(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Türkiye has officially embarked on its most ambitious naval project in modern history—the construction of its first domestically designed aircraft carrier, the Milli Uçak Gemisi (MUGEM).

The flagship programme, already underway at Istanbul Naval Shipyard, is projected to launch around 2027–2028 and be formally delivered to the Turkish Navy before 2030, cementing Ankara’s long-sought ambition to enter the exclusive club of aircraft carrier operators.

Rear Admiral Recep Erdinç Yetkin, commander of Istanbul Naval Shipyard, underscored the milestone by announcing that the carrier would measure 285 metres in length and displace approximately 60,000 tons—more than double the displacement of the short take-off and landing (STOL) carrier TCG Anadolu at 27,000 tons.

“We have started the construction of the National Aircraft Carrier. It will be 285 meters long and 60,000 tons. Anadolu was 230 meters and 27,000 tons. Kızılelma, TB3, Anka, and TB2 will be able to take off and land on it,” said Rear Admiral Yetkin.

Construction began in early 2025, with modular mega-block production already distributed across multiple Turkish shipyards to accelerate timelines.

Officials confirmed that the ski-jump flight ramp will be ready within months, paving the way for Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Baykar to begin integration tests for navalised unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) such as the Bayraktar TB3 and Kızılelma.

The carrier’s conceptual design, first unveiled during SAHA EXPO 2024 in Istanbul, is built entirely on domestic expertise and resources, reflecting Türkiye’s deliberate push for defence autonomy in major strategic platforms.

Possessing an aircraft carrier—even one powered by conventional propulsion—will elevate Türkiye into the upper echelon of regional maritime powers, allowing Ankara to project force across the Mediterranean, Aegean, and potentially the Indian Ocean.

At 285 metres long with a beam of 72 metres, MUGEM’s specifications place it in the same class as the UK’s Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, which are also conventionally powered and designed for flexible expeditionary warfare.

The vessel will reportedly achieve a top speed of 25 knots and an operational range of 10,000 nautical miles at 14 knots, thanks to four General Electric LM25000 gas turbines coupled with advanced adjustable propellers.

In terms of aviation capability, the carrier will operate approximately 50 aircraft, including both manned and unmanned systems, supported by three dedicated runways—two for landing and one for take-off.

Initial configuration includes 20 aircraft on deck and 30 in the hangar, with flexibility for expanded capacity as Turkish aerospace firms deliver additional navalised aircraft types.

Among the platforms slated for deployment are the Hurjet light attack aircraft (navalised variant), TAI’s ANKA-III unmanned jet, Bayraktar Kızılelma stealth UCAV, and the Bayraktar TB3, providing Ankara with one of the world’s first aircraft carriers purpose-built for UCAV operations.

This integration of drones with conventional fighters and helicopters reflects Türkiye’s unique approach to carrier aviation, distinct from NATO’s F-35B-based short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) model.

Strategically, MUGEM is expected to serve as a force multiplier in grey-zone operations, anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) missions, and as a platform to project Turkish influence in contested waters such as the Eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

The carrier’s armament underscores its self-sufficiency, with plans for a 32-cell MIDLAS vertical launching system (VLS) capable of firing Hisar and future SIPER long-range surface-to-air missiles, backed by four Gökdeniz close-in weapon systems (CIWS) for anti-missile defence.

Six Aselsan STOP 25mm remote-controlled weapon systems will further provide protection against swarms of fast attack craft, drones, and asymmetric threats.

Naval analysts suggest MUGEM will become a regional counterweight to French and Italian carrier strike groups in the Mediterranean, while also enhancing Türkiye’s ability to operate alongside NATO or independently in expeditionary missions.

The timing of the carrier’s debut—late 2020s—coincides with rapid naval modernisation in the Indo-Pacific, where China’s Fujian carrier, India’s Vikrant programme, and Japan’s Izumo-class conversions are redefining power balances.

By 2030, Türkiye’s entry into carrier aviation, with a fleet centred on MUGEM and supplemented by TCG Anadolu, will allow Ankara to maintain two active platforms for force projection, a capability rare even among NATO states.

The geopolitical implications are profound: MUGEM not only strengthens Türkiye’s blue-water naval aspirations, but also reinforces Ankara’s role as an independent defence innovator capable of producing world-class power-projection platforms without reliance on Western supply chains.

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Turkey’s Carrier Era: Strategic Implications of MUGEM and a Drone-Centric Naval Air Power

Turkey is preparing to reshape regional and global naval dynamics with its first indigenous aircraft carrier, MUGEM, projected to launch in 2027–2028 and delivered before 2030.

The 285-metre, 60,000-ton vessel marks Ankara’s transition from a littoral force to a blue-water navy capable of sustained expeditionary operations.

