Turkish-Built HISAR-Class Corvette Joins Romanian Navy After Rapid Delivery

Turkiye’s defense industry has completed another tangible step in naval platform exports. The HISAR-class corvette “Contraamiral August Roman” (hull 261), built by the Turkish state shipbuilder ASFAT (Askeri Fabrika ve Tersane Isletme), has been delivered to the Romanian Naval Forces. After a commissioning ceremony in Istanbul, the ship made a roughly 14-hour transit to Constanta Military Port and entered service under the Romanian flag with 85 personnel led by Lieutenant Commander Sorin Huruiala.

First major combatant in 30 years

For Romania this is more than a routine procurement. The country is adding a new combatant of this size for the first time in over three decades. For a navy that has largely relied on aging platforms since the Cold War, the corvette marks a starting point for fleet modernization. It enters service in an initial operational configuration, designed with provisions for future system integration.

A multi-role platform

Technically, the HISAR-class corvette stands out as a multi-role platform. At about 99.5 meters long, it displaces around 2,300 tonnes and can exceed 24 knots. Its weapons and sensor package includes a 76 mm main gun, remotely operated weapon stations, a fire-control radar backed by an electro-optical sensor, electronic warfare systems and a hull-mounted sonar. It can also carry and deploy a helicopter. That makes the ship suitable for surveillance, reconnaissance, patrol, counter-piracy and search-and-rescue, as well as anti-surface, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare. NATO-interoperable communications ease its integration into alliance operations.

Delivered in under seven months

One of the most striking aspects is delivery speed. Signed in December 2025 under a government-to-government model, the contract was fulfilled in under seven months. Given that defense procurement can take years, that timeline is a strong indicator of Turkiye’s rapid build-and-deliver capacity — an argument Ankara increasingly offers buyers as it expands defense exports.

Why it matters

The Black Sea is one of NATO’s most sensitive maritime areas amid the war in Ukraine. A NATO member strengthening its naval capacity with a Turkish-built corvette carries weight for both regional maritime security and Turkiye’s role in intra-alliance defense-industrial partnerships. For Ankara, the delivery shows the visibility earned in drone and armored-vehicle exports extending to naval platforms. The contract value has not been disclosed.