Turkish Drone Carrier Can Sail Istanbul-New York Home Without Fuel

Turkey's TCG Anadolu (L-400) drone carrier. (Wikimedia Commons/US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Adkins)

JAKARTA - Turkey's first domestically made amphibious assault ship, dubbed the world's first drone carrier, is capable of sailing 10,000 nautical miles or from Istanbul to New York, United States and returning without refueling, according to an engineer.

"The engine for the aircraft carrier TCG Anadolu (L-400) was chosen based on a cruising range of 10,000 nautical miles," said Engineer Lieutenant Commander Aykut Demirezen. I

The medium propulsion system and the ship's main engine were selected after inspecting aircraft carrier systems around the world and adjusting them to Turkey's specific needs, Demirezen explained to Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of last month's Teknofest event, quoted from the Daily Sabah September 5.

TCG Anadolu officially served the Turkish Navy in April 2023. This ship was built in collaboration with Spanish Navantia, based on the design of the Juan Carlos I-class ship.

The deck will be mostly occupied by drones and unmanned fighter jets. The ship will serve as a multi-role platform for amphibious operations, disaster relief, and drone-based warfare.

Demirezen noted that the aircraft carrier's study began by determining the configuration of the additional propulsion system, calling it a very important element.

He said they were designing chemical, biological and nuclear systems (CBRN), adding they could ensure personnel can carry out their duties safely by maintaining certain atmospheric pressure on ships against toxic gases or gases that could cause shortness of breath that could form during such attacks.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Engineer Commander Burhan Savran noted that they designed the ship's electrical system.

He explained that the design includes electricity infrastructure that is able to power all systems and equipment on aircraft carriers, such as lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, communications and weaponry systems.

"We calculate the capacity and number of generators needed by analyzing the load and power to ensure that all these burdens can be supplied in a redundant manner," Savran said.

"As a result of this calculation, the installed power of our national aircraft carrier is 40 megawatts. This value is also about 3,000 times the electricity we need in our homes," he added.

In other words, the ship has the capacity to power 3,000 houses simultaneously based on installed power, according to Savran.