The first Hisar-class OPV TCG Akhisar during sea trials (ASFAT photo)
A Defense News story, “Romania to boost its Black Sea fleet with Turkish-made patrol ship,” prompted me to look up the Hisar class OPV.
ASFAT full armament configuration of the Hisar-class Offshore Patrol Vessel on display at the IDEF25 defence exhibition held in Istanbul. The full armament loadout option for the Hisar-class OPVs includes the addition of eight MİDLAS vertical launch cells, Atmaca anti-ship missiles, and ROKETSAN ASW rocket launcher.
Seeing the model above, ships of this class potentially make pretty good warships, but that should not be too surprising since they are mildly modified versions of Ada class corvettes, using a more efficient but less powerful CODELOD (Combined Diesel-Electric or Diesel) power plant that increased endurance 50%.
I admit a bit of prejudice in favor of this class because of its length. They are 327s. I still have great affection for the 327 I served on. It also looks like it would make a great “Cutter X” my proposal for a true WMEC replacement to be built in greater numbers in lieu of some OPCs.
This class is what I would call a prototyptical modern OPV–medium size (close to 100 meters in length overall), efficient propulsion, moderately fast, helicopter and UAS hangar and flight deck, crew of less than 100, and the ability to function as an escort in wartime.
Specifications:
- Overall length: 99.56 m (326 ft 8 in)
- Beam: 14.42 m (47 ft 4 in)
- Draft: 3.77 m (12 ft 4 in)
- Maximum speed: 24 knots
- Displacement: 2300 tons
The Coast Guard definitely needs more large patrol cutter. I would say at least 45. I still think substituting a greater number of cutter X for a smaller number of OPCs is a better idea than the program of record, but given the Navy’s decision to build frigates based on the NSC, I now favor building frigates for the Coast Guard as well. This would require accepting both that that the Coast Guard needs more than 35 large patrol cutters and that the frigates will cost more than OPCs. The payoff would be a more capable Coast Guard whether we are at peace or at war.
It might not add much to the total US budget. To some extent, if the Coast Guard has frigates, the Navy might not need as many.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
I like it. Why is it that only foreign countries can do this?
We could do it. Usually the weapons and frequently the sensors are made in the US or are in the US inventory. Türkiye has been pushing their indigenous industries so they are an exception.
Now that the navy grabbed the design, I bet its a long line to get it back. It might work out to replace the existing NSCs with the end of the line frigates in the future.
I wonder if we can get that as our OPV and have it built in America. Do it the same way we did to the FRC’s. Buy the Blueprints and bid the work out to shipyards to build based on the blueprints. Reward them if they build it on time and on budget.