On January 19, Turkey’s first-in-class frigate TCG Istanbul entered into service with the country’s Navy during a ceremony held at Sefine Shipyard in Yalova Province, northwest Turkey, the Warzone reports. The introduction of the vessel marks a significant moment for the country, given that it constitutes Turkey’s first nationally-developed frigate. This also comes amid a relatively remarkable modernization effort based on locally sourced hardware that spans the services within Turkey’s armed forces in recent years.
