# TCG Heybeliada

TCG Heybeliada (F 511) is the lead ship of the Ada-class ASW corvettes of the Turkish Navy. Heybeliada was named after Heybeliada Island, where the Turkish Naval High School is located. Heybeliada Island is part of the Prince Islands archipelago in the Sea of Marmara, to the southeast of Istanbul.

## Design and description

Heybeliada has a displacement of 2,300 long tons (2,340 t), is 99.56 m (326.6 ft) in length, 14.4 m (47 ft) in beam, and has a draft of 3.89 m (12.8 ft). She is powered by two diesel engines and a gas turbine, with a power of 31,640 kilowatts (42,430 hp), driving two propellers, and is capable of speeding up to 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph). She has a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph), and has an endurance of 21 days with logistical support and ten days while operating autonomously. She has a crew of 93, with space for up to 106.
Heybeliada is equipped with GENESIS combat management system that controls search and navigation radars, electronic warfare suits, weapons, countermeasures, communication devices, underwater and onboard sensors. The ship is armed with a single 76-millimetre (3 in) OTO Melara gun, two ASELSAN STAMP 12.7-millimetre (0.50 in) guns, eight Harpoon missiles, 21 Rolling Airframe Missiles and two 324-millimetre (12.8 in) Mark 32 triple launchers for Mark 46 torpedoes. Electronic warfare systems include a dedicated EW radar, laser/RF systems, ASW jammers, and an SSTD system. Communication and navigation systems involve satellite communication, X-band, navigation, fire control and LPI radar, ECDIS, GPS and LAN infrastructure. The radar suite is the SMART-S Mk2, built by Thales. The ship is fitted with sonar developed by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. The whole platform is managed by an advanced integrated platform management system.
The ship is capable of carrying Sikorsky S-70 helicopter or unmanned aircraft, along with the associated armaments, 20 tons of JP-5 aircraft fuel, aerial refueling systems and maintenance facilities.

## Construction and career

The ship was designed, developed, and built by the Tuzla (Istanbul) Naval Shipyard as a part of the MILGEM project. Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command started construction of Heybeliada on 22 January 2007. The ship was laid down on 22 January 2007 and launched on 27 September 2008. Sailed out for initial sea trials in 2008, she was officially commissioned by the Turkish Navy & entered navy service on 27 September 2011.
Since her commissioning, her longest voyage has been 2013 Mediterranean cruise. This journey took the vessel to the ports of Alexandria, Tripoli, Algiers, La Goulette, Casablanca, and Durrës. Throughout the vagaries of her service career, the vessel has received the moniker the "Ghost of the Seas".

## References and notes

* 1 2 3 "Alexandria Port News". Port of Alexandria. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
* ↑ "Heybeliada Profile". Retrieved 28 August 2013.
* ↑ "Turkey to unveil its own made warships". Turkish Weekly. 26 September 2011. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
* 1 2 3 "MILGEM class corvette brochure". Hosted by Yandex.ru. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri". Global Security. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
* 1 2 "Milgem-class". Naval Technology. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
* ↑ "Turkish Navy purchases Thales sensors". Thales. 19 December 2007. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
* ↑ "Turkey Introduces First Domestically Produced Warship Heybeliada". Shipbuilding Tribune. 28 September 2011. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
* ↑ "Mediterranean Cruise of the Heybeliada". Turkish Navy. 16 June 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
* ↑ "Heybeliada visits Tripoli". Libya Herald. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
* ↑ "Heybeliada accoste au port d'Alger". Algeriesoir. Archived from the original on 29 August 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
* ↑ "Turkish military ship docks in La Goulette". AllAfrica. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
* ↑ "Heybeliada en rade port de Casablanca". Menara. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
* ↑ "Heybeliada besucht Durres". Albania News. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2013.