The U.S. Oliver Hazard Perry (OHP) class frigates, dozens of which once served the U.S. Navy, are still actively used by a number countries. While they may all appear similar from the outside, upon a closer look, the OHP frigates of the Turkish Navy, known as the “Gabya” class, are significantly different. This transformation is due to the GENESIS project, a major initiative of the Turkish defense industry that has not only rejuvenated the combat capability of these second-hand warships, but has set Turkey on a path to independently developing its own more advanced warships.
A brief history of the OHP frigates in the Turkish Fleet
The Turkish Navy started to use Gabya class frigates in the late 1990s when TCG Gaziantep (ex-USS Clifton Sprague) was commissioned in 1997. Between 1997 and 2003, eight Gabya class frigates were commissioned, and the ex-USS Duncan was purchased as the ninth ship and used as a spare parts source for the other eight vessels.
The Gabya class frigates, which were reactivated and put into service after the U.S. Navy decommissioned them, were used by the Turkish Navy for anti-air warfare (AAW) as their main mission function due to the medium-range SM-1 missiles they carried.
Since the late 1990s, these ships have been used in critical missions such as the non-combatant evacuation operation from Beirut in 2006 and Operation Unified Protector in Libya in 2011. They have also participated in numerous NATO and United Nations missions.
These ships, which have formed the backbone of the Turkish Navy by sailing thousands of hours every year since they entered service, have been subjected to a number of modernizations by the Turkish defense industry. These upgrades focused on countering modern threats more effectively, increasing compatibility in joint operations, enhancing detection and identification abilities by replacing outdated sensors with modern sensors, and increasing their firepower.
In order to carry out these modernizations effectively, the GENESIS project was initiated, as it was necessary to provide ships with a modern combat management system (CMS). Overall, this project constituted the spirit of the improvements made to increase the capabilities of these ships. The robustness of the hull and keel of OHP frigates, and the assessments that these ships could l be used effectively for many years to come if their CMS was renewed, have been the main motivations for investing further in them.
With the modernization of the Gabya class frigates, the command and control systems have been renewed, enhancing their coordinated operation capabilities. The ship’s communication and display systems have also been deeply upgraded, improving their ability to function as floating command centers and coordinate the actions of other ships.
Before modernization, the only launcher on board was the Mk 13, which launched Harpoon anti-ship and SM-1 surface-to-air missiles. With the addition of the eight-cell Mk 41 vertical launch system (VLS), the missile launch options have been expanded, increasing both the number and types of missiles the ships can launch. As a result, Gabya class frigates now have the capability to launch up to eight SM-1 missiles and up to 36 RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM) for air defense, significantly enhancing their air defense capabilities.
The Genesis of GENESIS
GENESIS stands for “Ship Integrated Combat Management System” (in Turkish, GEmi ENtegrE Savaş İdare Sistemi). The Turkish Naval Forces launched the GENESIS project in 1999 to meet their operational needs. The Turkish Naval Forces Research Center Command (ARMERKOM) designed all the software and hardware for the GENESIS Combat Management System (CMS), which was then handed over to the national industry.
In collaboration with the Turkish HAVELSAN company, the GENESIS project modernized the outdated CMS of Gabya class (Turkish OHP) frigates. Adaptation units were developed to integrate various weapons, sensors, and electronic systems with different architectures and platform data into the GENESIS CMS. This integrated system automates reconnaissance, surveillance, detection, tracking, and classification operations using the ship’s sensors. Additionally, it provides an Integrated Multiple Data Link Capability for sharing tactical information with allied forces.
The GENESIS system brought several advancements to the OHP frigates’ capabilities. One significant feature is the automatic target tracking infrastructure, which combines information from multiple sensors about the same target and inputs it into the system as a single piece of fuzed information. Additionally, the system allows for the transfer of data detected by the supportive assets, such as helicopters, to the combat management system, further increasing the warfighting capabilities of the frigates. Moreover, weapons that could only be used with two consoles before GENESIS became available, can be employed by all consoles in the Combat Information Center (CIC) after the implementation of the upgrade program. Every console in CIC can replace another.
The project also introduced an Automatic Target Detection and Tracking System, enhancing radar capabilities with an Integrated Automatic Radar Detection, Tracking, and Data Fusion System. The system includes Threat Assessment and Weapon Allocation (TEWASA) capabilities for all air defense weapons, making GENESIS a versatile CMS for ship modernization and new shipbuilding projects.
Key capabilities provided to OHP frigates through the GENESIS project include:
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A CMS that meets modern mission requirements
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Enhanced situational awareness and decision support
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A highly resilient distributed system with Open Architecture
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Network-Enabled Operation Capability
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New Weapon and Sensor Integrations:
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Mk41 VLS Vertical Launcher for ESSM surface-to-air missiles (4 of 8 ships)
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3D Search Radar (Smart-S Mk-2) (4 of 8 ships)
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Mk-54 Torpedo firing capability
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Multiple Link (Link-11, Link-16)
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Another significant upgrade is the integration of the Phalanx CIWS into the combat management system. Previously, the Phalanx CIWS (Block 0) could only engage close air targets independently, using its self-contained radars. Post-modernization, it can be commanded from the CMS, and is now capable of engaging surface targets, which especially made it useful against asymmetric threats like terrorist boats and unmanned surface vehicles (USVs).
