Turkey to Buy 6 Subs in $4B Joint Venture Deal

Turkey to Buy 6 Subs in $4B Joint Venture Deal 22 July, 2008: ANKARA, Turkey - A joint venture led by German company HDW is set to build six submarines for the Turkish navy worth 2.5 billion euros (3.98 billion dollars), Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said July 22. HDW and its partner, Britain-based Marine Force International, will build the type-214 air-independent submarines at the Golcuk shipyard near Istanbul, Gonul said after a defense industry meeting chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Two other companies - DCNS of France and Spain's Navantia SA - had competed for the contract. The first vessel is planned to be operational in 2015.