According to Turkish media, the naval vessel being donated to the Maldives by Türkiye is 44 years old.
According to Turkish news outlet, Türkiye Today, Türkiye will be donating the TCG Volkan (P-343), a Dogan-class fast attack craft, to the Maldives as part of a bilateral agreement aimed at strengthening Maldives’ maritime defense infrastructure.
Citing the Turkish Ministry of Defense, Türkiye Today said the donation is part of a broader Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Türkiye and the Maldives which is aimed at enhancing Maldives’ defense capabilities through material support and training.
According to the Maldivian Ministry of Defense, the vessel is being integrated into the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) to enhance its capacity to safeguard the security of the Indian Ocean, in line with the nation's commitment to fulfilling its responsibilities as a responsible member of the international community. Moreover, the Ministry noted that it was the aim of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the head of security force, to double the capacity of Coastguard.
As such, the Ministry described the donation as a crucial step towards attaining the President’s goal.
Details of the vessel
TCG Volkan (P-343) was commissioned into the Turkish Navy in May 1981. Upon turning 43 years in 2024, it was reclassified as a test and training vessel.
TCG Volkan (P-343), a Dogan-class fast attack craft, being donated to the Maldives by Türkiye.
The Dogan-class, developed by the German shipbuilder Lürssen Werft, represented a major advancement in Türkiye’s naval strength during the late 20th century, notably as the first class to feature Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
Specifications
Length: 58.1 meters
Beam: 7.62 meters
Draft: 2.74 meters
Speed: Up to 38 knots (70 km/h)
Range: 1,050 nautical miles (1,940 km)
Displacement: 436 tons full load
Propulsion: 4 x MTU diesel engines producing 12,000 horsepower
Crew: 45 personnel
Combat systems and sensors
Two Harpoon anti-ship missiles (expandable to four)
One 76mm Oto Melara naval gun
One 35mm twin-barrel air defense gun
Two 7.62mm machine guns
VM-28/41 radar, LIOD Mk-2 fire control radar, decoy launchers
TCG Volkan has undergone maintenance and repairs at the Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command as part of transfer preparations. The vessel is scheduled be transported to the Maldives via a dock landing ship between April and June 2025.
Upon its arrival in the Maldives, the missile boat will be commissioned by a team from the Turkish Navy. The full transfer process is projected to be completed by July.
Training for Maldivian personnel designated to operate the vessel commenced in Türkiye on April 7 and is scheduled to conclude by May 9.
Following deployment, Turkish naval instructors will conduct two weeks of advanced operational training onboard the vessel for the full Maldivian crew.