The efficiency of the Phalanx has been further enhanced with the “Remote Designation” feature. Modern anti-ship missiles often perform evasive maneuvers to escape the close defense system’s beam angle. If the Phalanx system loses track, it typically returns to its default position and starts searching again. With the remote designation feature, other ship tracking radars (CAS – Combined Antenna System or STIR – Signal Tracking and Illuminating Radar) can transfer targets to the Phalanx, ensuring continuous tracking and increasing the success rate against incoming missiles.
Experts: GENESIS was a “must” for the Turkish Navy
The War Zone reached out Hasan Özyurt, a retired Rear Admiral who has commanded OHP frigates, and assumed the Head of Operations before retiring from the Turkish Navy.
“Gabya class frigates have a very stable and long-lasting structure in terms of hull and machinery systems. The Turkish Navy realized the reliability of these ships and started to use them extensively. However, the command and control system of the ships was behind its time both technologically and ergonomically,” Özyurt told The War Zone.
Özyurt emphasized that the Turkish engineers working on the GENESIS Project had sufficient expertise, as they developed the K-5 (Kalyon-5) system, a project that enables ex-Knox class frigates to operate with locally produced modern consoles and to operate Link-11, to enhance those ships’ combat efficiency. Another significant point is the motivation behind the MILGEM Project — a Turkish national warship program aimed at developing and producing indigenous warships with advanced capabilities for the Turkish Navy. The Combat Management System (CMS) is the most crucial step to achieve this goal. As a result, the thought was, “If we are going to build our own ship, the brains of the ship should also belong to us,” Özyurt noted.
“The GENESIS modernization was carried out alongside other mid-life upgrade programs of the Gabya class frigates, allowing the Turkish Navy to continue operating these reliable platforms at a high tempo. The experience gained from this program was applied to the Ada class corvettes. Now, GENESIS is being replaced by the ADVENT system, an enhanced version of GENESIS compatible for network-centric warfare. In short, GENESIS was one of the foundational bricks in the wall,” Özyurt added.
The modernization of TCG Gemlik (F-492), the first ship of the project, took approximately 10 months. The modernization of the subsequent seven Gabya class frigates was carried out during their overhauls, with each ship’s modernization taking around six months.
Speaking to The War Zone, Sinan Topuz, a former Turkish Navy captain who commanded a flotilla consisting of Gabya class frigates, stated that developing such a combat management system was very important not only for the warfighting capabilities of the OHP frigates, but also for the development of the Turkish naval industry.
“After 1997, the first Perry class frigates started to replace Knox class frigates in the Turkish Navy. Hopes were high. Together with MEKO classes they would be able to meet all requirements of both littoral and open waters in a multi-threat environment,” Mr. Topuz said. “After a while it was noticed and reported many times that NTDS (Naval Tactical Data System) of OHPs with OJ 194 and OJ 197 displays, it was impossible to be able to apply all fighting capacity of the frigates in a multiple threat environment,” he added.
As time passed, the self-confidence of naval engineers increased, along with the determination of the Turkish Navy Headquarters to allocate a budget for the upgrade of the Perry class frigates, which are expected to serve for a long time.
The development timeline of GENESIS CMS: From concept to naval integration
Despite their medium-range air defense weapons and effective sensors, the original version of the Gabya class frigates had inadequate command and control (C2) systems. These systems could not effectively participate in tactical data links, distribute situational awareness information to the greater force, or operate effectively with modern naval forces — both national and NATO. This deficiency was a primary motivation for the development of the project.
The original systems were closed-loop and did not allow for expansion or modernization. For example, adding a new air defense weapon was not possible. Additionally, these systems suffered from significant maintenance, sustainment, and operational problems, failing to inspire confidence in the end users.
Before the MILGEM project, a real frigate platform was needed for the GENESIS CMS to prove itself. Meeting all these requirements between 2003 and 2007 would achieve a major goal and allow the MILGEM journey to begin confidently. Both the requirements and timing were developing in harmony. The work was matured, tested, and verified in ARMERKOM laboratories between 1999 and 2003 and in Naval Surface Warfare Center-Port Hueneme Division (NSWC-PHD) laboratories between 2003 and 2004.
By 2005, the untested and unvalidated functions within the CMS had been reduced to actual firing tests and result analyses, and almost all GENESIS CMS land-based test systems had been fully validated.
In June 2006, headquarters approvals were obtained by the Turkish Naval Command, and the first ship, TCG Gemlik, was ordered to dismantle and remove the old C2 and associated systems. ARMERKOM and Gölcük Shipyard recreated TCG Gemlik‘s CMS within 10 months. With GENESIS CMS, TCG Gemlik was essentially reborn.
