Türkiye Wants to Build Warships With Egypt on the MILGEM Model, Navy Chief Says

Türkiye wants to build warships with Egypt in the way it already does with Pakistan under the MILGEM programme, the commander of the Turkish Naval Forces said on Monday 9 November 2026. Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu was speaking to reporters off Alexandria after the distinguished observers’ day of the Friendship Sea-2026 (Dostluk Denizi-2026) exercise, according to remarks carried by the Demirören News Agency (DHA) and Daily Sabah and Türkiye newspaper.

What Admiral Tatlıoğlu said

“We aim to take our defence industry cooperation in the maritime domain to a more advanced level and carry out joint shipbuilding activities with Egypt, similar to the cooperation we have established with Pakistan under the MILGEM project,” Tatlıoğlu said, as quoted by DHA.

He said Türkiye produces its own guided munitions, torpedoes and naval mines, and that the Turkish Navy is “working with the Egyptian Navy on the joint use of these weapons systems”. He added that Turkish sailors are sharing their mine-warfare experience, including lessons from countering drifting mines in the Black Sea since the Russia–Ukraine war began.

This is a statement of intent by a serving commander, not an announced programme. Neither government has published an agreement, a ship class, a number of hulls, a cost or a schedule, and we found no Egyptian Navy or Egyptian Ministry of Defence statement on joint shipbuilding by the time of publication. Any figures beyond the admiral’s words would be speculation.

The Friendship Sea-2026 exercise

The Turkish Ministry of National Defence (MSB) said that Friendship Sea-2026 is being held off Alexandria from 4 to 9 November 2026, with Egypt as host, and published details of the training phase. Tatlıoğlu attended the observers’ day with Egypt’s naval commander, Vice Admiral Mahmoud Adel Fawzy, DHA reported.

According to DHA, the Turkish side sent the amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu, the frigate TCG Gaziantep, the fast attack craft TCG Meltem, three Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aircraft, two SH-70 and three AH-1W helicopters. Egypt deployed its Mistral-type amphibious ship ENS Gamal Abdel Nasser and the ships M. Fahmy, El Fateh, Fouad Zekry, El Farouk and Al-Arish. A TB3 took off from Anadolu during the day, and MKE’s PİRANA kamikaze unmanned surface vessel also took part, the admiral said.

What the MILGEM model with Pakistan looks like

The reference point is the PN MILGEM contract that Pakistan signed with ASFAT, the Turkish defence ministry’s company, in 2018. It covers four corvettes derived from the Turkish Navy’s Ada class: two built at Istanbul Naval Shipyard and two at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) under a technology-transfer arrangement. The lead ship, PNS Babur, was delivered on 23 September 2023. In a 2026 interview, ASFAT’s general manager said the two Istanbul-built ships have been delivered and work continues on the two in Karachi.

In other words, “MILGEM-style” means a Turkish design, split construction between a Turkish yard and the customer’s own yard, and training for local engineers and crews. Whether Egypt would want the same split, and which ship type, has not been said.

Egypt’s shipbuilding track record

Egypt already has experience of building modern warships at home. Under its 2014 Gowind 2500 corvette deal with France’s Naval Group, three of the four ships were assembled at Alexandria Shipyard under a technology-transfer agreement; the first locally built ship, ENS Port Said, was handed over in January 2021. The lead ship of that class, El Fateh, built in France, was one of the Egyptian vessels in this week’s exercise. Any Turkish offer would therefore compete with established French and German suppliers, and Egypt would be looking for a similar share of local work.

Industry context

Turkish–Egyptian defence ties have widened since the two countries restored full diplomatic relations. Defense and Tech has previously covered MKE’s air-defence venture linked to Egypt and HAVELSAN’s UAV agreement with Egypt’s AOI, as well as the Turkish MoD’s briefing on maritime ties with Libya and Egypt. For a wider picture of the Egyptian armed forces, see our guide how strong is Egypt’s military, and for the ships involved, our top 10 amphibious assault ships.

For Türkiye, a second MILGEM-type partner would extend a model that has already produced deliveries for Pakistan. For Egypt, the question is cost, how much is built in Alexandria, and how Turkish weapons would fit a fleet that today mixes French, German, US, Chinese and Russian systems. We will update this story if an agreement or an Egyptian statement follows.

Sources: Turkish Ministry of National Defence (X, 7 and 8 November 2026); Adm. Ercüment Tatlıoğlu’s remarks to reporters, 9 November 2026, via DHA/Daily Sabah and Türkiye newspaper; ASFAT (Defence Turkey interview, 2026); Shephard; Naval Group; Naval News.