Photos Of Russian Warship Bora

12 May 2013 1 Comment

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The Russian Dergach class corvette 615 RFS Bora in Bosphorus.

As reported earlier last week we had an unusual guest. The Russian Dergach class air cushion corvette 615 RFS Bora made her maiden foreign visit to Istanbul during the IDEF 2013 defense exhibition.
I don’t know if the ship has received any visitors, as she was docked almost 30 kilometers (18 miles) away from the exhibition center.

I was able to take the photos of RFS Bora on her very last moments in Istanbul, during her deployment back to Russia. The ship is heavily armed with 8 SS-N-22 Sunburn supersonic missiles, one 76mm gun, two 30mm close in weapon systems and SA-N-4 Gecko SAM missiles. I was not on board so I have no idea about the inside of the ship but judging the size and the armaments and sensors she is carrying I do not think that there is much space left for the crew to live.

With her foils inside the water she can make up to 56 knots. It is not  an easy feature to accelerate a 1000 ton warship to speeds as high as this.
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TCG Tarsus Sighted

24 Apr 2013 2 Comments

P1204 TCG Tarsus

P-1204 TCG Tarsus

On 23 April 2013 I have sighted the 4 boat of the Tuzla class patrol boats P-1204 TCG Tarsus.

She was returning from sea trial. It is interesting to note that while she is manned by naval personnel and under the command of  an officer she returned to the builder’s yard. The ASW rocket launcher at aft seem to be not installed.

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Shalatein In Istanbul

29 Mar 2013 1 Comment

Egyptian supply ship A-230 Shalatein in Istanbul.

Egyptian supply ship A-230 Shalatein in Istanbul.

The Egyptian replenishment tanker A-230 Shalatein is in Istanbul for an official visit for an undisclosed duration.

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New Year’s Resolutions

31 Dec 2012 3 Comments

My first blog entry in 2012 was this:

My regular readers may have noticed that I have not been writing much in the last few days. This due to the fact that I now have a regular day job. My new job takes up most of my day so that I have little time left for my blog.

So my new year’s resolution is to post one post every other day. If I end the year 2012 with 170 or more  new posts I will consider my self successful.

I have ended 2012 with 162 blog entries, 8 short from my goal. But never the less it was a good year, because:

My plans for 2013 are simple: I will try to continue what I have been doing, as one of my readers so nicely wrote “You keep up with naval events that have not been covered in Western news media since the Soviet Union collapsed”; steady as she goes.

 

I wish you all a Happy 2013.

 

 

 

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Defence And Aerospace Magazine 152. Issue

14 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

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The Turkish defence magazine Defence And Aerospace run two photos that I have taken, in their last issue. Both photos show the newly installed VLS on the Gabya (ex Perry) class frigates. The magazine is about to hit the newsstands soon.

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First Photos Of The Interceptor Craft Built For The Qatar Navy

23 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

Q42, one of the 3 MRTP 16 class interceptors Yonca Onuk Shipyard is building for Qatar Naval Forces, escorted by one MRTP 19 class boat of Turkish Coast Guard.

During the Dimdex 2012 maritime defence exhibition in Qatar, it was announced that the Turkish shipyard Yonca Onuk has signed a contract with Qatar Armed Forces. According to the contract Turkish shipyard is building 3 MRTP 16 class interceptors and 3 MRTP 34 class fast patrol boats for the Qatar Naval Forces. This is the second contract Yonca Onuk has signed in the Gulf Region. Their  first customer was the United Arab Emirates for 34 boats.

These are probably the first photos of the MRTP 16 class taken. The craft is not armed but there is a platform just at the aft end of the cabin where a remotely controlled stabilized gun mount can be installed.

Q42, one of the 3 MRTP 16 class interceptors Yonca Onuk Shipyard is building for Qatar Naval Forces.

Q42 from a different angle.

SG-23 TCSG 23. Turkish Coast Guard’s Kaan 19 class boat escorting the Qatari craft.

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On Board Of F-511 TCG Heybeliada

2 Sep 2012 2 Comments

On 30th August 2012 for the Victory Day celebrations two warships F-245 TCG  Oruçreis and F-511 TCG Heybeliada made a port visit in Istanbul. Both ships were open to the public and I had the opportunity and privilege to visit the first ship of the Milgem class corvettes, TCG Heybeliada.

The visitors were not allowed to take photos on board thus I have no photo from the interior of the ship.

