Turkey Havelsan to Upgrade the Classic FFG Oliver Hazard Perry for Modern Combat

The Oliver Hazard Perry guided missile frigates are one of the most numerous warships classes built since World War II. The first ships entered service in the 1980s, but many still serve under the flags of other nations, all of whom are intensely interested in keeping these vintage ships as effective as possible.
With the last of the ships scheduled to leave US service by the fall of 2015, even more Perrys—FFGs, or “figs”will become available for foreign transfer and in need of upgrades.
At the forefront of the FFG modernization effort is Havelsan. The Turkish electronics and systems development firm is upgrading all eight of Turkey’s ex-US Navy FFGs, and is seeking to sell its combat system expertise to other countries operating similar ships.
Havelsan has a tentative agreement to upgrade Bahrain’s single FFG.
Havelsan,also has surveyed the Pakistani Alamgir, the country’s lone FFG, and the company has a contingency agreement with Pakistan to upgrade the ships should more frigates be transferred.
The company also has held talks with FFG operators Poland and Thailand.
Havelsan’s FFG upgrade program is marketed as the Genesis Combat Management System. The upgrades include not only sensors but also weapons.
All eight of Turkey’s frigates were upgraded by 2012 with the Genesis systems, but replacement of the air search radars has not been completed.
Genesis can handle more upgrades, including installation of the Phalanx Block 1 close-in weapon system; integration of Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) or SeaRAM systems.
Other systems that can be installed or integrated with the Genesis system are Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles, 40mm guns and new 76mm guns.
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