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Indonesia signed a contract with Turkish shipbuilding group TAIS for two I-class frigates during the IDEF defense exhibition in Istanbul on Saturday, marking Türkiye's first export of MILGEM-class vessels to the Southeast Asian nation.
The Turkish Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) announced the deal on social media, with SSB head Haluk Gorgun attending the signing ceremony alongside Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Air Marshall Yusuf Jauhari, head of Indonesia's Defense Facilities Agency.
"This marks Türkiye's first export of MILGEM-class vessels to Indonesia and represents a significant milestone in strategic naval cooperation, bringing pride to our nations," the SSB stated.
"We hope this collaboration, embodying the shared maritime defense vision of two allied nations, will be beneficial for all parties involved," the statement added.
No further technical or delivery details were disclosed as of the signing.
Some reports suggest that the frigates intended for Indonesia might already be under construction in Türkiye and could be redirected from the Turkish navy to the Indonesian navy (TNI AL), a method previously used by Italy’s Fincantieri in transferring PPA vessels to export customers.
Defense enthusiasts on social media have speculated that the ships TCG Izmir (F-516) and Icel (F-518) may be among those sold, while Izmit (F-517) could still be delivered to the Turkish navy.
Defense analyst Tayfun Ozberk commented on X: "Yes, such a possibility exists, but it’s not clear yet. Indonesia understandably wants them, but I don’t know if our side will agree. The navy urgently needs these vessels as well."
"These are early and ambitious claims. Similar claims were made before, but none came true. Unless we hear it from the Commander of the Naval Forces or the Minister of Defense, don’t trust any source 100%. Best to wait," he added.
The I-class frigate is an advanced variant of Türkiye’s indigenous Ada-class corvette, developed under the MİLGEM national warship program. Designed for multirole operations, the 113-meter-long frigate displaces around 3,100 tons and incorporates advanced propulsion and combat systems.
Each ship features:
TCG Istanbul (F-515), the lead ship of the class, was launched in 2021 and began sea trials in 2023.
Construction of sister ships—including F-516, F-517, and F-518—is ongoing through a collaboration between STM and TAIS.
The MILGEM program has attracted international attention beyond Indonesia. Ukraine has partnered with Türkiye for the production of modified MILGEM-class corvettes, highlighting the platform's export potential.
The Istif-class represents the culmination of Türkiye's National Ship program initiated in the early 2000s, designed to meet modern blue-water navy operational demands with capabilities ranging from air defense and surface warfare to undersea and expeditionary operations.
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