Construction work continues at full speed in the National Aircraft Carrier (MUGEM) Project, which stands out as the symbol of the Turkish Navy's orientation towards the open seas. Naval Forces Commander Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu announced that MUGEM is planned to be launched on September 27, 2027. The ship is aimed to be put into service in 2032. Although various guesses have been made about the name, no official statement has been made yet.
In the MUGEM Project, carried out in cooperation with the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), Naval Forces Command and Istanbul Shipyard Command, it is aimed to reach a localization rate of over 80 percent, including design and subsystems. Aiming for this level of localization in such a complex platform that requires high technology and engineering knowledge is considered an important indicator that reveals the Turkish defense industry's capacity to produce original solutions.
floating air base
It was announced that MUGEM, which is the largest platform ever built for the Turkish Navy, will have a length of 285 meters, a width of 72 meters, a draft of 10.1 meters and a displacement of 60 thousand tons. Considering that TCG Anadolu, which is currently the largest platform in the navy's inventory, has a length of 231 meters and a displacement of approximately 27 thousand tons, the dimensions of the ship built and the increase in capacity it represents are more clearly understood.
Today, aircraft carriers are classified according to their landing-takeoff method. It was announced that MUGEM will be in STOBAR (Short Range Takeoff and Stop with Barrier) configuration. In this regard, a take-off ramp with a 12-degree inclination will be used at the bow of the ship. On the other hand, it should be noted that it is stated that the ship will have an infrastructure that will allow it to be converted into a CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take-Off and Arrest with Barrier) configuration according to operational needs.
It was announced that MUGEM will host 52 aircraft. It seems that the air force in question will consist of manned and unmanned platforms. TAI General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu announced that the naval version of Hürjet will be developed based on the future needs of the Turkish Naval Forces. It is stated that an engine providing higher thrust will be used in the aircraft, which is expected to have significant differences from the current Hürjet in terms of design.
In addition, various structural and technical improvements, especially corrosion protection and strengthening of landing gear, are on the agenda in line with the requirements of the naval operational environment.
The two strongest candidates for unmanned platforms are Baykar's KIZILELMA and TAI's ANKA-III. While both platforms stand out with their low radar visibility, they have the ability to perform both air-air and air-ground missions. In addition, it will not be a surprise that BAYRAKTAR TB-3, which was developed by Baykar to operate on short-runway naval platforms, will be deployed in MUGEM. It is worth mentioning that BAYRAKTAR TB-3 has recently carried out sonobuoy firing tests. Deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with this capability on aircraft carriers can increase the effectiveness of anti-submarine warfare missions. On the other hand, it is stated that MUGEM will have a design suitable for the deployment of unmanned marine vehicles (UAV), which is a first in the world for aircraft carriers.
Deterrence and transfer of power
In the modern naval operational environment, target detection and long-range precision strike capabilities have improved significantly. This makes it increasingly difficult for large surface platforms to remain concealed and survive. However, when it comes to the transfer of power from the sea, aircraft carriers are still unrivaled. The fact that countries such as the USA, China and France continue to invest in new aircraft carrier projects shows that these platforms maintain their strategic importance.
MUGEM is expected to strengthen Turkey's capacity to protect its rights and interests in the "blue homeland" and increase its military deterrence, as well as make significant contributions to the country's goals of becoming a regional and global actor. The Turkish Navy, which gained the ability to transfer power from the homeland to geographies far from the homeland for the first time with TCG Anadolu, will take this to a further level with MUGEM. In this regard, thanks to the aircraft carrier, it will be possible to provide air umbrellas to friendly elements that are outside the range of aircraft on the ground, and attack missions can also be carried out if necessary. In addition, the aircraft carrier will undertake functions such as supporting foreign policy, displaying the flag and contributing to humanitarian aid operations.
blue-water navy
Türkiye will be able to form a naval task group with an aircraft carrier at its center in the 2030s. Considering the examples around the world, it seems highly likely that this task group will consist of 5-6 combat and logistic support ships. It can be expected that the Tepe-class air defense warfare destroyers and stack-class frigates, which were designed and built with local and national resources, as well as the submarines developed within the scope of the MİLDEN Project, will be among the elements of this task group. Of course, considering that operations will be avoided during periodic maintenance practices and training activities, it is considered that the construction of a second aircraft carrier may be on the agenda in the future.
The aircraft carrier is a capability that only a few countries in the world have. In this respect, MUGEM means "entrance ticket" to a league of elite naval powers. The Turkish Naval Forces, which has taken important steps towards improving its force structure in recent years, will strengthen its strategic vision extending from coastal waters to the open seas with MUGEM. As a matter of fact, with the entry into service of the ship, the Turkish Navy will leave behind a critical threshold towards becoming the "blue-water navy", which is used in maritime literature to describe forces that can operate in geographies far from the homeland.
