The Romanian Navy will receive a corvette from Turkey; what missions can it perform and when will it arrive in Romania

The Romanian Navy will acquire a light corvette manufactured in Turkey, with its delivery to take place in the next six months, according to the Ministry of National Defense, quoted by Euronews Romania. We recall that the decision to directly acquire this corvette was taken at the meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense of the Country on March 28, 2025.

According to information sent by the MApN to the cited source, the total cost of acquiring the combat ship amounts to 265 million euros. This amount covers the actual acquisition of the corvette in its current configuration. However, another 35 million euros are added to this budget, necessary for the subsequent equipping of the ship with defense missiles, the combat systems being installed in a shipyard in Romania.

The new ship that will enter the Romanian Navy is a state-of-the-art light corvette, equipped with modern navigation and communications systems, a wide range of sensors and high-performance weapons. This equipment gives the ship a high combat potential, capable of effectively handling missions in all combat environments. The corvette has a hangar that can accommodate both a medium helicopter and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which gives it added operational flexibility.

"The light corvette has the necessary capabilities to identify, classify and engage potential threats in the area of responsibility of the Romanian Navy, as well as advanced electronic warfare systems, which constitute an advantage for the safe performance of the assigned missions," the Ministry of Defense emphasized, according to the cited source.

In order for the transaction to be finalized, it is necessary to obtain the approval of the Romanian Parliament, in accordance with the legislation in force. The Ministry of Defense announced that it will send an official letter to the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies in the coming days to request this agreement.

Sources close to the transaction told the BURSA newspaper that the corvette in question is the Hisar-class corvette, produced by the Turkish company ASFAT in the Istanbul Naval Shipyard. The corvette is designed as a versatile platform, intended for a wide range of naval missions, including: intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions; search and rescue operations (SAR); the fight against terrorism and asymmetric threats; maritime special operations and maritime interdiction (MIO); electronic warfare, acoustic warfare and coastal bombing.

According to information published by the navalnews.com website, the ship has a length of 99.56 meters, a width of 14.42 meters, a draft of 3.77 meters and a displacement of 2,300 tons. It can reach a maximum speed of 24 knots, with a range of 4,500 nautical miles thanks to the CODELOD (Combined Diesel-Electric Or Diesel) propulsion system.

In terms of armament, the corvette is equipped with a 76-millimeter main gun, two 12.7-millimeter machine guns and is compatible with Atmaca anti-ship missiles. It can operate helicopters of up to 10 tons and UAVs on board, being certified for such operations. It is also equipped with two RHIB boats for the rapid transport of personnel or for carrying out special missions.

We note that although our country is bordered by the Black Sea, the Naval Forces currently have the lowest and most poorly equipped resources of all categories of forces of the Romanian Army. Most military ships have been in service for over three decades, and in recent years the acquisition of new ships has been limited. Currently, the naval fleet includes two frigates - "Regina Maria" and "Regele Ferdinand" - purchased second-hand from Great Britain in 2003. They are not equipped with missile defense systems, but the Ministry of Defense has announced its intention to begin a process of modernization.

In addition to the acquisition of the light corvette, the Ministry of Defense has a series of investments planned for 2025 aimed at modernizing and diversifying Romania's naval capabilities. These include: the acquisition of a minehunter, maritime patrol vessels, intervention ships, maritime tugs; MANPAD systems (man-portable anti-aircraft), V-BAT systems (unmanned aerial vehicles), radio stations, CBRN equipment (for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protection); multifunctional wheeled vehicle transport platforms; modernization of the maritime dredger, frigates and maritime support and intervention vessels with divers, as well as existing corvettes.