French newspaper Le Figaro reported that with its new National Aircraft Carrier (MUGEM) project, Türkiye will surpass even France’s “Charles de Gaulle” aircraft carrier and become the country with the largest warship in the Mediterranean.
The project was officially announced last week by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Teknofest technology fair. The new aircraft carrier is scheduled to go into service around 2030. The vessel will be capable of carrying both fighter jets and advanced stealth unmanned aerial vehicles.
Measuring 285 metres in length and 72 metres in width and displacing over 60,000 tons, the ship will outclass the 261-metre-long, 42,500-ton “Charles de Gaulle”.
According to Le Figaro, the project aims to showcase Türkiye’s strong maritime presence and demonstrate its technological capabilities on the international stage.
Young engineer Aykut Demirezen stated that the vessel will be able to travel from Türkiye to New York without refuelling. Thanks to its hydrodynamic hull design, fuel consumption will be reduced by 1.5 percent.
The ship is expected to be launched between 2027 and 2028 and to carry around 50 combat aircraft at full capacity. Unlike its Western counterparts, MUGEM will be compatible with armed unmanned aerial vehicles from the outset, such as Kızılelma and Anka-3. It will also be able to carry the Turkish-made Hürjet fighter jets. More than 80 per cent of its components will be produced in Türkiye.
In his speech in Istanbul, President Erdoğan underlined that the project would surpass the current aircraft carrier TCG Anadolu.
If the planned schedule is adhered to, Türkiye will join a limited group of countries—including the United States, Russia, France, and China—capable of designing and building vessels of this class.
French experts, meanwhile, emphasise that France’s next-generation 75,000-ton aircraft carrier PANG will also become a major power in the Mediterranean, though only in about a decade.
The MUGEM project highlights Türkiye’s ambition to strengthen its strategic presence in the region through innovation and advanced technology.