Gabya (ex-US Oliver Hazard Perry) (Mk 13 GMLS)

The Gabya-class frigates are ex-US Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigates transferred to the Turkish Navy. These frigates are primarily designed for anti-submarine warfare and escort duties, equipped with a Mk 13 single-arm missile launcher.

Developed by the United States in the 1970s as a cost-effective solution to replace World War II-era destroyers, the Oliver Hazard Perry class was designed for open-ocean escort and sea-lane protection. Following their service in the US Navy, eight of these vessels were transferred to Turkey between 1998 and 2003, where they underwent extensive domestic modernization under the GENESIS combat management system program. In Turkish service, the frigates have been deployed in numerous international missions, including NATO's Operation Active Endeavour, counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, and maritime border patrols in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. Today, the Gabya-class remains an active and vital component of the Turkish Navy's surface fleet, though plans are underway to gradually replace them with domestically built Istanbul-class frigates.