ANKARA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye has started construction for its first "fully indigenous" submarine MILDEN, marking a significant milestone in the country's expanding defense industry, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
Defense Ministry Spokesperson Zeki Akturk told reporters at a press briefing in Ankara that "construction of the first test block" of the national submarine has begun at the Golcuk Naval Shipyard Command in southwestern Türkiye.
Last week, Türkiye announced that contractors had begun construction of the domestically produced TF-2000 naval air defense destroyer, which will be a key component of the country's planned "Steel Dome" multi-layered air defense system.
Akturk noted that Türkiye's state-owned Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE) has, for the first time, been included in the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's list of the world's top 100 defense companies. ■
