Historic Double Delivery: Turkey Exports Its First Warship to a NATO and EU Member as Romania Receives Corvette
Turkey crossed a historic threshold in defense exports on 20 June 2026. At a double delivery ceremony held at Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command, ASFAT simultaneously handed over TCG Koçhisar (P-1221) to the Turkish Navy and the CAm. Roman corvette — valued at €223 million — to the Romanian Naval Forces. The Romanian transfer is the first export of a Turkish-built naval combatant vessel to a country that is both a NATO and European Union member.
The ceremony was attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Romanian President Nicușor Dan, lending the event significant diplomatic weight. As reported by Naval News and Daily Sabah, the presence of both heads of state was itself a message — underlining that the delivery carries strategic and political dimensions beyond the military transaction.
Two ships, two navies, one ceremony
TCG Koçhisar is the first unit of the Hisar class delivered to the Turkish Navy. Classified as an offshore patrol vessel (OPV), P-1221 is intended for a broad task spectrum — from exclusive economic zone protection in the Aegean and Mediterranean to counter-smuggling operations, exercise support and reconnaissance missions.
CAm. Roman is the export variant of the same Hisar class. Romania ordered the corvette to strengthen its Black Sea capabilities, and Turkey built it under an intergovernmental contract signed on 3 December 2025. The delivery is now the most concrete reference on both ASFAT’s and Istanbul Naval Shipyard’s export record.
What the Hisar class is
The Hisar class is a 99.56-meter, 2,300-ton platform designed and built at Istanbul Naval Shipyard. Maximum speed is 24 knots. Propulsion uses a CODELOD (Combined Diesel-Electric or Diesel) arrangement — an architecture that balances fuel economy and hull life while preserving acceleration in combat maneuvering.
The key distinction from the Ada class is that propulsion system. The Ada class uses CODAG (Combined Diesel and Gas turbine), giving it different performance characteristics. The Hisar class is optimized for longer patrol endurance. In both variants, ASELSAN’s electronic systems and weapon management solutions play a central role in systems integration.
Why it matters for Romania
Romania is one of NATO’s key Black Sea littoral states. The regional tension generated by the war in Ukraine has raised the importance of Romania’s maritime defense. The country’s navy inherited a structure that had been on the modernization agenda repeatedly since the 1990s but saw limited progress due to funding constraints. CAm. Roman represents a genuine capability boost: a relatively modern platform, a comparatively short delivery timeline and access to ongoing technical cooperation with the builder.
Turkey’s selection as the building country is explained by more competitive pricing and delivery schedules than those offered by preferred Western yards. The contract value of €223 million points to a meaningful cost advantage against comparable-class products from Western European shipyards.
Why it matters for Turkey
Erdoğan said at the ceremony that Turkey “is currently building more than 50 naval platforms, including vessels intended for export customers.” That figure points to systemic capacity rather than a one-off delivery. An export of this kind to a NATO and EU member adds a critical reference project to the Turkish defense industry’s qualification history.
An export within the Western alliance carries not only commercial but diplomatic and strategic meaning. A relationship established with a reliable buyer like Romania has potential to shape how other NATO and EU members view Turkish shipyard products. For ASFAT, this reference could become an important marketing asset in the period ahead.
| Attribute | TCG Koçhisar / CAm. Roman |
|---|---|
| Class | Hisar-class OPV/Corvette |
| Length | 99.56 meters |
| Displacement | 2,300 tons |
| Maximum speed | 24 knots |
| Propulsion | CODELOD (Diesel-Electric or Diesel) |
| Builder | ASFAT / Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command |
| CAm. Roman contract value | €223 million |
| Contract signed | 3 December 2025 |
| Ceremony date | 20 June 2026 |
| Ceremony location | Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command |
Open-source verification notes
The ceremony date, participants, ship data and export characterization were compiled from Naval News’s 20 June double-delivery report and the coverage by Daily Sabah and Türkiye Today. Technical specifications (length, displacement, speed, propulsion) rest on Naval News’s technical data and ASFAT’s public information. The contract value (€223 million) and signing date (3 December 2025) come from the Naval News report.
Sources
- Naval News — “ASFAT Delivers TCG Koçhisar to the Turkish Navy and CAm. Roman to Romania in Landmark Double Ceremony”, 20 June 2026.
- Daily Sabah — “Türkiye exports warship to NATO, EU member Romania in landmark first”, June 2026.
- Türkiye Today — Erdoğan-Nicușor Dan double ceremony coverage, June 2026.
