Turkey adds world's first drone carrier to its navy

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has unveiled his navy's latest innovation. After almost four years since the development of the project began, the Turkish president has unveiled the TCG Anadolu, the world's first drone carrier. This addition, which began trials in March last year, is designed to carry light unmanned drones, but is also an amphibious assault ship. Based on the L-61 aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I, it was designed by the same company, Spain's Navantia, and built in Istanbul by the Ottoman firm Sedef Shipbuilding.
 
The fact that Turkey has launched the first aircraft carrier to date is the result of a series of circumstances that have led to this new concept, which is more the result of the ups and downs of Turkish politics than a previous idea. Initially, Ankara was preparing to build an aircraft carrier in imitation of its Spanish twin. The idea was to accommodate fifth-generation US F-35B fighters, emulating the task that the L-61 Juan Carlos I does with the Harriers, as well as having the capacity to do the same with the aforementioned F-35s, an idea currently being considered by the Spanish Defence Ministry, according to the media outlet El Debate.

The Turkish roadmap began to be truncated when certain disagreements with Washington arose. The United States agreed with Turkey to sell 100 units of the fighter. However, in 2019, the Erdogan government's purchase of Russian s-400 anti-missile systems dynamited the agreement and led to Ankara's expulsion from the programme. As a result, Turkey was forced to change its initial plans and use the Anadolu as a means of transporting helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. Of the latter, the Bayraktar TB2 model, designed and manufactured on Ottoman soil, is the most important of those that will populate the carrier.
 
This drone model is exported by Turkey to Asian, European and African countries because of its sophisticated design and its ability to carry out reconnaissance, surveillance and even armed attack missions. The Bayraktar TB2 is a Tactical Armed System developed by the Turkish company Baykar that is capable of reaching 18,000 feet in altitude - 5,500 metres -. It is not the only one that will be on the Anadolu, however, as the supersonic, stealthy, missile- and bomb-launching Bayraktar Kizilelma, a prototype of which was shown on the deck of the carrier, is expected to arrive.

The reality is that Turkey has turned a setback with the Americans into an opportunity to innovate its fleet. This was made clear by the Turkish president at the presentation of the portadrones, which he described as "the world's first warship in its field, as helicopters and drones of various categories will operate from its deck". With a length of 231 metres and a beam of 32 metres, the carrier is capable of displacing 27,000 tonnes. It will also carry Hürjet training and light attack fighters, an Ottoman-designed and built aircraft that is still under development.
 
Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government has stressed that the amphibious ship has the capacity to lead an amphibious marine battalion to a target on land by means of various amphibious vehicles. In addition, armoured vehicles as well as tanks and helicopters would also be available. The Anadolu has a capacity of eleven combat drones or ten helicopters on its flight deck, plus a hangar capacity of 19 helicopters or 30 drones. As a result, according to President Erdogan, the carrier will be able to "carry out military and humanitarian operations around the world if necessary".