The Turkish Navy is set to purchase its first landing-platform dock to strengthen its ability to participate in Nato and other international peacekeeping missions.
The $500m ship construction project will be awarded to a domestic company but will involve partnerships with foreign industries as the project requires a high degree of technology transfer, according to hurriyetdailynews.com.
In late February, Turkey’s defence procurement agency opened a competition among seven local companies to establish partnerships with foreign counterparts, including Italian, South Korean, Spanish, Dutch, French, German and UK firms.
Turkey’s Defence Industry Executive Committee is expected to select a competition winner in 2011.
The new landing dock will be able to deploy a battalion-sized force of up to 1,000 troops and personnel, eight utility helicopters, three unmanned aerial vehicles, 13 tanks and 81 armoured vehicles.