F-511 TCG Heybeliada, the first ship of the Milgem class corvettes

F-511 TCG Heybeliada, the first ship of the Milgem class corvettes

F-511 TCG Heybeliada, the first ship of the Milgem class corvettes

From left to right: RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher, ASELFlir 300, 12.7 mm Aselsan STAMP Stabilized Machine Gun Platform, Sea Sentor Surface Ship Torpedo Defense launcher.

From left to right: RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher, ASELFlir 300, 12.7 mm Aselsan STAMP Stabilized Machine Gun Platform, Sea Sentor Surface Ship Torpedo Defense launcher. Two laser warning receivers are also visible.

From left to right: Sea Sentor Surface Ship Torpedo Defense launcher and the panel that hides the RGM-84 Harpoon missiles.

SMART-S Mk2 3D radar and ARES-2N EW antennas

The bridge and the STING EO Mk2.

Oto Melera 76mm gun in a stealth housing.

AselFLIR 300, optical director

Sea Sentor ship torpedo defense launcher and one laser warning receiver

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F-45 BNS União In Istanbul

26 May 2012 4 Comments

The NATO Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 consisting of F-805 HNLMS Eversten and FGS F-208 Rheinland Pfalz has left Istanbul on 25 May 2012. They will stop at Aksaz Naval Base in Marmaris, before heading to Gulf of Aden to continue NATO’s anti piracy operation, Operation Ocean Shield.

F-45 BNS União

But as the photo above show we have a new visitor: the Brazilian Niterói Class Frigate F-45 BNS União.

From November 2011 till this month, she was the flagship of Rear Admiral Luiz Henrique Caroli of Brazil, the Commander of the UNIFIL-MTF which is assisting the Lebanese Navy monitor Lebanese territorial waters. Another Niteroi class frigate F-43 BNS Liberal has replaced her in UNIFIL. The Brazilian sailors are doing a well earned port visit in Istanbul before departing for a long voyage to home.

The starboard Bofors 40mm Mk3 Sea Trinity gun and MM-40 Block II Exocet missiles

The 375mm Bofors ASW mortar (left) and 115mm Vickers Mk8 gun. The fouling on the ship is visible in this photo. She will be overhauled upon her arrival in Brazil for sure.

The ship crest and the AESN RAN 20 search radar

The União from starboard quarter. The Mk29 SAM launcher at aft is visible

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F-805 HNLMS Evertsen

24 May 2012 3 Comments

I am posting a few more photos from F-805 HNLMS Evertsen.

I must confess that I am very impressed with the cleanliness of her lines. she is the one of the few ships that I have ever seen that has such an uncluttered superstructure.

As the flagship of SNMG-1 she will sail to Gulf Of Aden after departure from Istanbul to relive the SNMG-2 in fight against piracy.

F-805 HNLMS Evertsen has powerful radars, a very sophisticated combat management systems and SAM missiles. Yet despite the mentioned expensive systems, the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) and the couple .50 machine guns are probably the most effective weapons this ship will employ against piracy. And compared to the value of the SM-2 SAM missiles she carries the LRAD and the machine guns are almost free.

F-805 HNLMS Evertsen

SMART L, 3D radar

From top: Thales Sabre intercept/jammer, Sirius IRST optronic director, APAR E/F/I band radar, Mirador Trainable Electro-Optical Observation System, Thales Goalkeeper close-in weapon system. 

One of the two on board Thales Goalkeeper close-in weapons.

Long Range Acoustic Device, one of the most used weapons against pirates.

Thales Mirador Trainable Electro-Optical Observation System

The starboard Mk32 Mod9 fixed torpedo launchers.

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Photos Of BlackSeaFor Ships, As They Arrived In Istanbul

26 Apr 2012 4 Comments

The April activation of the BlackSeaFor finished this week and the ships that took part have returned to their home ports. Istanbul was the last stop for the BlackSeafor fleet.

The following ships arrived in Istanbul on 20th April 2012 for the port visit.

Number
Name
Nation
Participants
158 RFS Tsesar Kunikov (Flagship) Russia Landing Ship
F-240 TCG Yavuz Turkey Frigate
13 BGS Reshitelni Bulgaria Corvette
264 ROS C.A. Eustatiu Sebastian Romania Corvette
U-311 UPS Cherkasy Ukraine Minehunter

I was able to take photos of these  ships as they have entered into Bosphorus. I was also able to visit them while they were in Istanbul and take photos on board. But that is stuff of another post.

For more news on April 2012, activation of the BlackSeaFor click here and here.

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