Turkish defense company Roketsan is to develop a vertical launching system for the country’s first locally made frigate, after American sanctions disrupted original procurement plans, said naval platforms acquisition official Alper Kose.
The future MDAS, which stands for Milli Dikey Atis Sistemi (or in English, National Vertical Launch System), is to equip the TCG Istanbul, the lead ship of Turkey’s I-class frigates. Turkey’s top defense procurement official, Ismail Demir, had announced Jan. 23 at the warship’s launch ceremony that the vessel would be fitted with an indigenous VLS. Until now it was unclear who would manufacture the national missile launching system and what would be its specifications.
The government initially planned to install the Mk 41 VLS, made by American firm Lockheed Martin. However, sanctions imposed on Turkey through the U.S. Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act prevented the sale of the MK 41 VLS. The U.S brought about the sanctions after Turkey bought the Russian S-400 air defense system.
MDAS variants are expected to launch two Turkish weapons currently undergoing tests: the long-range air defense missile Siper, or Hisar-U; and the cruise missile Gezgin meant for tactical land-attack missions.