Maritime Patrol Aircrafts in Service

Commander of the Turkish Naval Forces Admiral Bülent Bostanoğlu, Commander of the Fleet Vice-Admiral Veysel Kösele, Undersecretary for Defence Industries Prof. İsmail  Demir, Head of Fixed-Wing Platforms Department at the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) Murat Ceran, Governor Ercan Topaca, Metropolitan Municipality Mayor İbrahim Karaosmanoğlu and a great number of civil and military representatives participated in the ceremony hosted by Commander of the Maritime Air Rear Admiral Hakan Üstem held at Cengiz Topel Naval Airbase.

6 ATR-72-600 within the scope of Meltem-III program will enter into the inventory by 2017

In his speech at the ceremony, Commander of the Naval Forces Bülent Bostanoğlu stated that they have successfully received the delivery of maritime patrol aircrafts since 2002 and added that Turkish naval aeronautics gained impetus in maritime patrol aircrafts through this project. Bostanoğlu said, “Turkish naval aeronautics will become a prominent and efficient naval force in its region and in all over the world with the addition of 6 ATR-72 maritime patrol aircrafts that will be entering into the inventory as of 2017 according to Meltem-III Project and 6 Utility Helicopters that will be operating in 2018 within the scope of the Utility Helicopter Project. Moreover, we started to fulfill the operative and tactical level personnel and equipment transfer tasks required by our naval forces with our own means for the first time with the 2 ATR-72 utility aircrafts that were put into service in 2013”

Undersecretary for Defence Industries Prof. İsmail Demir mentioned that Meltem-II Project gained Turkey significant advantages in respect of operations, international cooperation and defence industry. Demir added that operational capacity and deterrence of Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) will be increasing with the improved radar, electronic warfare and weapon systems of this maritime patrol aircraft and added that Turkey would thus continue to be an element of stability for regional peace.  

35% Local Content Rate

Meltem-II Project was directly procured but Turkish Defence Industry’s active participation stands out in the development activities. The local content rate reaches up to the level of 35% in the program. Havelsan, TAI, Aselsan and MilSOFT companies were assigned as subcontractors within the scope of the Project. Havelsan is responsible for the development of the Aircraft’s Tactical Command System software, modification of certain software developed by Thales Company, integration activities and participation in test and evaluation activities, development of the Tactical Command Information System for Ground Stations, participation in all integration activities as well as test and evaluation activities, accomplishment of the Technology Transfer identified by the contract and provision of support in life-long sustainment, operation, maintenance and repair activities of the systems following the guarantee period. TAI accomplished the modification of all aircrafts by transforming 9 CASA CN235-100M aircrafts to 6 Maritime Patrol and 3 Maritime Surveillance Aircrafts at TAI facilities and design and production of the parts, kits and harness for such modifications. Aselsan assumed the supply of INS/GPS Systems, MXF-484 V/UHF Radios,AselFLIR 200 Systems, Self-Protection Systems, FMS and CDU Systems, IFF Responsive Systems, Cockpit Tactical Command System Information Screens. MilSOFT realized the software and integration of Tactical Data Link (L11). Thales Airborne Systems of France was in charge of supplying the task system of the aircrafts as the Main Contractor of the Project.

6th Aircraft to be delivered in June

The delivery of the Ground System related with 5 Maritime Patrol Aircrafts was accomplished in the last quarter of 2013 and first months of 2014 in line with the Project. Delivery of the 6th and last aircraft is planned to take place in June following the entry of 5th Maritime Patrol Aircraft into inventory. Moreover, delivery of 8 Maritime Patrol Task Equipment Package is accomplished simultaneously with the delivery of the aircrafts. The CN-235 Maritime Patrol Aircrafts modernized within the scope of the Project will operate at 301st Naval Air Fleet Command stationed at Cengiz Topel Naval Airbase in Kocaeli. Maritime Patrol Aircrafts manufactured at TAI facilities under the management of the main contractor French Thales company will be used in search and rescue, antisubmarine warfare, hunter killer operations and surface defencebased on the tasks assigned in Black Sea, Aegean and Mediterranean. 

Transportation Capacity of 60 “Sonobuoy”s

CN-235 Maritime Patrol Aircrafts can carry up to 60 small sized sonars named “Sonobuoy” within the scope of Antisubmarine Warfare Operations.“Sonobuoy”saredeployed to the sea from a certain distance with the help of parachutes in antisubmarine warfare operations without getting any damages. These Sonobuoys expand in the sea and the part under the water executes scanning activities using the sonar signals in order to detect the submarines. A small part of “Sonobuoy” containing the radio antenna remains over the surface and transmits the data obtained from the submarine to the aircraft. Maritime Patrol Aircrafts are able to conduct detection simultaneously by deploying several Sonobuoys in many regions depending on the type of threats and tasks. Up to 20 Smoke Markers can be carried as useful loads by the aircrafts and are deployed to the point detected with the help of Sonobuoys and thus the location bearing the threat is marked. Following this procedure the submarine is destroyed with the torpedoes deployed through the underwater weapon system containing explosive warhead propulsion system situated under the wings of the Maritime Patrol aircraft. The CN-235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft also contains the FLARE and CHAFF (Flare Squib) system encompassed by the “Aircraft Self-Protection System” against the guided missiles. In addition to the underwater and surface warfare tasks,these Maritime Patrol Aircrafts bear equipment that can actively operate in search and rescue activities. Maritime Patrol Aircrafts can execute the identification of casualties in a broad area with the help of ASARS (Airborne&Search and Rescue Systems).Following the identification, one of the 2 kits (SAR) contained by the aircraft can be deployed to the region where the casualties are situated. This SAR Kit expanding in the sea and transforming into a boat gains vital time to the casualties until the arrival of the helicopters to the site of the accident.