If Turkey makes the strategic mistake and dispatches permanent naval forces in the eastern Mediterranean, then it will completely lose the battle in the Aegean which already has negative geographical constraints for Ankara anyway, a source told the defencenet.gr news site today, when asked to comment on the recent announcement by Turkish Prime Minister R. T. Erdogan, who said that the bases of Marmaridas and Iskenderun will be used as a springboard for the Eastern Mediterranean region.
As noted by the same source "Marmarida is already used for operations in the Aegean.” He said that Alexandreta has large warehouses of weapons and fuel. In any which way, he added, the Turkish fleet is rather limited (in strength) to cover such a large front figure wise but also qualitatively. “They do not have boats that can operate in the Eastern Mediterranean, threatening the opponent’s hinterland, as we would have hoped to happen with the supply of FREMM / SCALP Naval” the same source told defencenet. “We wonder how a Navy, which is almost equal to that of Greece can rant so much and say things like this”, he added.
At this point, defencenet reiterated that most of the skilled officers from the Turkish Navy are presently in jail.
Regarding the stance of the Greek fleet, the source’s answer was indeed disarming: "If they think they can go up against Israel off its coast and perhaps the U.S. or Russia, (then this is) their problem. We say (we will) remain here so that negative thoughts on the Aegean do not plant themselves in their heads"!
These remarks, says the article on defencenet, which came directly from the horses mouth, or one of the most skilled lips the Turkish forces obviously gives a strategic advantage to the Greek side. The source also said that he could not understand how the Turkish leadership omitted in taking these strategic errors (or strategic disadvantages) into consideration before coming out and saying anything at all. "They are not stupid. They might send out two, or three boats for a ride to the point where the drilling will be occurring, but not any further. But in any case arrogance is by far the worst advisor to have. the senior navy source added.
At this point, it is worthwhile to see how the fleets of Greece, Israel and Turkey can measure up against each other in terms of frigates and submarines, which coincidentally are the only instruments of operation that can play any role in Easter Mediterranean. The following figures are indicative:
GREECE
UNDERWATER
- 1 Type 214. Class PAPANICOLIS. .
- 4 Type 209/1100. (Later three) Class GLAFCOS. Submitted to the modernization Neptune I.
- 4 Type 209/1200. Poseidon class. Only OCEAN S118 has undergone modernization Neptune II average life with an anaerobic propulsion (AIP: Air Independent Propulsion).
FRIGATES
- 4 MEKO 200HN. Class HYDRA. Expected to launch modernization program average life (ERMZ) of four ships of the class.
- 10 Standard (9 now after the decommissioning of BOUBOULINAS). Six of them have undergone modernization Middle Life (EMZ). All vessels have been delivered to the Navy.
ISRAEL
ACTIVE ARMED FORCES: 168,000
- Army: 125,000
- Navy: 8,000
- Air Force: 35,000)
PARAMILITARY FORCES: 8,050
- Term: 36 months
- officers: 48 months,
- female: 24 months
RESEVRE 408,000
- Army: 380,000
- Navy: 3,500
- Air Force: 24,500
STRATEGIC DETERRENCE FORCES
- Israel, according to several sources, nuclear strike capability aerial ballistic missiles Jericho 1 and Jericho 2 (short and medium range). Specifically calculated to have about 200 nuclear warheads, Jericho 2 medium-range (IRBM) and Jericho 1 short range (SRBM)
NAVAL FORCES
- Staff: 8.000
- 2,500 conscripts
- 300 special forces officers
- 11,500 in mobilization
EQUIPMENT
- Submarines: Type 3 Dolphin
- Corvettes: 3 type Eilat (Saar 5)
- Patrol and shore security (akto-fylakides): 52
- Fleet Support: 1 Type Katler
PATROL BOATS AND SPECIAL OPERATIONS
- 8 type Hetz (Saar 4.5)
- 2 type Reshef (Saar 4)
- 15 type Dabur (under 100 tons)
- 13 typeSuper Dvora MKI MKII (under 100 tons)
- 6 type Super Dvora MK III,
- 2 type Shaldag 4 type 3 and type Tzira Stingray
AMPHIBIANS LANDING: 2
- 1 type Ashdod
- 1 American
AUXILIARY SHIPS
- 2 AG 2 (former German Type T45)
ANTI-SUBMARINE HELICOPTERS
- 7 AS-565SA Panther
- 2 SA-366 G Dauphin
RESCUE GENERAL PURPOSE
- 17 Bell 212
TURKEY
UNDERWATER
- 4 Type 209/1400 Releases PREVEZE. The S 353 to S 356 were built in shipyards Gölçük Navy.
- 4 Type 209/1400 Releases GÜR, four of which will be modernized
- 6 Type 209/1200 Releases ATILAY, four of which will be modernized.
FRIGATES
- 8 Oliver Hazard Perry. Under the modernization program is the installation of the Battle Management System GENESIS. The program will be completed in late 2011.
- 2 MEKO 200TN Track IIB. Class frigates SALIHREIS, being overhauled.
- 2 MEKO 200TN Track IIA. Class frigates BARBAROS, being overhauled.
- 4 MEKO 200TN Track I. Class Frigates YAVUZ.
With the above statistics, as published on defencenet.gr, it is easily understood that the Turkish navy barely has enough power to cover the operational needs of the Aegean and maintain some presence in the Black Sea and basically… nothing more.
Original Article in Greek: defencenet.gr
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