A new Ada-class corvette has been launched by Turkey.
By Richard Tomkins | June 20, 2016



INSTANBUL, Turkey, June 20 (UPI) -- Turkey has launched a third indigenously manufactured naval corvette under its MILGEM program.

The Ada-class vessel, TCG Burgazada, took to water late last week during a ceremony attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other government officials who took the opportunity to reiterate the government's goal of a self-sufficient Turkish defense industry by 2023.

Erdogan said Turkey will soon "be in a position to make our own aircraft carriers," the state-run Andalou Agency reported. "Turkey cannot stall in its defense industry and military issues because of our strategic geographical location."

The TCG Burgazada is an Ada-class anti-submarine warfare vessel that is about 326 feet long. Ada-class corvettes have a maximum speed of 29 knots and a range of 3,500 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots. They are armed with a 76-millimeter gun, missiles and torpedoes.

The first Ada-class corvette, the Heybeliada, was launched in 2008.

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