Turkey’s TAIS Shipyards has signed a $1 billion shipbuilding agreement with Qatar’s Barzan Holding for the construction of two Istanbul-class frigates destined for the Indonesian Navy. The agreement was concluded on the sidelines of the DIMDEX 2026 International Maritime Defense Exhibition held in Doha, highlighting growing trilateral defense cooperation between Turkey, Qatar, and Indonesia.
The deal builds on a preliminary agreement signed in July between TAIS and Indonesia, which marked the first export order for Turkey’s Istanbul-class frigate design. According to media reports, the latest contract reflects a broader partnership framework that includes risk-sharing mechanisms, financing arrangements, and industrial coordination, rather than a traditional buyer-seller shipbuilding transaction.
The frigate acquisition forms part of Indonesia’s broader naval modernization program, aimed at strengthening surface combatant capabilities while expanding international and domestic industrial collaboration. In parallel with the TAIS program, the Indonesian Navy recently inducted the first of four Thaon di Revel-class frigates built by Italy’s Fincantieri, while also constructing two domestically produced frigates based on the Arrowhead 140 design developed by the UK’s Babcock.
Developed under Turkey’s MİLGEM program, the Istanbul-class is an enlarged and more capable evolution of the Ada-class corvette. Measuring 113.2 meters in length with a displacement of around 3,150 tons, the frigates feature a combined diesel and gas propulsion system capable of speeds above 29 knots and an endurance of approximately 5,700 nautical miles. Built at Istanbul Naval Shipyard, the vessels will be equipped with Turkish-made systems, including ATMACA anti-ship missiles, MİDLAS vertical launch systems, ASELSAN sensors, and HAVELSAN’s ADVENT combat management system, enabling missions ranging from maritime patrol to threat deterrence.