This new flagship will build on the drone-carrier concept pioneered by TCG Anadolu, which has already validated unmanned combat air vehicle operations at sea.

By leveraging the Bayraktar TB3, Kızılelma jet UCAV, ANKA-III, and navalised Hurjet, Turkey will field one of the world’s first carrier air wings purpose-built to integrate unmanned and manned systems side by side.

The carrier is expected to host up to fifty aircraft, with a balanced mix of drones, helicopters, and crewed jets, offering flexibility to tailor force packages for surveillance, strike, anti-submarine warfare, and power projection missions.

The strategic significance lies in Ankara’s ability to operate far beyond its immediate maritime borders, projecting influence across the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea, the Red Sea, and potentially into the Indo-Pacific sea lanes.

In the Aegean theatre, where Greek and Turkish forces remain in a delicate balance, MUGEM provides Ankara with sea-based airpower that shifts escalation dynamics by bypassing land-based airfields vulnerable to pre-emptive strikes.

In the Eastern Mediterranean, the carrier enhances Ankara’s deterrent posture around contested gas fields and maritime boundaries, reinforcing Turkish claims and complicating adversary planning.

Further afield, a Turkish carrier strike group patrolling choke points such as the Suez Canal, Bab el-Mandeb, or the Strait of Hormuz would give Ankara a new diplomatic and military tool to influence global trade flows and crisis management.

The doctrinal innovation lies in the hybrid air wing, where cost-effective drones deliver persistent ISR and strike mass, while jet UCAVs and light attack aircraft provide high-end capability for contested environments.

This model represents a departure from NATO’s reliance on expensive fifth-generation jets, offering Turkey a more scalable and resilient approach tailored for drone-era warfare.

MUGEM’s design includes three runways and a future indigenous catapult system, creating the infrastructure for high sortie rates, rapid turnaround, and the integration of increasingly heavy unmanned combat aircraft.

Its propulsion system of four gas turbines ensures a top speed of 25 knots and an operational range of 10,000 nautical miles, allowing Ankara to sustain deployments across distant maritime theatres.

The carrier’s self-defence suite, centred on MIDLAS vertical launchers, SIPER-class long-range interceptors, Gökdeniz CIWS, and STOP remote weapon systems, ensures survivability against both conventional and asymmetric threats.

Coupled with I-class frigates and other escorts, MUGEM will anchor a Turkish carrier strike group built on indigenous combat systems, enabling Ankara to reduce dependence on external suppliers.

This naval architecture forms the backbone of a Turkish “kill web,” where UCAVs extend the reach of ship-based sensors and weapons, creating an integrated, multi-domain battlespace.

Strategically, MUGEM’s arrival in the late 2020s coincides with a shifting global carrier landscape, where China’s Fujian, India’s Vikrant, and Japan’s Izumo conversions redefine the Indo-Pacific balance.

Turkey’s entry into this exclusive club signals a new pole of naval aviation power within NATO, one shaped not by Western fifth-generation stealth jets but by indigenous UCAV innovation and scalable force packages.

The presence of a Turkish carrier will be a visible demonstration of sovereignty, deterrence, and technological independence, reinforcing Ankara’s ability to operate autonomously from Western supply chains.

Diplomatically, MUGEM strengthens Ankara’s leverage with partners and adversaries alike, offering humanitarian assistance, naval diplomacy, and expeditionary presence as instruments of statecraft.

By 2030, Ankara will not only field a carrier—it will pioneer a model of drone-era naval aviation that challenges traditional assumptions of carrier warfare.

In doing so, Turkey positions itself as both a regional heavyweight and a global actor, able to project influence across multiple theatres simultaneously.

MUGEM is more than a ship.

It is the embodiment of Ankara’s ambition to transform national defence autonomy into global maritime power.

And when it enters service before 2030, the strategic wake it generates will extend far beyond the Mediterranean, altering the calculus of allies and adversaries alike.

READ: For the First Time, Türkiye Unveils Design of Its First Aircraft Carrier

Technical Specifications

The MUGEM aircraft carrier is designed to be a formidable asset for the Turkish Navy, with the following technical specifications:

• Length: 285 meters
• Beam: 72 meters
• Draft: 10.1 meters
• Displacement: 60,000 tons
• Max Speed: 25+ knots
• Cruising Speed: 14 knots
• Range: 10,000 nautical miles at cruising speed
• Propulsion: Combined Gas Turbine and Gas Turbine (COGAG) system with four LM2500 gas turbines, providing a total of 23 MW each
• Personnel Capacity: Accommodation for at least 800 personnel
• Aircraft Capacity: 50 manned/unmanned aircraft
• Combat Management System: ADVENT CMS
• Bow Design: 1.5% reduction in fuel consumption and improved underwater noise propagation

— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA