Aselsan's Gökdeniz CIWS integrated into first Istanbul-class frigate after completing FAT

The Aselsan CIWS was unveiled at the IDEF 2019 exhibition. (Janes/Patrick Allen)

The first Aselsan Gökdeniz naval close-in weapon system (CIWS) destined for the Turkish Navy has been integrated into the lead Istanbul (TF-100)-class frigate following the completion of its factory acceptance test (FAT), the company has announced.

First-of-class İstanbul is under construction at the Istanbul Shipyard Command and is planned to be commissioned in the last quarter of 2023.

The FAT milestone follows the successful completion of shipborne firing tests in May 2022.

Gökdeniz is a 35 mm dual-barrel naval CIWS designed by Aselsan to provide the Turkish Navy an effective air-defence capability against anti-ship missiles, asymmetric naval and aerial threats, and rotary-wing aircraft.

First unveiled at the International Defence Industry Fair 2019 (IDEF 2019) in Istanbul, it is derived from the Korkut tracked SP anti-aircraft land system.

Gökdeniz features an enclosed, remote-controlled, stabilised gun turret with two 35 mm automatic guns – each capable of firing 550 rounds per minute – fed by an automatic linkless feed system, a 3D X-band tracking radar, and one fire-control radar with electro-optical sensors.

The system fires Aselsan's ATOM 35 mm airburst ammunition, which is the primary round for use against missiles and drones, and high-explosive incendiary (HEI) rounds. Both ammunition types can be loaded simultaneously into the automatic linkless feed system and then selected to suit the intended target.

The system can be operated remotely by an operator or left to operate autonomously.