MUGEM carrier set to deploy unmanned air, surface and underwater vehicles together

Claim of a first in unmanned systems

Turkey's Naval Forces Commander Adm. Ercument Tatlioglu said the National Aircraft Carrier (MUGEM) under construction will carry unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned surface vessels and unmanned underwater vehicles together. According to Tatlioglu, it will be the first aircraft carrier to combine unmanned systems on a single ship.

Size and schedule

MUGEM is a purpose-designed vessel, not a variant of the existing TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship. It will have about 60,000 metric tons of displacement, a length of 285 meters, a 72-meter beam and a 10.1-meter draft. Construction has been underway at Istanbul Naval Shipyard since January 2025, with hull launch expected in September 2027 and delivery slated for 2032.

Air wing and propulsion

The carrier is planned to carry more than 50 aircraft of different types. The air wing is expected to be built around a naval variant of the Hürjet, alongside the jet-powered Kızılelma combat drone, the flying-wing ANKA-3 and the smaller Bayraktar TB3. Reports of a naval version of the Kaan fighter remain unconfirmed.

In its initial setup the ship will not use catapults; aircraft will launch under their own power via a 12-degree ski jump and recover with arresting gear. Propulsion will come from four GE LM2500 gas turbines rated at about 23 megawatts each, combined with electric-drive functions for more efficient power management at lower speeds.

Part of a wider fleet

The carrier will be accompanied by destroyers, frigates and submarines on missions and fitted with advanced air defense systems. Tatlioglu said the Tepe-class destroyer and the new minehunter program are also being designed to conduct hybrid operations in sync with unmanned systems.