DEFENCE TURKEY 52 ISSUE 67/2016 Ares Shipyard - Tailor Made Solutions – Guided and Motivated by Customers Ares Shipyard is the largest composite vessel manufacturer in Turkey and Europe - among the largest in the world, having delivered over 100 vessels across the globe. CEO & General Manager of Ares Shipyard Mr. Kerim Kalafatoğlu shared us about structure of shipyard, design and production capabilities; export strategies and much more for our readers. © Defence Turkey ISSUE 67/2016 53 DEFENCE TURKEY Defence Turkey: Mr. Kalafatoğlu, Customs Service and 3-off coast recognized companies with very high first of all, thank you for making time guard boats to Turkish Republic credibility and realized, proven design to talk with us. Can you briefly tell of Northern Cyprus Coast Guard solutions. Our design team has been us about Ares Shipyard’s company Command. We have gone through the working with these companies. personnel structure, the scope and design studies and begun production Once anyone views our product a bit about the product range? phase of 17-off fast coast guard range, it is our distinctive design Ares is based in Antalya Free boats for Qatar Ministry of Interior. solutions that excite his attention. Zone with approximately 20.000 In addition to our production Young Turkish engineers have been m² enclosed production area. Our work in accordance with our ongoing realizing these design solutions at company is a distinguished shipyard contracts, we participated in several Ares. We are continuously improving among its competitors in shipbuilding international tenders. We proposed our design solutions with the effort sector using advanced design and very distinctive and attractive models and goal of increased availability production technologies, bracing up in these tenders. And in 2016, we are through our strategic partnerships. from the unity of experience with a expecting to receive positive results Cost efficiency is one of young and ambitious team. of these studies carried out in the our main goals in every project Being a shipyard, our main past year. that we carry out. Likewise, life distinction among other shipyards Defence Turkey: Mr. Kalafatoğlu, cycle cost is the focus point of beyond shipbuilding is that we despite the many manufacturers the customers especially for the have a full authorized and quality- in the market, you do not offer any military and paramilitary entities. It certified Integrated Logistics Support commercial ‘off the shelf’ commercial is also essential for us to be on the Department. We do not end up our products. With this approach, what same target with our customers, relationship with our customers with type of advantages does it bring to as a shipyard-producing customer the delivery process. We always take you in the market? focused solutions. life cycle support into consideration As Ares, our conception has Nevertheless, we have new design beginning from the concept design always been the same from the very solutions brought to concept design phase and make life cycle cost first day of our establishment. And we phase with our strategic partners for predictions. We prepare maintenance have defined this conception of ours any possible urgent needs and boat plans for the products we deliver. as “tailor made solutions”. Ares is requests and we keep adding new We produce technical manuals a company which always listens to ones to our product range every day. including operation and maintenance its customers as a priority. We are a Thus, we are able to respond almost in desired language and under company valuing the requests of our every kind of boat requirements from requested specifications. We make customers. We are willing to let our any sector in a very short while. all necessary plans for the vessels we customers guide and motive us. We Defence Turkey: Mr. Kalafatoğlu, build, in order to fulfill the customer’s want them to expand our horizon. for the Qatar Ministry of Interior, requirements and to have them We do not dictate commercial off your production work continues for maintain the platforms with minimum the shelf products, instead we have the supply of the needs of the Coast possible cost. lots of solutions to offer to our valued Guard Command, within the scope Our fields of activity and target customers. I think this is the point are 3 different configurations, and a markets include domestic and foreign we differ from others in the sector. total of 17 Guard Coast Guard boats. government entities and private & And this is what positions us at a How is the process progressing semi-private enterprises. distinguished and advantageous under this program? What would Our product range consists of point in the competitive market. you like to say about the production naval craft, patrol craft, utility & As a matter of course, producing process and deliveries? support craft, passenger craft and customer focused solutions require First of all, I’d