While making a presentation on National Defence Ministry’s budget for year 2014 at Turkish Grand National Assembly’s (TBMM) Planning and Budget Commission, İsmet Yılmaz gave significant information about Undersecretariat for Defence Industries’ ongoing defence projects to the members of the Commission. Yılmaz underlined the importance of the region, where Turkey is located at, in the first part of his presentation. Yılmaz stated that Turkey, being in the center of where Balkans, Caucasia and Middle East coincide, is in such a region that is important as well as unstable and insecure and therefore Turkey’s needs for security should be diversified and her armed forces’ capacity and capabilities should be developed due to the regional instabilities. Yılmaz underlined that defence policy’s primary goal is to protect the national independency, sovereignty, territorial integrity and rights and interests of a country and that Turkey was improving her international relations both bilaterally and multilaterally with the NATO, EU and UN in terms of security. Yılmaz stated that the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) was continuing its operations in order to support peace in Afghanistan, Kosovo and the Mediterranean and in Bosnia-Herzegovina under EU’s guidance and that it provided support to the marine operations against piracy in Gulf of Aden and Somalia as a member of UN and NATO.

İsmet Yılmaz: “Our export shall be 2 billion US Dollars in 2016”

Minister Yılmaz mentioned that the Turkish defence industry reached a level to accomplish design and production in vital projects that require advanced technology for battleships, main battle tanks, attack and reconnaissance helicopter, unmanned aerial vehicle, satellite and guided missiles, and continued “Our target for the upcoming period is to enter the world defence league’s top ten. Our vision is that by 2016, which is also the end of Undersecretariat for Defence Industry’s second strategic plan, the defence and aviation industry’s export would amount to 2 billion US Dollars and the sector’s turnover would increase to 8 billion US Dollars”. 

TSK to Purchase 312 More MRAP “Kirpi”

Minister of National Defence İsmet Yılmaz presented information on the significant ongoing defence projects and said “Altay Main Battle Tank’s critic design process has been accomplished this year and production of 2 final prototypes started. These prototypes shall go through verification test process and an intensive test procedure on Altay tank will take place during years 2014-2015. Following this test procedure, Altay tank’s serial production is anticipated to start in 2016 and the tank shall then begin serving in the Turkish Armed Forces”.

Minister told that within the scope of Mine-Protected Armored Personnel Carrier “Kirpi” Project, which came to a standstill due to financial issues that BMC has been going through, 293 out of 468 vehicles were accepted and for the purchase of 312 additional vehicles, a contract was supposed to be signed following the TMSF (Saving Deposits Insurance Fund) procedure.  

Yılmaz: Tests of Coast Guard Command’s (SGK) Research and Rescue Vessel “TCSG “Güven” Completed, Delivery is Soon”

National Defence Minister Yılmaz reminded that TCG Heybeliada - the first vessel of Turkey’s MILGEM Project of which the design and production are realized through national resources and maximum domestic contribution- entered into Navy’s inventory. He told that following this, the second vessel TCG Büyükada started operating in 2013 and stated that the construction of the third vessel of the Project TCG Burgazada started. 

Yılmaz mentioned that the delivery of Research and Rescue Vessels TCSG Dost and TCSG Umut Vessels, constructed by RMK Marine in order to meet the needs of Coast Guard Command, was accomplished and as the tests of third vessel TCSG Güven are complete, they are expecting the delivery before the end of this year. 

İsmet Yılmaz gave detailed information about the current defence projects to the members of TBMM Planning and Budget Commission and expressed that so far 3 Coast Guard Surveillance Aircrafts were delivered to the Coast Guard Command within the scope of the Maritime Patrol and Coast Guard Aircrafts Project. Yılmaz added that the first maritime patrol aircraft’s final acceptance was successfully completed and that it was delivered to the Naval Forces Command within the framework of the Project. Yılmaz mentioned that testing of the second maritime patrol aircraft started and he added that the deliveries would be accomplished by the first quarter of 2014 which is also the anniversary of the naval aeronautics. 

