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An Overview of Fixed Wing Air Platform Procurement & Modernization Programs of the Turkish Air Force

Established in 1911 and entered the jet age with the receipt of F-84s in 1951, the Turkish Air Force (TurAF) has a long histroy of action that has defined a nation’s perseverance, courage and continuity. Continues its modernization efforts with the aim of becoming the Most Powerful Air and Space Force in the Region, TurAF currently has some 250 3rd and 4th Generation Combat Aircraft in its inventory including 234 F-16C/Ds including (35 x Block 30Ms receiving comprehensive indigenous avionics suit under ÖZGÜR I/II Projects and structural upgrade, 170 x Block 40Ms and Block 50Ms and 29 x Blok 50+s) and less than 20 F-4E 2020s (which are expected to remain in service until 2025).

Date: Issue 132 - July 2024

TurAF also operates some 170 Trainers (including 68 T-38M jet trainers, 13 NF-5A/B 2000s [to be replaced with HÜRJETs, deliveries of the first batch of 14 HÜRJETs to the TurAF will be launched during the first half of 2025] in the Turkish Stars Acroteam inventory, 39 KT-1Ts, around 20 SF-260Ds [being replaced with Super Mushshaks], 10+ Super Mushshak IIBs (in total 52 aircraft ordered under a contract signed with PAC [Pakistan Aeronautical Complex] and less than 20 T-41Ds), and around 90 Transport/Support aircraft (including 10 A400Ms [procurement of 6 more is under negotiations], 4 E-7T AEW&C aircraft [being upgraded with ASELSAN’s ESM/ELINT System, that replaced EL/L-8382. Test flight of the first modernized E-7T conducted in June 2024. E-7T fleet will also receive comprehensive modernization in coming years. For this purpose a feasibility study covering both hardware and software on the E-7Ts has been conducted under TUSAŞ coordination and with participation of ASELSAN, HAVELSAN and Turkish Technic in 2023], 19 C-130B/E Hercules [6 Bs and 13 Es, undergoing avionics upgrades under the ERCİYES Project,  + 12 C-130J Super Hercules will be procured from RAF stocks], 1 C-160D Transall, 49 CN235-100Ms [receiving avionics upgrade, 45 in Transport/Air Ambulance/Training role, 3 in SIGINT/ELINT configuration and 1 in Open Skies Agreement (ASA) configuration], and 7 KC-135R Stratotankers [recently upgraded to Block 45.1 level in the USA under a FMS contract]).

The TurAF’s 234 F-16C/D fighters are currently operated by 8 different Squadrons (113th, 401st, 132nd, 151st, 152nd, 161st, 181st and 193rd) deployed at 7 different air bases (Eskisehir 1st MJB, Konya 3rd MJB, Merzifon 5th MJB, Bandırma 6th MJB, Diyarbakır 8th MJB, Balıkesir 9th MJB and İncirlik (Adana) 10th MJB) around Türkiye. Most of them have been modernized to the latest Block 50+ standards under the PO-III and F-16 MSM/CCIP Programs. The F-16C/D Fighting Falcon combat aircraft, that forms the backbone of the TurAF’s airpower, will be deactivated from service starting from mid 2030s and is to be replaced by Türkiye’s next generation KAAN National Combat Aircraft (abbreviated as MMU in Turkish), also known as TF-X. The 5th Generation KAAN TF-X/MMU will replace both the F-4E 2020 Phantom II all-weather fighter-bombers serving at the 111th Squadron that belong to the 1st Main Jet Base (MJB) Command located in Eskisehir and F-16C/D Fighting Falcon combat aircraft currently in the service of the TurAF during the first quarter of the 2030s.