>Naval Exercise Deniz Yıldızı 2010 Has Started

6 Apr 2010

>

Turkish Navy has started with its annual spring naval exercise Deniz Yıldızı 2010.

The exercise will be held between 6 and 18 April in Marmara Sea and in Black Sea.

The order of battle of the exercise includes 7 frigates, one corvette, 3 submarines, 4 fact attack craft, 3 auxiliaries, 4 coast guard vessels, 4 helicopter, naval patrol planes. Furthermore various units from Turkish Air force will take part and simulate air attacks.

One of the participating frigates is F-496 TCG Gökova. She was making a north bound passage in the Bosporus today with a MEKO-200 class frigate. And duly photographed by me.

In a related news P-332 TCG Mızrak, P-337 TCG Atak and A-558 TCG Çandarlı are visiting Sinop. It is not confirmed whether these ships will take part in Deniz Yıldızı 2010 but it is highly probable.

Filed under Sighting Tagged with , , ,

>Deniz Yıldızı 2009

10 Apr 2009

>Turkish Navy started a big exercise on 7th April 2009. Code named Deniz Yıldızı 2009 (Sea Star 2009) this exercise is divided in 4 phases:

Phase will consists of ASuW, ASW,AAW, EW, live weapon firing, maritime situational awareness and vessel boarding inspection trainings.

In phase two, multilateral trainings with the newly activated Black Sea Naval Cooperation Task Group (BLACKSEAFOR) will be executed. At the end of this phase Sevastopol, Novoroski, Poti, Trabzon, Sinop, and Karadeniz Ereğlisi ports will be visited. I do not think that the Russian ship will be among those that will visit Poti.

In phase three peace support operations, counter terrorism and other operations to prevent crimes at sea will be trained.

In the last phase, live guided missile firings will be executed.

6 frigates, 1 corvette, 2 submarines, 4 fast attack boats, 2 auxiliaries, 2 coast guards vessels, numerous rotary and fixed winged aircraft will participate to this exercise.

Deniz Yıldızı will end on 19 April 2009.

Filed under Uncategorized Tagged with , ,

The Sinking Of Ex-USS Duncan

6 Oct 2017 2 Comments

A Mk-24 Mod. 2 Tigerfish hits ex-USS Duncan. Photo: Turkish Naval Forces.

Ex-US Navy frigate Duncan has found her watery grave after all.

She was bought from US Navy as a spare part source for the 8 existing Gabya class frigates in service, a procedure also known as cannibalization.

The hull of Duncan was observed being towed through Istanbul towards the Black Sea on 22nd March 2017.

At that time, it was speculated that she would be sunk as a target during the coming naval exercise Deniz Yıldızı as the markings on the hull left nothing to the imagination. She somehow survived the exercise that was held between 29th March and 9th April.

According to Turkish Navy, ex-USS Duncan was sunk in the Black Sea on 4th October 2017, by a Mk-24 Mod. 2 Tigerfish torpedo, fired from TCG Sakarya, a Preveze class submarine.

Filed under Black Sea, Exercise, Turkish Navy Tagged with , , , ,

Turkish Navy Conducting Simultaneous Port Visits In 5 Countries

4 Apr 2017 2 Comments

TCG Oruçreis arrives in Varna. Photo: Nikolay Zlatev.

10 Turkish warships are conducting port visits in 5 different ports, in 5 different countries.

The long needed rest came after the end of the first phase of naval exercise Deniz Yıldızı 2017. The exercise has started on 27 March and will end on 7 April.

Of course the small size of the Black Sea helps. But Turkey is the only Black Sea nation that can perform such a diplomatic show of force. It is not a small event to do port visits in 5 different nations at the same time.

This is the list of the ships doing port visits. Most of them  will be open for public to visit.

Name Type Port Country
TCG Oruçreis Frigate Varna Bulgaria
TCG Tuzla Patrol Boat Varna Bulgaria
TCG Kalkan Fast Attack Craft Batumi Georgia
TCG Yıldırım Frigate Batumi Georgia
TCG Turgutreis Frigate Constanta Romania
TCG Yıldız Fast Attack Craft Constanta Romania
TCG Büyükada Corvette Novorossiysk Russia
TCG Barbaros Frigate Novorossiysk Russia
TCG Heybeliada Corvette Odessa Ukraine
TCG Gaziantep Frigate Odessa Ukraine

Filed under Black Sea, Turkish Navy Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

The First And Final Passage Of Ex USS Duncan Through Bosphorus

26 Mar 2017 7 Comments

3 navy tugs are pulling the hull of ex USS Duncan against the current towards Black Sea. Just a shell of the former frigate is left.

