Turkmenistan's maritime forces continue expansion with Turkish help
Mrityunjoy Mazumdar, Alameda, California - IHS Jane's Navy International
01 July 2016
Key Points
- Turkmenistan has launched an indigenous fast attack craft for its maritime border guard service
- Six fast attack craft are being built indigenously using material packages and technical assistance supplied by Turkey's Dearsan
Turkmenistan has launched a locally built fast attack craft,
Galjan (pennant SG 123), for the Turkmen maritime border guard service (Serhet Gullugy). The launch, which took place in late May, was attended by Turkmenistan's president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
A computer-generated image of Turkmenistan's new hydrographic survey vessel. (Dearsan)
Turkmen official media statements said that the launch took place at a "ship repair facility of the Khazar Maritime Unit of Border Troops", presumably the main Serhet Gullugy base and shipyard near Ufra (east of Turkmenbashi).
The official press release also noted that during the launch ceremony the head of state inspected several naval and border guard patrol vessels, including
Merdana ,
Mergen (pennant SG 116),
Arkadag (SG 111),
Edermen (SG 828), and
Gaýduwsy . It said that these vessels had "been placed at the service of maritime border guards at different times".
Mergen and
Arkadag are Turkish-origin 55 m Tuzla-class patrol vessels operating with the Serhet Gullugy.
Edermen is a Russian-built Project 1241.8 Tarantul V missile vessel belonging to the navy.
Galjan is one of a series of six fast attack craft being built indigenously using material packages and technical assistance supplied by Turkey's Dearsan. Talking to
IHS Jane's at the 2015 IDEF show in Turkey, Dearsan said that deliveries began in July 2015 and were expected to last through 2017. Video imagery from a March 2016 joint exercise showed two 33 m craft participating. Google Earth satellite imagery from 26 May 2016 shows four 33 m craft including
Galjan .
Three NTPBs can be seen in the image along with three 33 m fast attack craft - distinguished by the small rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) on the stern - and what looks like two Sobol-class patrol craft. Also visible are five 14.5 m interceptors and a variety of smaller patrol craft. (2016 CNES/Astriuem)
The 33.05 m craft have a beam of 7.1 m, a 1.4 m draught, and a range of 350 n miles. Powered by MTU engines and waterjets, the craft can travel at speeds of up to 43 kt.
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