RMK Shipyard Launches First New Corvette for Ukraine

Turkey's RMK Marine has launched the first Ada-class corvette for the government of Ukraine, marking a major step towards rebuilding Ukrainian capabilities in the Black Sea.

Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska presided over the launching ceremony, and she said in a social media post that she "had the honor of launching a corvette that will serve Ukraine and at the same time have a Turkish heart." 

The future Hetman Ivan Mazepa is designed for a range of naval roles, including ASW, surface warfare, air defense and ISR. She is powered by a CODAG propulsion sytem, with two diesels and one turbine through a two-shaft final drive. Her top speed is in the range of 30 knots.

The Ada-class design is already in service for the Turkish Navy, which purchased four of the vessels starting in 2005. It is designed for littoral operations, and its draft of just 12 feet allows it access to near-shore operating areas. 

The series of two ships for Ukraine was ordered in 2020 for delivery in 2022-3. Ukraine had intended to build the second ship in the class at its own shipbuilding facilities at the Okean yard in Mykolaiv - a plan which has been disrupted by the Russian invasion. 

If Ukraine's military offensive in Kherson Oblast proves successful, the situation at Mykolaiv could change. Oleksii Resnikov, Ukraine's minister of defense, went so far as to suggest that the Hetman Ivan Mazepa will one day be homeported in Sevastopol under Ukrainian control. (Crimea is currently occupied by Russia.)