``Our Average Annual Flight Operations with Tactical and Operative Class UAVs Exceed 35,000 Hours!``
Defence Turkey: Could you briefly discuss the development of the Gendarmerie UAV Division in Türkiye? What can you tell us about the development process and history from its establishment to today?
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: The foundations of the Gendarmerie General Command's UAV Systems were laid in 2009 within the Gendarmerie Intelligence Department. In response to the need for professional UAV management, the UAV and Mobile Support Branch Office was established in 2009. Initially, Fixed-Wing Mini UAV Systems were procured. Subsequently, to fulfill the aerial close reconnaissance needs under various day/night conditions, Mini/Micro/Nano UAVs and Simple Drones were procured and added to the inventory over the years.
Closely following advancing technology, the Gendarmerie General Command acquired domestically produced UAVs primarily for counter-terrorism operations and meeting reconnaissance requirements. These UAVs were successively employed to establish the Tactical UAV Units in Elazığ, Van, Gaziantep, Cizre, and Aydın, with the aim of fulfilling aerial reconnaissance needs.
Since the establishment of the Gendarmerie UAV Division in 2021, we have continued our activities under the Gendarmerie Aviation Department.
Defence Turkey: What are the main duties of the Gendarmerie UAV Division?
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: The Gendarmerie UAV Division, equipped with its Tactical and Operative Class UAV Systems, primarily fulfills reconnaissance requirements in counter-terrorism operations, as well as in public safety and security missions. Additionally, it successfully carries out a range of tasks within its jurisdiction, including response to natural disasters and forest fires, combating human trafficking, search and rescue operations, protection of state officials, monitoring environmental pollution, ensuring prison security, traffic enforcement, and road control, and overseeing critical roads, facilities, and petroleum pipelines.
In this context:
Procuring aerial reconnaissance vehicles (Tactical/Operative/Mini/Micro/Nano UAVs) and coordinating related activities.
Planning and providing courses related to UAV Systems and delivering training.
Conducting or arranging maintenance and repair activities to ensure readiness for immediate deployment.
Following technological advancements, shaping the UAV structure for the Gendarmerie General Command and ensuring the effective utilization of UAVs according to their specific needs.
These are among the primary responsibilities of the Gendarmerie UAV Command.
Defence Turkey: The personnel who contribute to the successful operations of the Gendarmerie UAV Division play a significant role. Could you provide us with insight into the selection process for personnel in UAV units?
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: Our personnel in UAV units are selected from among Gendarmerie personnel who have successfully served in various provinces of our country, participated in critical operations, and played crucial roles in the fight against crime and criminals.
In addition to receiving courses and training related to the equipment they use, these selected personnel actively participate in domestic and international fairs and events to closely monitor technological advancements. The annual flight operations exceed 35,000 hours with Tactical and Operative Class UAVs, and the significant achievements are the fruits of these meticulous and diligent efforts.
On this occasion, I would like to extend our gratitude to the dedicated and hardworking personnel of the Gendarmerie General Command, spread across the entire country from Edirne to Kars, Sinop to Hatay, including our commanders. They are a significant contributor to the success and teamwork achieved through their selfless and tireless efforts, irrespective of time constraints.
Defence Turkey: The Gendarmerie Aviation Department has been successfully using Tactical and Operative Class UAVs such as Bayraktar TB2 and ANKA for Counter-Terrorism Operations (CTO) for many years. How does the Gendarmerie Aviation Department address the training needs of Pilots, Technicians, and Payload Operators using these aircraft?
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: Since the establishment of the Gendarmerie UAV Division, training covering pilots, payload operators, and maintenance personnel, including engine, mechanical, and avionic technicians, was outsourced from the manufacturers. The number of pilots, technicians, and payload operators to be trained was specified under the signed contracts. UAV manufacturers would then proceed to train and certify these personnel. We have carried out our flights with those personnel so far. Starting in 2017, the operation of UAVs continued through these training programs and with some experience. As of now, we have accumulated approximately 170,000 flight hours with UAVs. Consequently, a substantial wealth of knowledge and experience has been amassed. Leveraging this knowledge and experience, we have initiated efforts to incorporate it into our own training programs, aiming to eventually provide our own training sessions.
Last year, within the structure of the Gendarmerie Aviation School Command, we established the UAV Training Squadron Command. This Training Squadron Command was divided into specific units. Qualified personnel holding both Pilot and Technician Instructor certificates are stationed there. Although these colleagues obtained their instructor certificates from relevant and authorized companies, we retrained and authorized them here based on our own aviation standards. This is because we intend to utilize them in training all our pilots and technicians. Therefore, when we talk about training, it's not just about taking off the UAV for a mission and bringing it back after the flight. It also involves serious coordination within the airspace where all aerial vehicles operate. As such, pilots need to be familiar with air traffic and airspace management. We incorporated these aspects as well. We redefined all the necessary courses within our School Command, and with regard to the required number of pilots, technicians, and payload operators, we devised a plan for how many should be enrolled in these courses each year. Accordingly, we've designed our course programs.
