How about “spare parts” for the maintenance of the German-designed vessels that are currently being operated by the Turkish Navy and will remain in TN service for quite some time?

When I was talking about the “unrealism” regarding the “current situation”, I wasn’t referring to the MILGEM project, but to the MEKO frigates, Type 209 submarines, Lürssen-designed FACs and minehunters, etc. that are currently being operated by the Turkish Navy. These vessels won’t be retired too soon, and require maintenance and spare parts (not all spare parts are produced in Turkey.)

Contracts my friend… When you sign a contract, you have to provide support and spare parts etc for a given period of time, that’s your obligation.

PLUS

For maintenance and spare parts, manufacturers of the related systems are involved, not the shipbuilders. It seems you do not know the meaning of “shipbuilder”. Dragut; MTU is not a shipbuilder for example. For the maintenance of a MTU engine, we don’t need anything from B+V. Please do your homework.

The first MILGEM class warship (TCG Heybeliada) is expected to enter service in 2011, so MILGEM is not exactly part of the “current situation”, is it?

What are you trying to accomplish? No German shipbuild is involved in MilGem project and you still take it into the equation.

From the very beginning all I have been saying is that German shipbuilders have very little, if none, chance in Turkish naval projects.

They have lost a lot of credibility by their unreliable commercial and technical behavior, their “under-the-belt” efforts and pressures for harming or undermining the MilGem project. Because the succesfull execution of MilGem project will mark the virtual withdrawal of German shipbuilders from Turkish naval market.

You can always ask the Netherlands for some Zeven Provincien class ships. They are practically the same as the Sachsen class, only build by a Dutch yard (Royal Schelde, part of Damen Shipyards) in the Netherlands.

An official from Royal Schelde whom I talked to said that they were not interested in Turkey anymore because of some regulations and requirements regarding guarantees, technology transfer etc. He was talking about the LPD project but I think it would probably be the case for a possible cooperation on FFG’s too.

Reelpolitik is important, but it does not justify working with a proven unreliable partner.

The “emotion towards Germany” was an example on how the TN was looking at German firms. If you pay attention, I also gave examples on how German firms have done business by trying to undermine the MilGem project. There are tons of such examples in naval projects with German firms.

Sachsen is of course a good candidate from a technical perspective. But it has a lot of dimensions. Even if it’s the most capable ship of the world, it cannot be produced with an unreliable partner.

And in Turkey, German naval firms in many many occasions have proven that they are unreliable. TN’s emotions are a by-product of their behavior and they should bear it.

This aircraft was one of the “Ucan Kugular” (Flying Swans) aerobatics team.

There was a project to renovate the museum in Yesilkoy, Istanbul. I don’t know the latest situation though.

Early introduction of Twin Ion Engine (TIE) technology, I guess.

Or maybe more and more complex contra-rotating props??

But most of the armaments (launchers and missiles) on the FREMM (including the Italian versions) are French, so how are we going to by-pass this problem?

Mate an “X-based solution” does not necessarily mean using all the weapons and sensors system of that ship.

The French engine of the Eurocopter Tiger, alone, was enough of a problem during the ATAK tender, even though it’s effectively a Franco-German helicopter.

There was no such problem, since the Tiger was eliminated at the very first stage of the tender because of performance and design parameters set by the Army. If you are referring to the Rooivalk issue, there was also no such problem.

I have the below list of all versions of the Harrier / Sea Harrier family. Corrections are most welcome.

Harrier GR.1
Harrier GR.1A
Harrier GR.3
Harrier GR.3A
Harrier GR.5
Harrier GR.7
Harrier GR.7A
Harrier GR.9
Harrier GR.9A

Harrier T.2
Harrier T.2A
Harrier T.4
Harrier T.4A
Harrier T.8
Harrier T.10
Harrier T.12

Sea Harrier FA.2
Sea Harrier FRS.1
Sea Harrier FRS.51

Sea Harrier T.4N
Sea Harrier T.60
Sea Harrier T.8N

AV-8A Harrier
AV-8B Harrier II
TAV-8B Harrier II

AV-8S Matador
EAV-8A Matador
EAV-8B Matador II