like to state that, pleasure craft. a chain of labor-intensive design this project is the largest naval craft Concordantly our personnel activities. However, our goal is export engagement accomplished structure is formed with a young, to keep on creating the best-fit with a single contract by Turkish ambitious, and inquisitive engineering solutions to our customers and Republic. team, experienced managers and pursue this strategy with our young Production has been going practical blue-collar employees in and ambitious design team. on at full steam for the 17-off order to support our competitive Defence Turkey: Ares Shipyard Hercules Series coast guard boats ingenious products. has a strategic partnership with under 3 models with 24m, 34m Besides, we have been carrying design offices such as Roll-Royce and 48m length for the Qatar out studies on establishment of a and BMT Nigel Gee. What type of Coast Guard Command. I can new R&D Department in the medium support do you receive from these clearly and proudly say that we term. companies? Will you be working on are ahead of our production and Defence Turkey: Looking back a new concept to meet immediate delivery schedule requested by the upon last year, how was the year for needs, with low cost but high customer. Production activities have Ares Shipyard? effectiveness and usability, in the recently been inspected by a Qatari 2015 was quite busy and alive upcoming period, as a reflection of committee on-site in February 2016. with projects and deliveries for Ares. this strategic partnership? The undersecretary level visit and I’d like to state that we worked Rolls Royce and BMT Nigel Gee inspection resulted highly satisfactory indefatigably in 2015. We delivered are two of our international strategic and successful on behalf of Ares. 2-off fast patrol boats to Nigeria partners. They are worldwide well- On the other hand, we have been DEFENCE TURKEY 54 ISSUE 67/2016 working on the training courses package? On the other hand, of engineers and technicians. Our and specific documentation to be regarding boat maintenance and the team has been carrying out planned delivered to the Qatar Coast Guard repair process, what type of activity and periodic maintenance tasks Command personnel following the or movement has there been related systematically based on maintenance shipment of the boats. In the scope to negotiations for an integrated plans. Besides, we have the of this revolutionary project in the logistics support package? capability to intervene in the possible Turkish shipbuilding industry, our In accordance with the contract failures or incidents in timely manner prospective accomplishment and signed with the Qatar Ministry of to decrease down times of the fleet. the achieved level of our country will Interior, operator and maintenance We have been in intensive strengthen us even more in terms of trainings will be provided to the Qatar preparatory work for the prospective product and services export. Coast Guard personnel by our training maintenance contract beginning Defence Turkey: You have branch under Ares ILS Department from the enforcement date of the selected Aselsan for weapons beginning with the delivery process shipbuilding contract with Qatar systems to be integrated into of the boats. Our ILS Department Coast Guard Command. We are these boats and signed a definitive and training team consists mostly aiming to deliver the boats together agreement with Aselsan in October, of former Navy officers, stationed in with distinctive ILS packages and to 2015. Within the scope of the the various naval craft and shipyards, state that we are ready to provide program, which configuration quite familiar with the international logistics support to our customer. and which weapons systems will navy culture and deeply experienced Defence Turkey: Mr. Kalafatoğlu, be integrated. Can you provide in their fields. I can conveniently say countries such as Qatar, Bahrain information about the delivery that the only ILS department which is and Nigeria have selected you to process? able to cover all requirements among meet their needs for fast patrol boats We signed a memorandum of other shipyards in this field is here at and recently you’ve successfully understanding with worldwide- Ares. It is officially registered with ISO delivered these fast patrol boats to recognized Turkish defense 9001 by Turkish Lloyd. I can clearly these countries. Ares class fast patrol contractor Aselsan for 30mm state that we are in competition with boats are seeing a strong demand MUHAFIZ and 12,7mm STAMP worldwide-recognized corporate in the domestic and international weapon systems to be installed on shipyards in terms of ILS services. markets. With this success, other the boats. The weapon systems We had made an 8-off Ares 17 than using high-tech production will be installed on boats here at CF Catamaran Ferries sale back in methods, do you have a strategy on Ares.