Turkey’s Dearsan has launched the first of two Fast Attack Craft (FAC) 50 being built for the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces as part of a production order signed in 2024.
The vessel entered the water in mid-November at the company’s Istanbul shipyard, less than a year after its keel was laid.
The milestone moves the program into the outfitting phase, while work on the second hull continues on schedule.
After completing necessary processes, the lead system will undergo sea trials in Turkey and follow-on testing in Qatar before entering service around 2027. The second boat is slated for delivery roughly two months later.
Once commissioned, the FAC 50 platforms will support Doha’s effort to expand its naval reach in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Arabian Sea amid rising competition and growing maritime security demands.
The Fast Attack Craft 50
The FAC 50 design is based on Dearsan’s proprietary 43-meter (141-foot) fast attack craft model but was lengthened to 51 meters (167 feet) at Doha’s request to integrate additional combat systems and expand mission capacity.
The vessel is developed for high-intensity littoral and open-sea operations, and is equipped for surface warfare, air defense, and asymmetric threats.
Its weapons suite includes Roketsan ÇAKIR anti-ship missiles, Roketsan Sungur surface-to-air missiles, a Leonardo 40-millimeter main gun, Aselsan STAMP remote weapon stations, and 12.7-millimeter support machine guns.
FAC 50 will be powered by three diesel engines for speeds over 36 knots (67 kilometers/41 miles per hour) and have accommodations for up to 30 people.
