When the Russian Su-24 was shot down by the Turkish Air Force in the Syrian sky, there was no dangerous tantrum in our country. The reaction was adequate, and it was not immediately possible to call Turkey to account and apologize, but a completely different war was succeeded - economic. But if Russia decided to "rattle" with weapons, could it hope for success in the war on land and at sea? This article will examine the state of the Turkish Navy, as well as comparative characteristics. Is a military confrontation between the two countries possible? This issue is now being discussed by many experts.
Modernization
The Turkish Navy is rapidly changing, turning from a bunch of crumbling ships into an effective force that can express itself in the waters of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. Ships are mostly foreign and modern, but more and more often - the brainchild of their own shipyards. This is not the most fundamental force of the Turkish army, not the largest, not the richest, but the Turks thoughtfully manage all resources and carefully conduct certification tests.
Good designers, modern shipyards - this is the key to vitality with the total modernization of the Turkish Navy. In the coming years, the plans of the Turkish command to upgrade or replace most of the ships and ships. The Turkish Navy's modernization program is designed in such a way that gradually and finally provides for the abandonment of foreign ship systems. Already, projects are becoming cooperative, joint with foreign shipyards: the lead ship is mounted abroad, the rest is licensed in Turkey. So the skill to build more and more complex ships is acquired.
Reasons for modernization
The shipbuilding industry in the country is already quite well developed: about forty modern shipyards work not only for their own merchant fleet - quite large compared to the Turkish Navy - but also build ships for export. A competition has been announced at the Department of Defense Industry, as a result of which only four shipyards will be winners, who will build ships for the navy. Turkey feels the need for a stronger fleet, since it sees threats around its not only land but also maritime borders.
The first Turkish fear is Russia, restoring spheres of influence, and Turkey has its own interests in the neighboring northern territories. These are the conflicts in the south, and the historical confrontation in the west with Greece, and, of course, in the east - completely unpredictable Iran. And if you take into account that ninety percent of the total volume of foreign trade the country sells by sea, you can understand why the ships of the Turkish Navy should be capable of defense. A strong fleet guarantees the safety of navigation and is able to ensure the protection of borders, which are 8300 only the coastline plus the islands of the Aegean.
Structure
The Turkish Navy today has fifty-five thousand people. The surface fleet is based on nineteen patrol vessels, and among them frigates from Germany (Meko 200) and the USA (Oliver Hazard Perry and Knox), six French corvettes. Also, twenty-five missile and several dozen patrol boats can be involved in coastal operations. Mine-sweeping ships, for the most part, were purchased again from France, Germany and the United States.
Here the landing ships are very outdated, and there are few of them. But there are fourteen submarines, and all are German. The number of ships of the Turkish Navy, as we see, is quite impressive. Weapons are being standardized throughout the fleet, control systems and the rest of the ship equipment are being checked.
Armament
In the very near future, Turkey will start designing on its own, without the help of foreign powers. This combat systems, and heavy torpedoes, and sonar for submarines. Despite the fact that in many respects the modernization of the Turkish fleet so far depends on foreign patrons, now the Turkish Navy often put in the place of the leader of this region.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet has never set itself the task of competing in tonnage with its closest neighbors by sea, but even the only operational and strategic unit of the Russian Navy, of which the Black Sea Fleet is, will be able to fulfill its task and will certainly ensure military security in this theater of operations. The Black Sea Fleet has at its disposal surface ships operating in the near sea and ocean zones, marine fighter, anti-submarine and missile-carrying aircraft, diesel submarines, as well as units of coastal troops.
Russian Black Sea Fleet
The flagship of the fleet is the Moscow missile cruiser (project 1164), an attack carrier with the anti-ship complex Vulcan (Basalt). Missiles possess supersonic speed and hit targets at absolutely any point in the Black Sea space. “Moscow” also performs the air defense functions fully, since the “Fort” complex is practically S-300, and there are eight such launchers, which means they will ensure the defeat of sixty-four targets simultaneously. And when “Moscow” began to control the air on the western coast of the Mediterranean Sea in Syria after the incident with our Su-24, Turkish military aviation stopped flying there immediately and completely.
The most effective combat units of the Black Sea Fleet are Samum missile boats, which have no analogues in any of the naval forces of the countries of the Black Sea basin. The strike potential and maneuverability are uniquely combined in these boats, which is why they are at the heart of the fighting composition of their class. Rapidly fast, with powerful weapons from eight anti-ship missiles, anti-aircraft and artillery systems of a wide range, these missile boats reliably provide control over the marine zone.
Submarines
The Black Sea submarine forces of Russia have also recently seemed to be reborn recently. Project 636 submarines are considered the most inconspicuous - "ocean black holes" in the words of experts from NATO. They merge with the natural sea background and hit targets at a distance that the enemy does not allow detection, and this distance exceeds the detection several times.
And there are at least four new submarines of this class on the Black Sea. Submarines of this class (Varshavyanka) have powerful weapons - six vehicles of eighteen torpedoes or twenty-four mines, as well as Caliber cruise missiles, which destroy ground targets, which was demonstrated in the Syrian operation. The naval aviation was also updated at the Black Sea Fleet, replenished with new SU-30SM fighters, and the most extensive arsenal of eulogies is not enough to describe the combat qualities of this aircraft. All of the above suggests that in the forecasts of the confrontation between the Turkish Navy and Russia, the comparison is clearly in our favor.
Floating second-hand updated
Turkey is well aware that the situation on the sea borders needs to be strengthened, and therefore they have long and hard been trying to create their own warship, even if the designs are borrowed from the Germans, and the weapons from the Americans. But new corvettes are being built at Turkish shipyards, even a purely Turkish-made destroyer with the capabilities of a European or American level is planned. Even we are talking about the construction of a landing helicopter carrier, similar to the "Mistrals".
That is, the Turkish side is still belligerent, and the leadership of Turkey is very annoying to strengthen the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Moreover, such a self-sufficient group appeared in Crimea that it completely covers the Black Sea basin. The country’s leadership is even more concerned that the Russian squadron has settled in the Mediterranean Sea. It's a shame to Turkey, because most recently they were the strongest in this region.
Vulnerabilities
Today, Turkey is in a quarrel with almost all its neighbors, even Israel has ceased to be an ally, all the more strange relations have become with Syria. And the tension in relations with Russia is the most unpredictable circumstance. The only thing Turkey can do in this respect is to make friends against Russia and Ukraine, but this will not bring comfort to anyone, first of all, the Turkish Navy.
The Russian-Turkish conflict developed extremely quickly, but was even more quickly settled - and without military intervention. However, forecasts of incredible events have already been made: the blockade of the straits, the blocking of the Russian fleet off the coast of Syria, demonstrated at the exercises of the Turkish troops in the Sea of Marmara, and later the extension of submarines towards the cruiser Moscow, increased the tension in relations between the two countries to almost maximum. You can analyze the recent behavior of the Turkish Navy, photo information is presented quite widely.
