Turkey announces ambitious plan to develop nuclear submarines and strengthen its presence in the global naval arena (freestockcenter – Freepik)
Turkey has declared the construction of nuclear submarines as a national goal to enhance its naval capabilities, as publicly stated for the first time by the Commander of the Naval Forces, Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu.
He emphasized that this long-standing ambition, cultivated for nearly 140 years, will make significant progress following the MİLDEN project, which focuses on the construction of indigenous submarines. It is a complex challenge involving high-level political, military, technological, and economic factors.
If successful, Turkey would join a select group of countries that possess this technology, including the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and India. Nuclear submarines are considered strategic tools for power projection due to their virtually unlimited autonomy — requiring only food resupply for the crew — allowing them to operate globally without surfacing for refueling.
To realize the project, Turkey will need to develop or acquire the necessary knowledge and technology to build and maintain submarine nuclear reactors, which may require international partnerships. However, it remains unclear which country, if any, would be willing to share such sensitive information.
Recently, the Turkish Navy took an important step by commissioning its first Reis-class submarine, the TCG Piri Reis, which features air-independent propulsion (AIP) and can operate submerged for extended periods.
Source: Militarnyi | Photo: freestockcenter – Freepik | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
