Built by ARES Shipyard in Antalya to satisfy Turkiye’s coastal security requirements, the Coast Guard vessel production project is nearing completion.
Initiated on a contract signed with the Secretary of Defence Industries on February 18, 2019, ARES Shipyard has conducted the project in the Antalya Free Zone. More than 170 of the intended 188 boats have already been built and delivered. The project is supposed to terminate with the completion of the last shipments in the next months.
Two inboard diesel engines and water jets equipped the boats, which were built utilising the vacuum infusion technique with carbon-reinforced advanced composites. Operations against irregular migration, smuggling, search and rescue missions, and security enforcement will see them used.
Comprising a 12-meter length, the ARES 35 FPB (Fast Patrol Boat) boasts a peak speed of 35 knots and a 160 nautical mile range. Built according to Turkish Lloyd standards and guidelines, these boats run all throughout Turkiye’s coast.
In a statement to Anadolu Agency, ARES Shipyard General Manager Oğuzhan Pehlivanlı mentioned that the “control boat” (Multi-role Patrol craft) project initially aimed to supply 105 boats to the Coast Guard Command. However, with additional orders from the General Directorate of Security, the Ministry of Trade’s Customs Protection Directorate, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Coast Guard Command, the total number reached 188.
Pehlivanlı highlighted this is the highest-volume serial production project in Turkish shipbuilding history. Initially, six boats were delivered every two months, increasing to eight in the later stages, marking a significant achievement.
He emphasised that all boats were delivered without delays and that the final batch is currently in production, set to be handed over within a few months.he boats were designed according to end-user requirements. Pehlivanlı noted, “These boats are 12 metres long, but the systems installed in them far exceed those found in a typical vessel of the same size. They feature highly advanced navigation, platform management, and sensor integration, all connected through sophisticated software. Our production concept fully meets the expectations and needs of the end-users.”
Pehlivanlı further stated that over 170 boats have been delivered, adding, “Our boats are everywhere—almost every coastal district has one. You can see them in the Marmara, Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Aegean regions. We feel immense pride whenever we visit these areas and spot our boats operating.”
