The key facts

  • MUGEM has been under construction since January 2025 in Istanbul; launch is scheduled for September 2027, with entry into the fleet expected in 2032
  • The 285-meter ship with a full displacement of about 60,000 tons will accommodate up to 2,500 people and more than 50 aircraft
  • The air wing will likely be built around the Hürjet and the Kızılelma, Anka-3 and Bayraktar TB3 drones; reports of a carrier-based Kaan version are unconfirmed

National aircraft carrier: construction timeline and status

Turkey is building the large aircraft carrier MUGEM — an abbreviation of the Turkish Milli Uçak Gemisi, meaning 'national aircraft carrier'. As reported by Kun.uz, construction has been underway since January 2025 at the naval shipyard in Istanbul. The ship's launch is scheduled for September 2027 under the original plan, with delivery to the fleet or commissioning expected in 2032.

Ship specifications

According to the design, the aircraft carrier will be 285 meters long, 72 meters wide, with a draft of 10.1 meters and a full displacement of about 60,000 tons. That is roughly 2.2 times the figures of the currently serving multipurpose amphibious ship TCG Anadolu. At the same time, MUGEM is being built as an independent project, not a modification of TCG Anadolu. Maximum speed should exceed 48 km/h, with a range of up to 18,500 km. The ship can accommodate up to 2,500 people, including the core crew, pilots, technical specialists and support personnel. During combat deployments, the carrier is planned to be escorted by destroyers, frigates and submarines; the ship will also receive modern air defense systems. The power plant includes four GE LM2500 gas turbines with about 23 MW each, and electric propulsion units are provided to save energy at low speeds.

Air wing: confirmed and unconfirmed

The aircraft carrier will be able to carry more than 50 different aircraft. The air wing will likely be built around the Turkish Hürjet jet trainer, for which a carrier-based version is currently being developed. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles is also planned: the jet-powered strike drone Kızılelma, the Anka-3 and the Bayraktar TB3. Separately, there were reports that Turkey may develop a version of the Kaan fighter capable of taking off from and landing on the carrier's deck, but this information has not been confirmed — the source explicitly notes its unconfirmed status.