Name MTA Turkuaz Commissioned 2016 (planned) Launched 28 March 2015 | Ordered April 24, 2012 Homeport Istanbul, Turkey Length 86 m | |
Owner General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) Operator Geophysical Directorate for Subsea Geophysical Exploration Builders Istanbul Shipyard, Tuzla, Istanbul | ||
The RV MTA Turkuaz is a Turkish research and survey vessel owned by the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) in Ankara and will be operated in deep waters by its division of Geophysical Directorate for Subsea Geophysical Exploration. Commissioning of the research vessel is planned for 2016.
The research vessel was ordered by Defence Industry Undersecretariate at Ministry of National Defence on April 24, 2012. She was entirely designed in SEFT Ship Design Co. by Turkish engineers, and built at Istanbul Shipyard in Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey as the first-of-its-kind. She was launched on March 28, 2015. She will conduct a wide variety of research work including oceanography, hydrography, bathymetry, undersea geology, earthquake engineering, climate change, marine pollution, ecological research and undersea engineering in addition to geophysics for oil and gas exploration. The vessel cost around 300 million (approximately US$115 million).
It is projected that the vessel will be in use for at least 30 years.
Characteristics
The RV MTA Turkuaz, a great ocean-going and arctic-fit vessel, is 86 m (282 ft 2 in) long, with a beam of 23 m (75 ft 6 in). Assessed at 5,000 GT and 1,500 NRT, she has a speed of 14 knots (26 km/h) in service and 4.86 knots (9.00 km/h) during research work.
She will be fitted with two- and three-dimensional undersea survey equipment and a remotely operated multipurpose underwater vehicle (ROV). She provides a landing platform capable of supporting the day-and-night operation of a 12-tonne helicopter. 50 personnel including researchers will be on board of the ship, which has an autonomous endurance of 35 days.
Turkish defense electronic systems producing company Aselsan delivers all the technical and electronic equipment needed for the navigation of the vessel and for the scientific research and survey work, such as the cruise control (navigation) system, the integrated communication system, the oceanographic research systems, the 2D/3D marine seismic survey system and the geological research systems.
