Türkiye delivered the corvette “Contraamiral August Roman” to the Romanian Navy on Saturday, June 20, in a ceremony at the Istanbul Shipyard Command — the first warship it has exported to a NATO and European Union member state. The ship was built with ASFAT (Military Factory and Shipyard Management) as prime contractor. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Romanian President Nicușor Dan attended the ceremony.
At the same event, the Turkish Naval Forces Command commissioned the TCG Koçhisar (P-1221), the first of the Hisar-class offshore patrol vessels.
In his speech, Erdoğan said: “With the sales agreement we signed with Romania, Türkiye has exported a warship to a NATO and European Union member country for the first time in its history.”
Two sister ships from the same shipyard
Although configured for the Romanian Navy, the corvette is based on the Hisar-class offshore patrol vessel design developed for the Turkish Navy. The platform was originally built as the TCG Akhisar and was procured by Romania under an agreement signed in December 2025.
Erdoğan said: “As we deliver the CAm. Roman corvette to the Romanian Navy, we take pride in adding our Koçhisar Offshore Patrol Vessel to our inventory.” He added that he hoped the two ships, built on the same engineering expertise, would serve their respective navies well.
The two countries raised their relations to a strategic partnership in 2011 and created an institutional framework through the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, established in 2024.
Erdoğan: Türkiye is 11th in global defense exports
Erdoğan said Türkiye now ranks as the world’s 11th largest defense exporter and that defense and aerospace exports reached $996 million last month. He noted that annual exports stood at $248 million 23 years ago, a figure the sector now matches in a single week.
He said more than 140 naval platforms have been exported to date and that over 50 warships are currently under construction, more than 15 of them for friendly and allied countries.
Erdoğan added that the platforms are produced with a localization rate of over 80 percent and that ongoing projects are now worth 25 billion euros. With the MUGEM (Milli Uçak Gemisi, or National Aircraft Carrier) project, he said, Türkiye has become the seventh country able to design and build its own aircraft carrier.
“The turbulent security environment the world currently faces makes it essential for friends and allies to strengthen their cooperation,” Erdoğan said, adding that Türkiye considers it a duty to share its defense industry capabilities and resources with friendly nations.
A modern corvette for the Black Sea
The corvette is the first modern warship to join the Romanian Navy in 35 years. Although classified as a patrol vessel under Turkish standards, it will serve as a light corvette in Romanian service.
According to the Romanian Presidency, the vessel will improve surveillance and intervention capabilities in the Black Sea and strengthen collective security on NATO’s eastern flank. The statement said the corvette was designed for all combat environments: surface, air defense, and anti-submarine warfare. It will be able to disrupt enemy activity, protect critical infrastructure, and defend maritime communications.
Romania’s Supreme Defense Council (CSAT) approved the procurement in March 2025. Romanian officials estimate its value at about 223 million euros (roughly 240 million dollars), excluding value-added tax (VAT), with the final cost expected to rise as additional weapons and systems are integrated.
The ship was handed over with its standard weapons fit, which according to Turkish media reports comprises:
- a 76 mm naval gun
- a Gökdeniz close-in weapon system (CIWS)
- two 12.7 mm remotely controlled machine guns
Romanian officials say the corvette will be fitted with the U.S.-built Naval Strike Missile (NSM) anti-ship system. Then-Defense Minister Moșteanu said the missiles would be used across the entire Romanian Navy fleet. The ship is also to receive modern anti-submarine warfare systems.
The Hisar-class design uses a modular concept that allows the customer’s chosen weapon systems to be integrated, giving Romania flexibility to develop its future combat capabilities.
Technical specifications
- Length: about 99.5 m
- Maximum beam: 14.4 m
- Displacement: about 2,300 metric tons
- Propulsion: combined diesel and electric; maximum speed 24 knots (about 44 km/h)
- Range: about 4,500 nautical miles; up to 21 days at sea without refueling
- Aviation: hangar and deck for one military helicopter and one reconnaissance and surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
Regional impact
The delivery demonstrated Türkiye’s military shipbuilding capabilities and deepened defense industry cooperation between the two allies. Erdoğan called the corvette “the most concrete demonstration of the two allied countries’ resolve to jointly ensure the security of the Black Sea and our region.”
The ship will be handed over to Romania once the necessary procedures are completed.