Following this phase, the construction of the TCG Heybeliada (F-511) corvette, the first ship of the MILGEM Project and the lead ship of Ada class, began with high confidence thanks to the experience gained during the GENESIS Project. Simultaneously, subsequent Gabya class frigates were modernized in sequence, with their command and control modernizations completed by 2012. The first MILGEM ship with GENESIS CMS was delivered to the Navy on September 27, 2011.
Between 2012 and 2014, additional weapon and sensor modernizations (including Mk 41 VLS and Smart-S Mk 2 radar) were carried out on Gabya class frigates. TCG Gemlik was delivered to the Navy on May 19, 2007, with GENESIS CMS. The responsibility was partially transferred to HAVELSAN, a Turkish defense company providing solutions including combat management systems to the naval ships, in 2012. The complete transfer and industrialization took place in 2014 with the Bayraktar class LST project.
“An interesting point: on the first ship, the cables of the original system were marked and retained to allow for a potential return. After the success of the first ship, the cables on subsequent ships were cut directly, and the old consoles were removed. While the modernization took about a year on the first ship, it was completed in a much shorter time on the later ships,” Özyurt said.
After GENISIS, the combat management system has modern display and usage ergonomics. The system’s automatic threat response functions have a completely nationalized infrastructure and have an open architecture in which new sensors and weapons can be integrated by national means.
“Additionally, the crew adopted this system very quickly. After all, you form a bond with the screens you rely on to operate and fight your ship on the battlefield, and you want to trust your system,” he added.
An Admiral’s vision changed the destiny of the Navy
Admiral Özden Örnek, 20th Chief of the Naval Operations of the Turkish Navy, is considered as the “Father of the MILGEM Project.” According to the retired naval officers and many experts in Turkey, his vision and critical decisions paved the way for GENESIS and subsequently MILGEM.
“In the GENESIS project, not only the engineering expertise of the Turkish Navy but also the vision and calculated risk-taking ability of Admiral Özden Örnek, who was then the Commander of the Turkish Navy and played a major role,” Mr Hasan Özyurt stated regarding the significant contribution the former Navy Chief made.
In an interview with the Turkish defense media outlet Marine Deal News in 2017, Admiral Örnek underlined the importance of the GENESIS Project to the development of a national warship.
“Without ARMERKOM (Turkish Navy Research Center), there would never have been a MILGEM. We would have built a ship, but the contribution rate would have been low. Thanks to ARMERKOM, we first built GENESIS, which today has a market price of around 40 million dollars (pricing for 2017). One of the biggest costs of a ship is the combat management system. This achievement motivated us to develop many other systems indigenously, including the machine control system and fire control systems. We reasoned that if we could accomplish this, we could also develop some weapons, and we did.”
Admiral Örnek passed away in 2018, but his legacy forms the backbone of the modern Turkish Navy.
Benefits of the project to the Turkish defense industry
The GENESIS project provided several benefits to the Turkish defense industry, enhancing its capabilities and contributing to its strategic goals. By developing GENESIS locally, Turkiye boosted its technological base and reduced dependency on foreign technology. This promotes self-reliance and national security. This independence increased shipbuilding projects and trust in indigenous systems.
“GENESIS was an important milestone on the way to the National Ship. We have shown ourselves, rather than the world, that we can both build such a system and integrate a ship and its systems into this system,” Özyurt said. “When the initiative taken by the Turkish Navy in the first ship was transferred to the civilian industry, our defense industry became much more familiar with ship systems, and they developed confidence in themselves. The business opportunities that emerged with the MILGEM and the policy of prioritizing domestic systems encouraged private defense industry investments,” he concluded.
In summary
The project fostered innovation within the Turkish defense industry by encouraging the development of new technologies and solutions tailored to specific operational needs. Producing the system domestically can also be more cost-effective than purchasing similar systems from abroad, resulting in significant cost savings over time. Moreover, the development and production of the GENESIS system generate high-skilled employment opportunities within Turkey, benefiting the local economy.
GENESIS enhanced Turkiye’s position in the global defense market. The successful development and deployment of an indigenous combat management system attracted the interest of other countries, as the system became field-proven in the last 15 years, which paved the way for the MILGEM corvettes, and export opportunities.
Developing and maintaining its own combat management system ensures that Turkiye retains full control over its defense capabilities without reliance on external suppliers. An indigenous system can be continuously updated and customized to meet specific national requirements and emerging threats, providing greater flexibility and responsiveness.
Upgrading the OHP frigates has significantly extended their operational lifespan, leveraging their robust hulls to adapt to modern threats. These enhancements, which include upgraded weaponry and sensors, have transformed these ships into formidable assets, vastly improving their mission effectiveness. For the past two decades, these revitalized frigates have been the backbone of the Turkish naval forces, bearing a substantial portion of their operational responsibilities with enhanced power and reliability.
Tayfun Ozberk is a former naval officer who is an expert in surface warfare, particularly in coastal waters. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Follow him @TayfunOzberk.
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Source Agencies
