The Ministry of National Defense announced on its social media accounts that the foreign-made main battery cannon barrel on the TCG GAZİANTEP frigate has been replaced with a domestically produced cannon barrel. This development stands out as an important part of Turkey's localization efforts in the defense industry. The domestic cannon, which was successfully used on the TCG GAZİANTEP frigate, took an important place in the BLUE VATAN-7 exercise held by the Turkish Naval Forces between January 16-2025, 2025.
Domestic 76 mm Naval Gun Project and Testing Process
The domestic gun used on the TCG GAZİANTEP frigate was previously integrated into sea tests after successfully completing land test firings. This domestic 76 mm naval gun was a project developed by MKE (Machinery and Chemical Industry Inc.). First integrated into the TCG BEYKOZ corvette, the gun successfully completed land bombardment, surface firings and anti-aircraft firings and was made suitable for use on sea platforms.
This successful integration shows that the domestic production capacity in Turkey's defense industry has increased and that domestic defense products have proven their effectiveness. The National Naval Gun was developed as 76/62 mm and prototype production was completed as a result of joint R&D studies conducted by the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command and MKE Inc.
Features of the 76 mm National Naval Gun
The National Naval Gun stands out as a system with a versatile usage capacity. This gun, which can be used in air defense warfare, surface warfare and land bombardment, has a range of 20 kilometers. The gun, which can fire 80 shots per minute, can adapt to different combat scenarios by offering 5 different firing modes. These features increase the high impact power offered by the gun to the Naval Forces and ensure that it has strategic importance as a domestic production.
Strengthening the Domestic Defense Industry
This development announced by the Ministry of National Defense shows that Turkey's defense industry localization efforts are progressing rapidly. The local 76 mm gun used in the TCG GAZİANTEP frigate is not only a technological product, but also an important step towards independence for the Turkish defense industry. These developments should be evaluated as a strong step towards reducing Turkey's external dependency in the field of defense and establishing its national security on more solid foundations.