ANKA’s Task-Flight in Batman

Yılmaz stated that 164 unmanned aircrafts and 4 unmanned helicopters entered into the Turkish Armed Forces’ inventory within the scope of the Forces’ needs of unmanned air system and added that 10 mini UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) were exported to Qatar. Yılmaz mentioned that a contract for the purchase of 10 Anka systems for covering the demands of Air Forces was signed in October with TAI and that the mass production would be starting soon. Yılmaz presented significant information on Anka to the members of the Commission. Yılmaz told that the first Anka system was used in a military exercise in Konya and the second aircraft started its task flights in Batman.

Yılmaz: Attack Early Delivery Helicopter’s Acceptance Procedure Continues

National Defence Minister İsmet Yılmaz explained that within the scope of Attack Tactical Reconnaissance Helicopter Project /T129, out of 13 Early Delivery Helicopters (EDH) that are to be purchased within the context of urgent need, 4 of them were completely produced and stated that their acceptance procedure continued. Yılmaz stated that they launched the Indigenous Helicopter Program in order to cover Turkey’s continuous demand of helicopters through indigenous products by establishing a sustainable helicopter industry as well as meeting the needs of Turkish Armed Forces’ and other institution and associations’ light-weight general purpose helicopters and said, “Within this scope, the helicopters designed with national resources shall be used in light-weight general purposes, pilot training, ambulance, border security, research and rescue, security and reconnaissance. Thus, we aim to meet the demands of both our country and other countries in the region”.

UMTAS to contribute greatly to TSK’s firepower

İsmet Yılmaz mentioned that final qualification phase of the missiles developed as one of the main ammunitions of T-129  helicopter within the scope of Long-Range Antitank Missile Project was reached and added that being the modern tanks’ nightmare around the World with its armour piercing cap, UMTAS would contribute greatly to TSK’s firepower. Yılmaz added that mass production of Howitzer and Rocket systems with a range of 40 km or longer ranges equipped with advanced technology started and that Laser Guided Missile Cirit entered into TAF’s inventory and added that its first export was realized to United Arab Emirates. Yılmaz also expressed that it was decided to start contract negotiations with a Chinese company on Long Ranged Regional Air and Missile Defence System Project and that the negotiations started. Minister Yılmaz reminded that Göktürk-2 satellite was launched in China and stated that final integration of Göktürk-1 satellite would be completed in a satellite installation and integration facility established in Turkey in 2014 and that the satellite is aimed to be launched in 2015 and continued, “Studies for the development of a surveillance satellite based on radar technologies using national resources were started and Göktürk-3 radar surveillance satellite is aimed to be launched in 2019”.

Modern Infantry Rifle’s Mass Production Begins in 2014

Yılmaz mentioned that the product qualification phase of the Modern Infantry Rifle Project was accomplished and that the mass production and deliveries were to start in 2014 and emphasized that in this way TAF would have new generation, modern infantry rifles of advanced technology. 

Resources Allocated for 27 R&D Modernization Projects

Yılmaz mentioned that the R&D activities required for the domestic production of warfare weaponry and equipment were being executed by the R&D and Technology Department of the Ministry of Defence and added, “Between 2014-2016, 27 modernization based R&D projects are to be covered through national budget, 45 TUBITAK supported Defence and Aerospace projects that are to be covered with the budget of TUBITAK are being jointly conducted by universities and industrial associations extending to years”.

Yılmaz also gave information on the Defence and Aviation Industry Cluster Project and told that studies for the establishment of a qualified organized industrial zone in Kazan province of Ankara, in which the local and companies shall exist, are continuing and added that another facility in Gölbaşı - Ankara is being constructed for the production of advance technology radar and electronic warfare technologies. 

41% of National Defence Ministry’s Budget is Composed of Goods and Services Purchase 

İsmet Yılmaz explained the budget proposal for year 2014 to TBMM’s Budget and Planning Commission Members and continued, “We proposed the budget of Ministry of National Defence for 2014 as 21 billion, 815 million and 196 thousand liras. 48 percent of this figure is allocated to personnel expenses, 9 percent to SGK for public premium expenditure, 41 percent to goods and services purchase expenses, 1 percent to transfers in effect and the  remaining 1 percent to capital expenses. Within the scope of purchase of goods and services, 8 billion 947 million and 712 thousand liras are allocated to TAF personnel’s basic rations such as accommodation, nutrition and clothing determined by the laws and goods and services purchases of fuel, carrying, and transportation and Strategic Target Plan for 2014’s program modernization needs”.