Turkey’s TAIS Shipyards has signed a $1-billion purchase agreement with Qatar’s Barzan Holding to construct two frigates for the Indonesian Navy.
The agreement covers a pair of Istanbul-class frigates and was signed on the sidelines of the DIMDEX 2026 International Maritime Defense Exhibition in Doha, Qatar.
A preliminary agreement for the vessels had previously been signed between TAIS and Indonesia in July, marking the first export order for the Istanbul-class frigate design.
According to media reports, the latest agreement reflects a broader framework involving risk-sharing, financing arrangements, and industrial coordination rather than a conventional buyer-to-builder shipbuilding contract.
The acquisition forms part of Indonesia’s wider naval modernization effort aimed at strengthening surface combatant capabilities and expanding domestic and international industrial partnerships.
Earlier in July, the Indonesian Navy inducted the first of four Thaon di Revel-class frigates built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.
In parallel, the Southeast Asian country is constructing two domestic frigates based on the Arrowhead 140 design developed by British firm Babcock.
Istanbul-Class Frigate
Developed under Turkey’s MİLGEM program, the Istanbul-class is an enlarged and more capable evolution of the Ada-class corvettes and is intended to replace the ageing Yavuz-class frigates.
The design features a 113.2-meter (371-foot) hull and a 14.4-meter (47-foot) beam with a displacement of approximately 3,150 tons.
Powered by a combined diesel and gas propulsion system, the frigate can achieve speeds exceeding 29 knots (54 kilometers/33 miles per hour) and has an endurance of around 5,700 nautical miles (10,556 kilometers/6,559 miles) at a cruising speed of 14 knots (26 kilometers/16 miles per hour).
Built at Istanbul Naval Shipyard, the vessels are equipped with Turkish-developed weapons and sensors, including Roketsan’s ATMACA anti-ship missile and the MİDLAS vertical launch system, Aselsan’s Gökdeniz close-in weapon system, the CENK-S AESA radar, and Havelsan’s ADVENT combat management system.
The frigates are designed to conduct a range of missions, including maritime surveillance, patrol operations, inspection of exclusive economic zones, and the detection and deterrence of potential threats.
