The Construction Of TCG Pirireis Has Started

Turkish Navy reported that the construction of TCG Pirireis the first Type 214 class submarine has officially started.

Admiral Bülent Bostanoğlu, making the first ceremonial welding.

There was a ceremony at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard were the construction will be done. This is a big event actually which was not served to the mass media which I find it a little bit odd. The construction of a new submarine the first of its class deserves a bigger public attention. I assume that the silent service wanted the ceremony to be true to their motto.

On 2nd July 2009, a contract was signed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (HDW), Kiel, a company of ThyssenKrupp Technologies, and MarineForce International LLP (MFI), London, for the delivery of six material packages for the construction of Class 214 submarines to Turkey.

The value of the contract is estimated as 2,5 billion €. There is %80 offset agreement. The submarines will be built in Gölcük Naval Shipyard where 11 submarines of Type 209, were previously built. According to the original contract terms the construction was to start in 2011, and the first sub delivered in 2015.

The reasons for the delay of the construction is both technical and commercial.

Source: turkishnavy.net