Turkey's Dearsan Shipyard Secures Contract to Supply Qatar with Fast Attack Craft

Qatar's Ministry of Defense inked a deal on Tuesday with the Turkish company Dearsan Shipyard for the acquisition of two FAC 50 fast attack craft.

The vessels are designated for deployment within the Qatar Emirates Naval Forces.

The signing ceremony at DIMDEX-2024 exhibition in Doha witnessed the presence of Major General Abdullah bin Hassan Al SULAİTİ, Commander of the Qatar Navy, Prof. Dr. Haluk GÖRGÜN, President of the Turkish Defense Agency (SSB), and Mr. Aziz YILDIRIM, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

The vessels are designed for Asymmetric Warfare, Patrol Missions, Protection of Territorial Waters, Anti-Piracy, Reconnaissance and Surveillance, Search and Rescue, Disaster Relief Operations, Border Control, Base and Port Security. They will be equipped with weapon systems for Surface Warfare, Air Defense Warfare, and Asymmetric Warfare.

The FAC50 is a 43-meter fast attack craft boasting a 9.2-meter beam and a 2-meter draught. While the original model measures 50 meters in length and displaces around 320 tonnes, the final calculations for the QENF vessel are still in progress during the design phase. The hull is constructed from steel, with the superstructure made of aluminum.

Fitted with indigenous weapons and sensors, excluding Leonardo’s 40 mm gun, the FAC50 will be armed with Roketsan-made ÇAKIR missiles for anti-surface warfare and Sungur missiles for Anti-Air Warfare. The vessel will also feature two Aselsan-STAMP remote weapon stations and two 12.7 man-operated machine guns.

The sensor suite includes Aselsan-made MAR-D surface and air surveillance radar, a low probability of intercept (LPI) navigation radar, electro-optical sensor, and an electronic support system.

The Dearsan FAC50’s propulsion system consists of three diesel engines and three waterjets, providing the boat with a speed exceeding 36 knots.