October 5, 2011: The first of twelve Turkish designed and built corvettes entered service on October 4th. While once a major builder and designer of warships, Turkey fell behind in the 19^th century. Now it is catching up, and these are the first modern warships designed and built in Turkey, using largely Turkish made components. These Heybeliada class corvettes are 2,300 ton ships. The Heybeliadas are 105 meters (325 feet) long and have a crew of 93. Weapons include a 76mm gun, eight Harpoon anti-ship missiles, 21 RAM missiles for use against aircraft and anti-ship missiles, two torpedo tubes, two 12.7mm machine-guns and a helicopter. Electronics include radar, sonar and electronic warfare gear. Top speed is 52 kilometers an hour and endurance is about 21 days. The entire class won't be completed until 2028, and four of the later ones will be slightly larger, armed with more anti-aircraft weapons and probably classed as frigates. The first eight will spend most of their time performing coast guard duties.