The effects of cannibalization can be better seen in this photo.

Perry class frigate USS Duncan was the first ship of this class to be decommissioned active service. She was striken from US Navy service on 5 January 1998. In May 1999 she was sold to Turkish Navy. She has never entered in to service therefore she doesn’t have a Turkish name. She was used as spare part source, to keep other ship working. This practice is lovingly called cannibalization. And you can see the effects of it on the hull of USS Duncan in above photos.

TCG İnebolu, TCG Özgür and TCG Darıca, three Turkish Navy tugs, towed the hull of ex USS Duncan through Istanbul northbound, on 22 March 2017. Since there are no scrap yards along the Black Sea coast of Turkey, this journey is not going to end at one scrapyard.

The markings on the hull of the former frigate are consistent with a live firing test. A few days after the passage of ex USS Duncan it was announced that she was going to be used as a target during the Deniz Yıldızı annual naval exercise.

Filed under Bosphorus, Sighting, Turkish Navy Tagged with , , , ,

Port Visits of Turkish Warships During The Weekend

4 Apr 2016

F247

TCG Salihreis arriving in Varna, Bulgaria. Photo: Nikolay Zlatev.

The Deniz Yıldızı 2016 naval exercise continues in Black Sea. According to Turkish General Staff, 25 warships and submarine plus 11 aircraft and helicopter takes part in the exercise.

As reported earlier, over the weekend the ships conducted port visits in many cities both in country and abroad. Here is the list of the ships and the ports they have visited during the weekend:

Name Type City Country
TCG Karayel Fast attack craft Varna Bulgaria
TCG Kemalreis Frigate Varna Bulgaria
TCG Kilimli Patrol boat Varna Bulgaria
TCG Yavuz Frigate Batumi Georgia
TCG Heybeliada Corvette Constanta Romania
TCG Kılıç Fast attack craft Constanta Romania
TCG Giresun Frigate Constanta Romania
TCG Ayvalık Mine hunter Amasra Turkey
TCG Yüzbaşı İhsan Tulunay Auxiliary İnebolu Turkey
TCG İmbat Fast attack craft İnebolu Turkey
TCG Turgutreis Frigate İnebolu Turkey
TCG Karadeniz Ereğli Patrol boat Kefken Turkey
TCG Akar Auxiliary Samsun Turkey
TCG Tufan Fast attack craft Samsun Turkey
TCG Barbaros Frigate Samsun Turkey
TCG Ertuğrul Landing ship Samsun Turkey
TCG Büyükada Corvette Sinop Turkey
TCG Göksu Frigate Zonguldak Turkey
TCG Bartın Corvette Odessa Ukraine
TCG Salihreis Frigate Odessa Ukraine

Filed under Black Sea Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Turkish Warship Movements Through Bosphorus

14 Apr 2014

These are the photos from the passages of Turkish warships through Bosphorus in the last 10 days.

DSCN4866

Unidentified Turkish Preveze or Gür class submarine making a southbound passage through Bosphorus as she was returning from Deniz Yıldızı 2104 naval exercise on 11 April 2014. Photo: Yörük Işık. Used with permission.

DSCN4909

Turkish frigate F-244 TCG Barbaros making a southbound passage through Bosphorus as she was returning from Deniz Yıldızı 2104 naval exercise on 11 April 2014. Photo: Yörük Işık. Used with permission.

KB-14-04-07-Gemi-0019

The frigates F-247 TCG Kemalreis and F-242 TCG Fatih on a northbound passage through Bosphorus on 7 April 2014. They are deploying for her Deniz Yıldızı 2014 naval exercise. Photo: Kerim Bozkurt. Used With Permission

KB-14-04-07-Gemi-0043

The frigate F-247 TCG Kemalireis on a northbound passage through Bosphorus on 7 April 2014. She is deploying for her Deniz Yıldızı 2014 naval exercise. Photo: Kerim Bozkurt. Used With Permission

KB-14-04-07-Gemi-0014

The mine hunter M-517 TCG Sapanca and the frigate F-246 TCG Salihreis on a northbound passage through Bosphorus on 7 April 2014. They are deploying for her Deniz Yıldızı 2014 naval exercise. Photo: Kerim Bozkurt. Used With Permission

KB-14-04-07-Gemi-0002

The mine hunter M-516 TCG Sigacık, on a northbound passage through Bosphorus on 7 April 2014. She is on her way for her Deniz Yıldızı 2014 naval exercise deployment. Photo: Kerim Bozkurt. Used With Permission

KB-14-04-06-Gemi-0009

A-579 TCG Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Paşa on a northbound passage through Bosphorus on 6 April 2014. She is on her way for her Deniz Yıldızı 2014 naval exercise deployment. Photo: Kerim Bozkurt. Used With Permission.

