What Indigenous Systems Are on TCG Sancaktar? Mine-Laying System and Its Earthquake Hospital-Ship Role

TCG Sancaktar (L-403) is the second and final ship of the Bayraktar-class tank landing ships (LST), built by Anadolu Shipyard (ADİK) under the coordination of Turkey’s then Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (today’s SSB). Delivered to the Turkish Navy on 7 April 2018, Sancaktar is best known outside naval circles for its role as a floating hospital during the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.

Indigenous systems

Sancaktar’s signature indigenous feature is its Automatic Mine-Laying System, entirely domestic in both hardware and software, releasing naval mines from deck rails at pre-programmed intervals. HAVELSAN’s GENESIS combat management system runs the ship’s command layer, and ASELSAN’s STAMP remote-controlled weapon station provides close-in defence, alongside ASELSAN-TÜBİTAK communications equipment. The British-made SeaSentor torpedo-detection system and the class-standard Thales Smart Mk2 3D radar remain foreign-sourced.

Earthquake hospital-ship role

Following the devastating 6 February 2023 earthquakes centred on Kahramanmaraş, TCG Sancaktar and sister ship TCG Bayraktar were deployed off İskenderun to provide role-2 floating hospital care. Defence Minister Hulusi Akar toured the vessel on 12 February 2023 alongside the military command staff, visiting patients treated aboard.

SSB’s role

The Bayraktar-class LST programme was procured and coordinated by Turkey’s defence procurement authority (SSB); the shipyard, Anadolu Tersanesi, was the prime contractor responsible for construction and system integration. SSB set requirements and oversaw supplier integration — it did not itself manufacture the vessel.

Sources

Turkish Ministry of National Defence (MSB); Anadolu Agency; Naval Today; ASELSAN corporate blog; Wikipedia (TCG Sancaktar, Bayraktar-class tank landing ship).

Part of the Indigenous Power of the Blue Homeland series.