The British naval attache to the Ottoman Empire at the time estimated that the Imperial Arsenal would take six months to get just five of the ironclads ready to go to sea. Throughout this period, the ship's crew was limited to about one-third the normal figure.
According to the British naval attaché in the Ottoman Empire at the time, it would take approximately six months for the Imperial Arsenal to get only a handful of the ironclads seaworthy. Meanwhile, the crew was significantly scaled down to roughly one-third of its typical strength.