Türkiye’s ASFAT completes its first-ever warship export to a NATO–EU member as Romania commissions the Akhisar, classified as a light corvette due to its modular upgrade potential.
ASFAT has completed Türkiye’s first sale of a warship to a NATO and European Union member state, delivering the Akhisar to the Romanian Navy. The vessel, constructed at Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command, marks a significant milestone in Türkiye’s defence-export record and adds a new dimension to military cooperation between the two countries.
The agreement brings Akhisar into Romanian service as a light corvette, contributing to the country’s maritime security posture in the Black Sea and supporting Romania’s broader naval-modernisation plans. Although the platform was originally built as an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), ASFAT classifies it as a “light corvette,” reflecting the ship’s scalable mission profile. In TurDef’s assessment, this designation stems from Akhisar’s modular architecture, which allows the integration of more advanced weapons and sensors should the user require it. This flexibility positions the vessel beyond traditional OPV limitations, enabling a transition toward corvette-level capability when configured accordingly.
ASFAT, a wholly state-owned company under Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defence, was established on 12 January 2018 and serves as the main contractor for several flagship naval programmes. These include the Pakistan MILGEM Corvette Programme (four corvettes), the Hisar-class Offshore Patrol Vessel Programme for the Turkish Navy (2+4 vessels), the TF-2000 air-defence destroyer initiative and the development of Türkiye’s first indigenous submarine under the MİLDEN programme.
