TCG Heybeliada (F 511) is the lead ship of the ASW corvettes of the Turkish Navy. Heybeliada was named after Heybeliada Island, where the Turkish Naval High School is located. Heybeliada Island is part of the Prince Islands archipelago in the Sea of Marmara, to the southeast of Istanbul.[1]
Heybeliada has a displacement of,[2] is in length,[3] in beam,[3] and has a draft of .[3] She is powered by two diesel engines and a gas turbine, with a power of 31640kW, driving two propellers, and is capable of speeding up to 29kn. She has a range of 3500nmi at, 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 76mm OTO Melara gun, two ASELSAN STAMP 12.7mm guns, eight Harpoon missiles, 21 Rolling Airframe Missiles and two 324mm Mark 32 triple launchers for Mark 46 torpedoes.[4] 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.[5] The ship is fitted with sonar developed by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.[4] 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.[6]
The ship was designed, developed and built by the Tuzla (Istanbul) Naval Shipyard as a part of the MILGEM project. Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command started construction of Heybeliada on 22 January 2007. The ship was laid down on 22 January 2007 and launched on 27 September 2008. Sailed out for initial sea trials in 2008, she was officially commissioned by the Turkish Navy and entered navy service on 27 September 2011.[7]
Since her commissioning, her longest voyage has been 2013 Mediterranean cruise.[8] This journey took the vessel to the ports of Alexandria,[9] Tripoli, Libya,[10] Algiers,[11] La Goulette,[12] Casablanca,[13] and Durres.[14] Throughout the vagaries of her service career, the vessel has received the moniker the "Ghost of the Seas".[9]