The TCG Anadolu ship can become a carrier of attack drones. Yesterday, March 12, the portal defensenews.com He reported that Baykar is developing a new version of the Bayraktar TB2 drone with the possibility of being based on a failed aircraft carrier.
The universal landing ship TCG Anadolu is built on the basis of the project of the Spanish multi-purpose ship SPS Juan Carlos I (L-61) and has a flight deck and a flooded deck. Earlier, Turkish President Recep Erdogan presented the TCG Anadolu project as an aircraft carrier, indicating that 12 F-35B fighters will be based on it.
TCG Anadolu landing ship
Image source: tskkuvvet.com
After the sanctions imposed on Turkey for the purchase of the Russian S-400 Triumph air defense system, the United States refused to sell its NATO partner F-35 fighter jets. Thus, Anadolu remained in the status of a helicopter carrier.
Turkey has decided to expand the scope of its flagship. For this purpose, Baykar is developing a deck version of the drone called Bayraktar TB3. It will be larger and more resilient than the Bayraktar TB2, while it is claimed that the Anadolu will be able to carry up to 50 drones, with the ability to maintain up to 10 units in the air at the same time.
Construction of the TCG Anadolu (L-400) amphibious assault ship began in April 2016. TCG Anadolu is 232 m long, 38 m wide, and 58 m high. The total displacement of the ship is about 28,000 tons. The crew consists of 350 people, about 700 more people will be part of the so-called amphibious battalion, which includes the personnel of the air wing, landing boats and armored vehicles. During humanitarian operations, TCG Anadolu will be able to accommodate up to 5,000 people.
Earlier, the Brazilian Navy announced the conversion of its helicopter carrier into a drone carrier.