Türkiye has said it wants joint warship building with Egypt, modelled on its MILGEM corvette programme with Pakistan. This is a stated aim, not a signed deal. The Pakistan model split construction between a Turkish yard and a partner yard, with technology transfer. Egypt already did something similar when it assembled Gowind corvettes at Alexandria Shipyard. Ship type, numbers, shipyard, cost and timeline have not been announced.
What Türkiye’s navy chief actually said
Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces, spoke on 9 November 2026 at the Friendship Sea-2026 exercise off Alexandria. He said: “we aim to carry out joint shipbuilding activities with Egypt, similar to the cooperation we carried out with Pakistan under the MILGEM project,” according to Türkiye Today. DefenseandTech carried the same statement, citing DHA.
The admiral also said the two navies are working on:
- joint use of Turkish guided missiles, torpedoes and naval mines;
- cooperation on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned surface vessels (USVs);
- mine warfare, where Türkiye is sharing its experience with Egypt.
Defence Mena reported the remarks in its news coverage of Türkiye’s plan for joint MILGEM warship building with Egypt. This article explains how such a programme could be organised.
The setting: Friendship Sea-2026 off Alexandria
The statement came at the close of Friendship Sea-2026, held from 4 to 9 November 2026 off Alexandria. An earlier exercise, in September 2025, was the two countries’ first joint naval exercise in 13 years.
Türkiye’s participants were TCG Anadolu, the frigate TCG Gaziantep, the fast attack craft TCG Meltem, two SH-70 and three AH-1W helicopters, and three Bayraktar TB3 unmanned aircraft. The MKE PİRANA kamikaze USV also took part. Egypt sent the Mistral-type ENS Gamal Abdel Nasser along with M. Fahmy, El Fateh, Fouad Zekry, El Farouk and Al-Arish, as reported by DefenseandTech and Türkiye Today.
The MILGEM–Pakistan model explained
The Pakistan programme is the reference point Admiral Tatlıoğlu chose. Its main features, based on DefenseandTech reporting that cites ASFAT and Defence Turkey, are:
- Contract: signed in 2018 with ASFAT for four corvettes derived from Türkiye’s Ada class.
- Split build: two ships at Istanbul Naval Shipyard and two at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works.
- Technology transfer: the Karachi pair is being built under a technology transfer arrangement.
- Deliveries: the lead ship, PNS Babur, was delivered on 23 September 2023. In 2026, ASFAT’s general manager said both Istanbul-built ships had been delivered and the Karachi pair was in progress.
The approach is straightforward. Ships are split between Turkish and partner shipyards, with technology transfer to the partner.
Egypt’s Alexandria shipbuilding experience
Egypt has used this model before. In 2014 it signed a Gowind 2500 corvette deal with France’s Naval Group. The lead ship, El Fateh, was built in France. The other three of the four ships were assembled at Alexandria Shipyard under technology transfer. The first locally built ship, ENS Port Said, was handed over in January 2021, according to DefenseandTech.
As a result, Alexandria Shipyard has already handled a foreign corvette design and the transfer of construction know-how. That experience could make a MILGEM-style arrangement easier to set up.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Egypt signs Gowind 2500 corvette deal with Naval Group |
| 2018 | Pakistan signs PN MILGEM contract with ASFAT |
| January 2021 | ENS Port Said, first Alexandria-built Gowind, handed over |
| 23 September 2023 | PNS Babur delivered to Pakistan |
| September 2025 | First Friendship Sea exercise, the first joint drill in 13 years |
| 2026 | ASFAT says both Istanbul-built Pakistani ships delivered, Karachi pair in progress |
| 4–9 November 2026 | Friendship Sea-2026 off Alexandria |
| 9 November 2026 | Turkish navy chief states joint shipbuilding aim with Egypt |
What a joint build would require
No terms have been published. In general, programmes of this kind need several things to be agreed first:
- a design baseline;
- how the work is divided between yards;
- the scope of technology transfer;
- arrangements for weapons and sensor integration.
Integration is especially relevant for Egypt. Its fleet combines French, German, US, Chinese and Russian systems, according to DefenseandTech. Any new class would have to work alongside that mix. The admiral’s reference to joint use of Turkish missiles, torpedoes and naval mines indicates that weapons cooperation is already under discussion. How that would apply to any new ships has not been stated.
For wider context on the Egyptian Navy’s place in the country’s armed forces, see our Egypt military strength profile.
What is not known or confirmed
- The type of ship under consideration.
- The number of ships.
- Which shipyard or shipyards would be involved.
- Cost and financing.
- Any timeline for a contract or construction.
- Egypt’s position. No Egyptian public statement on joint shipbuilding has been found.
For now, joint warship building is a Turkish stated aim. It has been reported by Military Africa and other outlets. It should not be treated as an agreed programme.
FAQ
Have Türkiye and Egypt signed a warship contract?
No. Türkiye’s naval commander described joint shipbuilding as an aim. No contract, ship type or shipyard has been announced.
What is the MILGEM model with Pakistan?
It is a 2018 ASFAT contract for four Ada-class-derived corvettes. Two were built in Istanbul and two are being built in Karachi under technology transfer.
Has Egypt built warships locally before?
Yes. Under the 2014 Gowind 2500 deal, three of four corvettes were assembled at Alexandria Shipyard. The first of these, ENS Port Said, was handed over in January 2021.
Sources
- Türkiye Today — Turkish navy chief on MILGEM-style joint warship building with Egypt, 9 Nov 2026
- DefenseandTech — Türkiye–Egypt joint warship building and MILGEM background, 9 Nov 2026
- Military Africa — Türkiye aims to build joint warships with Egypt under MILGEM, Nov 2026
- Hürriyet Daily News — Türkiye and Egypt eye joint warship construction
Featured image: MC2 John Herman via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain. Illustrative photo.