Corvette TCG Heybeliada (F 511)

TCG Heybeliada (F 511) is the lead ship of the Ada-class ASW corvettes of the Turkish Navy. Designed, developed and built by the Tuzla (Istanbul) Naval Shipyard as a part of the MILGEM project, it was laid down on 22 January 2007, launched on 27 September 2008, and commissioned on 27 September 2011.

Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command started construction of Heybeliada on 22 January 2007. Sailed out for initial sea trials in 2008, she was officially commissioned by the Turkish Navy and entered navy service on 27 September 2011. Since her commissioning, her longest voyage has been 2013 Mediterranean cruise. This journey took the vessel to the ports of Alexandria, Tripoli, Libya, Algiers, La Goulette, Casablanca, and Durrës. Throughout the vagaries of her service career, the vessel has received the moniker the «Ghost of the Seas».

Heybeliada has a displacement of 2,300 long tons (2,340 t), is 99.56 m (326.6 ft) in length, 14.4 m (47 ft) in beam, and has a draft of 3.89 m (12.8 ft). She is powered by two diesel engines and a gas turbine, with a power of 31,640 kilowatts (42,430 hp), driving two propellers, and is capable of speeding up to 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph). She has a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph), and has an endurance of 21 days with logistical support and ten days while operating autonomously. She has a crew of 93, with space for up to 106.

Heybeliada is equipped with GENESIS combat management system that controls search and navigation radars, electronic warfare suits, weapons, countermeasures, communication devices, underwater and onboard sensors. The ship is armed with a single 76-millimetre (3 in) OTO Melara gun, two ASELSAN STAMP 12.7-millimetre (0.50 in) guns, eight Harpoon missiles, 21 Rolling Airframe Missiles and two 324-millimetre (12.8 in) Mark 32 triple launchers for Mark 46 torpedoes. Electronic warfare systems include a dedicated EW radar, laser/RF systems, ASW jammers, and an SSTD system. Communication and navigation systems involve satellite communication, X-band, navigation, fire control and LPI radar, ECDIS, GPS and LAN infrastructure. The radar suite is the SMART-S Mk2, built by Thales. The ship is fitted with sonar developed by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. The whole platform is managed by an advanced integrated platform management system.

The ship is capable of carrying Sikorsky S-70 helicopter or unmanned aircraft, along with the associated armaments, 20 tons of JP-5 aircraft fuel, aerial refueling systems and maintenance facilities.