Reis-class submarine

On 28 December 2006, the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries of the Turkish Ministry of National Defense issued a request for proposal, which was revised on 12 July 2007. As of 22 November 2007, naval defense industry companies such as the DCNS of France, Navantia of Spain and the German/British business partnership Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (HDW)/Marine Force International LLP (MFI) submiited proposals. After completing the evaluation process, the decision was announced on 22 July 2008 to start contract negotiations first with the HDW/MFI Business Partnership. By August 2008, the negotions started. The diesel-electric Type 214 submarine of ThyssenKrupp featuring an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system was selected, and the program begin was set to early 2009.[3]

The contract between the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries and the HDW/MFI consortium was signed on 2 July 2009. Amounting to €2.060 billion, the project came into force on 22 June 2011. The submarines are to be built at Gölcük Naval Shipyard with material packages supplied by the HDW/MFI. The shipyard's capability is to be improved regarding the construction and outfitting of the submarines.[1][3]

The Turkish defense industry companies ASELSAN, HAVELSAN, MilSOFT, Defense Technologies Engineering and Trade Inc. (STM), Koç Information and Defense, TÜBİTAK Defense Industries Research and Development Institute, and Meteksan Defense, as well as marine industry companies Gürdesan, AYESAŞ, Sirena Marine, Arıtaş, İ-Marine, are involved in the project as subcontractors.[1][4]

The production of the Reis-class, formerly Cerbe-class, submarines takes place in two large hangars, Block A and B, of the Submarine Prıduction Plant ("Denizaltı İmalat Fabrikası") at Gölcük Naval Shipyard. Block A can hold three boats at one time, and is used for assembly and outfitting works, while Block B is for welding works of submarine hull sheets and putting them together.[1]

For the six submarines, the chosen names are TCG Pirireis, TCG Hızırreis, TCG Muratreis, TCG Aydınreis, TCG Seydialireis and TCG Selmanreis, after the 16th-century Ottoman Navy admirals Piri Reis, Kurtoğlu Hızır Reis, Murat Reis the Elder, Aydın Reis, Seydi Ali Reis and Selman Reis.[1]

The first submarine, the TCG Pirireis, was laid down at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard with the welding ceremony taking place on 28 September 2015.[2][4] Two submarines, ex USS Mapiro (SS-376) from 1960 to 1973 and ex USS Tang (SS-563) between 1980 and 2004, were formerly named TCG Pirireis. The construction of three other Reis-class submarines, namely TCG Hızırreis, TCG Muratreis and TCG Aydınreis, followed.[4] On 22 December 2019, TCG Pirireis was launched and put into a dry dock for outfitting.[4][5] While the construction of three laid-down vessels was in progress, the first welding of the fifth submarine, the TCG Seydialireis, took place the same day.[4][5]

The Reis-class submarines are Type 214 submarines featuring air-independent propulsion (AIP) using fuel cell technology. The boats are able to deploy heavyweight torpedoes, anti-ship missiles and to lay mines.[6]