Türkiye reportedly in talks to acquire 3 Type 23 Duke class frigates from UK.

According to information published by Ragip Soylu on January 19, 2023, Türkiye is in talks to purchase at least three second-hand type 23 frigates from the United Kingdom.
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Royal Navy's Type 23 frigate HMN Monmouth. (Picture source: UK MoD)

Relations between Türkiye and the United Kingdom have been growing steadily for several years, especially since Brexit. In particular, we remember the visit of the British defense minister, Ben Wallace, who visited the Saha defense exhibition in Istanbul in October 2022.

About the Type 23 frigates

Type 23 frigates are a group of warships used by the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. They were designed to fulfill a variety of roles, including air defense, maritime surveillance, and amphibious operations support.

Type 23 frigates are equipped with a Sea Wolf missile system for defense against missiles and aircraft, as well as a surface-tracking radar and sonar for detecting submarines.

They were built between 1989 and 2002 and have been in service since the 1990s. The Royal Navy currently has 8 Type 23 frigates in service, however their progressive retirement is planned for the coming years.

They have a displacement of 4,900 tons (full load) and are 133 meters (436 feet) long and 16.1 meters (52.8 feet) wide. They are equipped with a Sea Wolf missile system for defense against missiles and aircraft, as well as a surface-tracking radar and sonar for detecting submarines.

They have a speed of 28 knots (52 km/h) and a range of 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h). The crew of a Type 23 frigate is 185. They are also equipped with a range of radar and sensor systems, including Type 996 3D radar for air and surface search, Type 2087 towed array sonar for submarine detection and a Link Y tactical data system for communication.

They have a primary armament of 1 x 4.5-inch (110 mm) Mark 8 naval gun, which is capable of firing at a rate of up to 16 rounds per minute and has a range of up to 17.5 kilometers.

They also have a secondary armament of 1 x 30 mm DS30M automated small-calibre gun, which is used for close-in defense against small boats and other surface targets.

Additionally, they have 2 x 20 mm Phalanx CIWS, which is a radar-guided close-in weapon system used for defense against anti-ship missiles and aircraft.

The frigate also has 2 x triple torpedo tubes which can launch heavy weight and lightweight torpedoes, 8-16 x Sea Wolf surface-to-air missiles for defense against airborne threats and 2 x Goalkeeper close-in weapon system for defense against incoming missiles, aircraft and small boats.