Türkiye Aims to Build Its Own Nuclear Submarines

The construction of nuclear submarines to strengthen the fleet’s capabilities has been defined as one of Türkiye’s national goals.

Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, the Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces, stated this, as reported by TRT Haber.

This goal is a very serious political, military, economic, and technological challenge.

It is noted that this is the first time a military official of such rank has publicly expressed his official opinion on the operation of nuclear submarines.

“We are building submarines independently of foreign countries, which has been our national aspiration for 139 years. After MİLDEN (the national submarine construction project), we will take an important step toward nuclear submarines,” the commander reported.

If Türkiye manages to implement this project, it will be one of the few countries with such technologies and naval capabilities, joining the USA, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and India.

First and foremost, a nuclear submarine is an important tool for power projection. It has virtually unlimited cruising autonomy, except for the need to supply food to the crew.

Such a submarine can operate anywhere in the world without needing to surface for refueling.

To implement such an ambitious project, Türkiye will need to develop or acquire the technologies and expertise necessary to build, operate, and maintain submarine nuclear reactors.

This could be done in cooperation with a country with the relevant capabilities. However, which country is willing to share the necessary knowledge with Türkiye is currently unknown.

Last August, the Turkish Navy added its first Reis-class submarine to the fleet – TCG Piri Reis (S-330).

It became the first submarine in the Turkish fleet with an air-independent propulsion system, allowing for extended underwater operations. According to the plan, the Reis-class submarines will replace the German-designed Type 214 submarines.