Turkey’s Future Nuclear Submarine Initiative – NUKDEN
Turkey’s Navy has officially announced its nuclear submarine program at the 12th Naval Systems Seminar in Istanbul on May 27, 2025. Rear Admiral Timur Yılmaz (Commander of the Submarine Fleet) confirmed the name NUKDEN and shared initial program details. This initiative follows Turkey’s existing national submarine project (MİLDEN) and signifies a strategic advancement toward nuclear propulsion. According to Yılmaz, integrating the MİLDEN program with NUKDEN will elevate the Navy’s deterrence and mobility to a new level. He stressed that the country’s security, deterrence posture, and support for its future aircraft carrier task groups make a nuclear-powered submarine indispensable.
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Nuclear power provides submarines with unique strategic advantages. They can remain submerged for months without refueling. It significantly extends the reach and endurance of naval task forces. The silent, deep-diving nuclear vessels create an invisible protective barrier that keeps enemies uncertain and under pressure. Equipped with modern cruise missiles and torpedoes, they can strike accurately and become a cornerstone of deterrence and operational depth. This submarine supports Turkey’s “blue homeland” doctrine and could maintain a presence in distant waters like the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. NUKDEN also represents strategic autonomy. Turkey seeks to decrease dependence on foreign suppliers and develop homegrown expertise by creating its own reactor and submarine technologies from the ground up. In the global landscape, only a handful of major powers operate nuclear submarines, and Turkey’s initiative aligns with a trend among advanced navies to enhance undersea deterrence. Turkish leaders view nuclear submarines as essential to becoming a middle-tier power with global influence and a robust deterrence posture.
Technically, many details are still under development. The type of reactor has not been finalized, although earlier studies indicated a compact molten-salt design suitable for submarine applications. Experts observe that a conventional submarine typically takes about 8–10 years from design to delivery, suggesting that a nuclear project will require a longer timeline. Turkey is planning NUKDEN as a “post-MILDEN” program. Since MİLDEN’s first vessel is projected for delivery around 2031, NUKDEN will likely follow in later phases. No official timeline has been disclosed, but this long-term initiative is considered vital for Turkey’s strategic deterrence and blue-water capabilities.