A Closer Look To The Barbaros MLU Project

Let us take a closer look at the Barbaros mid-life modernisation program as the first ship to undergo this modernisation, TCG Oruçreis, started her sea trials this week.

First, focus on the external changes:
1. The Sea Zenith turrets are gone. The two aft turrets, on both sides of the hangar are replaced with the STOP 25mm RWCS. The Sea Zenith system was only sold to Turkey, and it was a good system as it was the first CIWS with the ability to engage anti-ship missiles performing pop-up attacks. Hence the name Zenith.
2. The aft-looking Sea Guard fire control radar for the Sea Zenith system was replaced with a Phalanx Mk-15 Block 1B Baseline 2 CIWS system.
3. An additional structure was added to the aft of the Phalanx mount to give the AKR-D fire control radar a clear view. This fire control radar
4. The countermeasure launcher of the Aselsan Hızır torpedo defence suite is installed next to the aft decoy launcher. It is not visible in this photo but the Hızır suite has also a towed array to detect the incoming torpedoes. This part of the suite is located under the flight deck.
5. The aft mast has been remodelled. This new thinner mast supports the MAR-D search radar. MAR-D has an active phase array antenna structure and solid-state power amplifier modules. It is a modular, lightweight and low-power radar. Its operational features include 3D target search, tracking and classification, sector search, and high target location accuracy. It has a range of more than 100 km. It operates in an X band and can track 200 targets.
6. The heavier main air and surface search radar Smart-S Mk-2 was moved to the main mast. It has 360 unrestricted coverage from this point and is located even higher than the AWS-6 Dolphin radar giving the ship a longer range for detection. This mast is a closed one compared to the lattice old one. The new shape will protect the technician working on the systems inside the ship.
7. The distinct shape of the ARES-2N is prominent on the new main mast. ARES-2N is designed for intercepting, detecting, and identifying radar signals with precise parameter measurement and accurate direction finding.
8. The Piri infra-red search and track system is a new addition to the ship’s sensors. It can detect and track multiple targets simultaneously, thanks to staring sensors that offer a very high image update rate compared to rotating systems. This results in a shorter time for track declaration, a longer track declaration range, and more time available to deploy countermeasures. One notable feature of Piri is the distributed sensor architecture, ensuring full azimuth coverage of 360° by strategically placing sensor units around the ship mast. This eliminates any blocked views, a significant advantage over rotating systems.
There are two Aselsan electro-optic Kırlangıç, reconnaissance and surveillance systems, located on the same level as the Piri IRST.
9. Another important addition to the ship’s systems is the AREAS-2NC electronic warfare suite. The legacy Racal Cutlas and Scorpion intercept and jammer system was replaced. The system is designed for electronic attack missions on surface platforms. The system can internally generate ECM techniques, which can be applied either separately or simultaneously. It is programmable via a mission data file and can also seamlessly integrate with the combat management system.
10. The forward-looking Thales STIR and Seaguard radars were replaced by one Aselsan AKR-D dual-band fire control radar. AKR-D operates in X and Ka-bands and can provide control for ESSM Block 1 missiles over 120km.
11. The forward-looking Sea Zenith turret was also removed. One Gökdeniz CIWS turret with its own detection and fire control radar will be fitted to this space.

There are some important changes inside the ship too:

• The existing AN/SQS-56, sonar was replaced with the new generation active/passive Fersah sonar indigenously developed by Aselsan and Armelsan. This sonar system operates in mid-frequency band 3kHz-12kHz in passive mode and 6.7kHz-8.4 kHz in active mode.
• One of the most important changes has happened inside the combat information centre. The existing STACOS Mod 3 combat management system was replaced by Havelsan’s Genesis Advent software. The new CMS supports NATO Link systems and national networks as well.
• The fire control system for the Mk-45 Mod 1/2 gun was replaced by one developed by Aselsan.

The Barbaros MLU contract was signed between the Turkish Presidency of Defense Industries and Aselsan Havealsan  JV in April 2018.  The contract became effective in August 2018. The first ship TCG Oruçreis was handed over for this project in December 2021.