Filed under Bosphorus Tagged with , ,

USS Donald Cook Passed Through Turkish Straits

11 Apr 2014 1 Comment

Today the long-awaited US warship, Arleigh Burke class destroyer DDG-75 USS Donald Cook passed through Turkish Straits.

KB-14-04-10-Gemi-0081

Arleigh Burke class (Flight II) class destroyer DDG-75 USS Donald Cook passing through Bosphorus. Photo: Kerim Bozkurt. Used with permission.

KB-14-04-10-Gemi-0061

Arleigh Burke class (Flight II) class destroyer DDG-75 USS Donald Cook passing through Bosphorus. Photo: Kerim Bozkurt. Used with permission.

KB-14-04-10-Gemi-0019

Arleigh Burke class (Flight II) class destroyer DDG-75 USS Donald Cook passing through Bosphorus. Photo: Kerim Bozkurt. Used with permission.

KB-14-04-10-Gemi-0006

Arleigh Burke class (Flight II) class destroyer DDG-75 USS Donald Cook passing through Bosphorus. Photo: Kerim Bozkurt. Used with permission.

DDG75

Arleigh Burke class (Flight II) class destroyer DDG-75 USS Donald Cook passing through Bosphorus. Photo: Yörük Işık. Used with permission.

DDG75_1

Arleigh Burke class (Flight II) class destroyer DDG-75 USS Donald Cook passing through Bosphorus. Photo: Yörük Işık. Used with permission.

She has entered to the Dardanelles at 07.00 in the morning and passed through Bosphorus at 16.00.

She is the second warship USA has send to the Black Sea since the start of the Crimean crisis. The other ship was DDG-103 USS Truxtun.

The Russian Foreign Ministry is fuming against Turkey over the practice of the Montreux Convention. But I remember very well back in 2008 they were praising Turkey over the practice of Montreux Convention when due to technical limitations US Navy hospital ships were not allowed to pass through Turkish Straits.

The arrival of a new US Navy warship to the Black Sea will not make things easier and she is not only non-Black Sea Navy ship in the region. The French warship FS Alizé is  believed still to be in the Black Sea and today the French ELINT/SIGINT ship FS Dupuy de Lôme also passed through the Bosphorus.

And there are still 7 frigates, 1 corvette, 2 submarines, 8 fast attack craft, 1 mine hunter, 3 auxiliaries of Turkish Navy in the Black Sea. These units have not returned from the Deniz Yıldızı 2014 exercise yet.

Filed under Bosphorus Tagged with , , , ,

SEYDİ CLASS

2 Mar 2013 1 Comment

NUMBER NAME COMMISSIONED
M-515 SAROS 25 October 1966
M-516 SIGACIK 20 December 1965
M-517 SAPANCA 20 December 1965
M-518 SARIYER 7 December 1967

M517

M518
Characteristics:
Displacement: 370 tons full load
Dimensions: 43 x 8 x 2.6 metres
Speed, Range: 14 knots, 2500 miles at 10 kts
Crew: 35 (2 officers)

Weapons:
Guns: 1 x Oerlikon 20mm (twin)

Sensors:
Radars: Decca 1224, navigation
Sonars: UQS-1D mine search

Comments:
All are constructed in USA, from wood. Transferred in 60’ies

M-508 TCG Selçuk was converted to a scientific research ship (Y-90) in 1998. M-511 TCG Sinop was deleted in 2004. M-517 TCG Seddülbahir was sunk as target during exercise Deniz Yıldızı 2010. TCG Silifke was decommissioned in 2014.

Filed under

Turkish Warships Visit Novorossiysk

15 Apr 2012

The commander of Turkish frigate receiving bread and salt, a Russian tradition. Photo:Fuad Seferov, Moskova, Cihan

Three Turkish warships taking part in exercise Deniz Yıldızı 2012 are in russian port Novorossiysk for an official visit.

According to Russian naval portal rusnavy.com, the frigates F-245 TCG Oruçreis, F-243 TCG Yıldırım and the fast attack craft P-332 TCG Mızrak have arrived in Novorossiysk on 13th April.

The Turkish ship will stay for the weekend and then leave, to continue the exercise.

 “The main purpose of the visit – a demonstration of the flag, the development and strengthening of good neighborly relations between Russia and Turkey,” – said the press service of the city administration

Click here for the photos of this visit from a Turkish news agency.

Filed under Black Sea Tagged with , , ,

← Older posts

Newer posts →

%d bloggers like this: