"Jordanian Navy Commander Colonel Hisham Khaleel Al-Jarrah and ASFAT General Manager Prof. Dr. Mustafa İlbaş signed the contract on 12 February 2026, with Istanbul Shipyard Commander Rear Admiral Recep Erdinç Yetkin attending."
Contract signing and exhibition context
The formal contract for five boats between Türkiye’s Military Factory and Shipyard Management Inc. (ASFAT) and the Royal Jordanian Naval Force was signed on 12 February 2026. ASFAT is carrying out the Jordanian work at its İzmir facility. The procurement was publicly noted as Jordan hosted the Special Operations Forces Exhibition and Conference (SOFEX) 2026 in Aqaba; SOFEX opened on 27 October with 38 countries and 350 companies taking part, providing the backdrop for announcing the delivery schedule into 2027.
The boats ordered: four patrol KN-43s and one KN-43 SAR
ASFAT will deliver four ASBOT KN-43 patrol boats and one KN-43 configured for search and rescue (SAR) to the Royal Jordanian Naval Force in 2027. All five boats are built on a stretched ASBOT design: Jordan’s requirement increased hull length from the ASBOT baseline of 10.2 meters to a 13-meter hull. Both KN-43 configurations ordered by Jordan share that 13-meter hull form; one of the five units will be fitted out specifically for SAR missions.
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End the scrambleThe ASBOT baseline and the design change to KN-43
For reference, ASFAT’s baseline ASBOT — the KN-35 — measures 10.2 meters by 3.2 meters. The standard KN-35 uses a twin-step planing hull built by composite vacuum infusion, is classed by Turkish Lloyd, and is propelled by twin 250 hp outboard engines capable of reaching 40 knots. Its stated range is 80 nautical miles at maximum speed and 120 nautical miles at economic speed. Jordan’s KN-43s are a stretched variant that retains the ASBOT lineage while requiring new production tooling to accommodate the longer 13-meter hull.
Production timetable, tooling, and delivery sequencing
ASFAT expects production of the new moulds needed for the 13-meter hull to take about eight months. Once tooling is complete, deliveries are planned in two batches — a first batch of three boats and a second batch of two — spaced at intervals of about 40 days, with the company committing to hand over all five units within a 12-month window. ASFAT’s schedule anticipates the first Jordanian KN-43s arriving in 2027 after mould completion and initiation of the first three-boat batch; the SAR-configured boat is included among the five units to be delivered within that 12-month period.
ASFAT’s capacity and the significance of the 13-meter moulds
ASFAT, which is affiliated with Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defence, has built roughly 30 ASBOTs for various customers to date. According to the published schedule, the Jordanian order represents the first use of ASFAT’s new 13-meter moulds, signaling a design extension beyond the company’s prior deliveries. All Jordanian boats are under construction at ASFAT’s İzmir facilities.
What this means for the Royal Jordanian Naval Force, ASFAT, and regional coastal security
- Royal Jordanian Naval Force: The five KN-43s — including a dedicated SAR boat — are intended to improve coastal security and patrol capabilities, expanding the navy’s capacity for routine patrols and search-and-rescue tasks along Jordan’s maritime approaches.
- ASFAT and Türkiye’s defence sector: Delivering a first-of-type 13-meter ASBOT variant requires new moulds and a compressed production schedule (eight months tooling, then two batches within a 12-month handover window), testing ASFAT’s production planning and İzmir facility throughput.
- Regional coastal security planners: The arrival of four patrol boats and a SAR unit in 2027 will change force composition along Jordan’s coast; the vehicles’ stated endurance and speed characteristics (as derived from the ASBOT baseline) provide a clearer picture of operational reach once the stretched hull is fielded.
The Jordanian contract ties a specific technical change — stretching the ASBOT to a 13-meter KN-43 — to a tightly framed production timeline: roughly eight months to build the new moulds, then two short delivery batches spaced by around 40 days, with all five boats to be handed over within a year. The first units are due in 2027 once ASFAT completes tooling and starts the three-boat batch, with the SAR-equipped KN-43 included among the deliveries. The next factual milestone to watch is the completion of the 13-meter moulds at ASFAT’s İzmir facility and the launch of the first production batch.
