What is TAIS Shipyards? Turkey’s naval consortium
Quick answer: TAIS Shipyards (Turkish Associated International Shipyards) is a consortium founded in 2017 by private Turkish shipyards to act jointly in naval shipbuilding. Registered in the catalog under the trade name TAIS Savunma Sanayi ve İş Geliştirme A.Ş., the group today operates as an equal-share partnership of Anadolu Shipyard (ADİK), Sedef Shipyard and Sefine Shipyard. The consortium takes part in serial production of the MİLGEM İstif-class frigates and offers corvette, frigate, patrol vessel and amphibious ship designs to foreign customers. TAIS is listed in the catalog of Turkey’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB).
What does TAIS do?
TAIS is not a single shipyard. It is a structure through which three private yards bid jointly on military programs, develop designs and share work. On its official website, the consortium describes its field of activity as design, engineering, logistics support and life-cycle management services in naval shipbuilding projects; headquartered in Istanbul, it operates through yards in Tuzla and Yalova. The company states that it has completed a series of projects for the Turkish Naval Forces under contracts with the Ministry of National Defence.
The product catalog covers the BORA family of corvettes and frigates, offshore patrol vessels in four hull lengths, amphibious ships, a fleet replenishment tanker, training and emergency response vessels, and landing craft. The consortium’s ownership structure and the background of its member yards are examined in detail in the who owns TAIS file.
Founding and corporate profile
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Trade name | TAIS Savunma Sanayi ve İş Geliştirme A.Ş. | SSB catalog |
| Full name | Turkish Associated International Shipyards | Defence Turkey |
| Founded | 2017; five private shipyards with equal shares | Defence Turkey |
| Current partners | Anadolu (ADİK), Sedef, Sefine — equal shares | Defence Turkey, company website |
| Headquarters | Istanbul; yards in Tuzla and Yalova | Company website |
| Certification | ISO 9001 | Company website |
| Revenue and headcount | Not officially disclosed. | — |
The consortium was founded in 2017 by the Anadolu, İstanbul, Sedef, Sefine and Selah shipyards. According to Defence Turkey magazine, İstanbul Shipyard and Selah Shipyard transferred their shares in June 2019, and the group has continued with three partners since then. Each member yard still runs civilian and military projects under its own legal identity; TAIS pools these capabilities under a single roof for military programs.
Position in Turkey’s programs
TAIS’s most visible work is the frigate leg of the MİLGEM program. Ships two to four of the İstif class — TCG İzmir, TCG İzmit and TCG İçel — were built simultaneously at the Anadolu, Sedef and Sefine yards under a work model with STM as prime contractor. The details of this three-way work share are set out in the İstif-class file.
Major platforms completed by the member yards before and outside TAIS also feed the consortium’s reference list: Sedef Shipyard built the multipurpose amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu, Anadolu Shipyard built the Bayraktar-class tank landing ships, and Sefine Shipyard built the underway replenishment combat support ship TCG Derya. The files on these platforms can be found under amphibious ships and fleet replenishment ships.
Exports and international partnerships
The headline item on the consortium’s recent export agenda is the agreement worth roughly 1 billion dollars signed with Qatar-based Barzan Holding at the DIMDEX exhibition in Doha in January 2026, covering two İstanbul-class frigates for the Indonesian Navy. The training ships delivered to Qatar through Anadolu Shipyard and the fleet support ship process in India are covered in the export file.
Product portfolio at a glance
- Combatants: Corvette-100 BORA and the Frigate-105/115/140 BORA family
- Patrol vessels: the OPV-75/85/90/95 series, KAAN-77 and LPC-65; covered in the OPV guide
- Amphibious platforms: LHD-230, LPD-150, LST-140/120/100, and the LCT and LCM series
- Logistics and support: the FRT-200 fleet replenishment tanker, MPSRS-95, floating docks
- Training and response: the CTS-90 training ship and the ERV-90; covered in the training and support ships guide
The full portfolio and an index of every file in the cluster are collected in the TAIS projects guide. The comparison of the LHD-230 with its foreign counterparts is examined in a separate file.
Frequently asked questions
What does TAIS stand for?
Turkish Associated International Shipyards. Turkish sources refer to it as TAIS Tersaneleri; the trade name in the catalog is TAIS Savunma Sanayi ve İş Geliştirme A.Ş.
Which shipyards make up TAIS?
The current structure consists of Anadolu Shipyard (ADİK), Sedef Shipyard and Sefine Shipyard. Founding partners İstanbul and Selah shipyards transferred their shares in 2019.
Is TAIS a state-owned entity?
No. TAIS is a consortium formed by privately owned shipyards; on military projects it acts as the contracting party with the SSB and the Ministry of National Defence.
Which ships has TAIS built?
Ships two to four of the İstif class were built under the consortium umbrella. The member yards’ references include TCG Anadolu, the Bayraktar class and TCG Derya.
How many people does TAIS employ?
The headcount at consortium level is not officially disclosed. The member yards employ their own workforces separately.
Sources and verification note
The information in this file was compiled from the sources below; numerical data relies solely on statements found in these sources. Accessed: August 13, 2026.
- TAIS official website, corporate and product pages: https://www.taisshipyards.com/en/about-us — https://www.taisshipyards.com/en/products
- Defence Turkey, “The Turkish Defense Industry’s Newest Consortium of 5 Shipyards; TAIS Sets Sail to Become a Global Brand”: https://defenceturkey.com/en/content/the-turkish-defense-industry-s-newest-consortium-of-5-shipyards-tais-sets-sail-to-become-a-global-brand-2682
- Defense News, “Turkish shipyards join forces to develop first locally made ship engine” (16.04.2018): https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2018/04/16/turkish-shipyards-join-forces-to-develop-engine/
- Defense News, “Turkey chooses local shipyards to build three frigates” (24.01.2023): https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2023/01/24/turkey-chooses-four-shipyards-to-build-three-frigates/
- The Defense Post, “Turkey’s TAIS Signs $1B Frigate Agreement With Qatar’s Barzan for Indonesia” (21.01.2026): https://thedefensepost.com/2026/01/21/tais-frigate-agreement-indonesia/
- Mavi Vatan, “(A-1590) TCG Derya”: https://mavivatan.net/a-1590-tcg-derya-denizde-ikmal-muharebe-destek-gemisi/