All our course programs are based on the training provided by manufacturers, with additional experiential factors incorporated into them. They are aligned with the standards of our School Command. By including all these elements, we devised the programs. As of June 19, this year, we initiated our first courses for Pilots, Payload Operators, and UAV Technicians. These courses are currently ongoing. The Pilot course is divided into two stages: TB-2 Piloting and ANKA Piloting. We are closely monitoring the progress of our lessons. We have enlisted personnel from various units and organized courses for them. Hopefully, we will be graduating our first batch of students in December. In the subsequent phases, we will continue to train UAV Pilots and Technicians within our Aviation School Command.
The course programs we've developed for our Pilots and Technicians encompass a variety of training periods, including academic processes, flight training, and simulator training. We have simulators here where we provide flight training to UAV Pilot candidates. Subsequently, along with our instructors, we send them to UAV units in the field for real flight training. We also have our instructors in those units. We conduct practical flight and maintenance training there.
After our UAV Pilot candidates pass their stage-by-stage evaluations and examinations, we proceed to their On-the-Job Training. In other words, we don't simply graduate them from the course and tell them they can fly UAVs. We take them through On-the-Job Training. Under the supervision of senior pilots, these candidates conduct their flights. Once they reach a certain level, we assign them as Second Pilots. They continue flying alongside the First Pilot until they attain a certain level of experience. This is how our training plan unfolds. We not only train the flight crew but also the maintenance and test teams, as well as our instructor personnel, with these courses.
Defence Turkey: You mentioned earlier that within the Gendarmerie UAV Division, the Tactical UAV Units were established in Elazığ, Van, Gaziantep, Cizre, and Aydın. Do you have any other subordinate units? Can you inform us about the ongoing restructuring efforts within the Gendarmerie UAV Division, including the Group and Fleet Commands?
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: We also have an UAV Group Command in Ankara. We have a centralized command system here. The beauty of UAVs is that after you launch the aircraft, you can control and operate it from anywhere through a remote connection. Therefore, in the context of the Tactical UAV Units, if any technical limitations arise during flight operations (because when you have 4 UAVs airborne simultaneously, you encounter certain technical issues), we advise the personnel to launch the aircraft and hand over control to us in Ankara, and we then conduct the mission from here. We have a dedicated unit here for running flights as well.
To further transform the structure of these UAV Units into aviation units, we introduced the UAV Group and Fleet Commands this year within the UAV Division. This structure will also be implemented in our other UAV units to manage and coordinate all aerial vehicles and the planning of flight teams. We will establish Group and Fleet Commands for units engaged in flying operations. Additionally, we will set up Central Maintenance and Line Maintenance Units to effectively manage maintenance activities in some units. For example, in Elazığ, we will have both a UAV Group Command and a Maintenance Squadron Command. In the upcoming phase, not only will we be able to perform flight tasks, but we will also conduct maintenance up to a certain level. According to our current plan, next year, all our units will be fully transformed into aviation units in terms of format, personnel, and organization.
Defence Turkey: Could you elaborate on the role and significance of UAVs within Gendarmerie Aviation? As you mentioned earlier, UAVs are now used effectively not only in counter-terrorism operations but also in a wide range of tasks such as disaster and forest fire response, combating human trafficking, search and rescue operations, traffic control, and critical infrastructure and oil pipeline monitoring.
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: Yes, exactly as you mentioned. In the past, we had Gendarmerie patrols conducted on foot, village by village. Then, patrols began to be conducted using vehicles. So, nowadays, the speed has increased so much that almost all patrols have evolved into aerial patrols. Moreover, the Gendarmerie General Command has an extensive range of tasks, spanning from rescuing a cat from a tree to counter-terrorism operations. With such diverse duties, whether rescuing a cat or countering terrorism, there is a need for UAVs everywhere.
Defence Turkey: Your area of responsibility is indeed vast, with the Gendarmerie providing services over 93% of Türkiye's territory and 30% of its population.
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: Precisely. In such a large area, to be able to respond to any kind of security incident, from public safety concerns to counter-terrorism operations, you first need to have visibility of the situation. To gain that visibility, you require Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). When we mention UAVs, it's not limited solely to platforms like BAYRAKTAR TB-2 and ANKA; we have a diverse range of drones. We possess drones with varying capabilities. For these, we've established maintenance and repair procedures within all Gendarmerie units. Depending on the scale, size, and need of the incident, these drones, especially during natural disaster scenarios, are utilized effectively. For longer-range missions, we prefer UAVs like TB-2 and ANKA. Although counter-terrorism operations currently garner significant attention and activity, the Gendarmerie deployed drones and UAVs to the earthquake-stricken areas in the aftermath of the earthquakes on February 6, for instance. However, what sets us apart from other drone and UAV users in the region? We conducted aerial assessments of the roadways, bridges, and dams surrounding the area. While everyone focuses on the areas that have collapsed during an earthquake, we also consider the possibility of damage to dams, potential collapses of bridges, or issues with roadways. Without UAVs, such evaluations would be impossible.
In designated regions, we have UAV Units. Consequently, we can conduct takeoffs and landings from these areas. Our efforts extend towards making UAV systems functional across the entirety of Türkiye. In this context, we are also engaged in establishing new UAV Units. When we refer to the entire country, we mean that while there might not be terrorism in the western regions, there are instances of wildfires, traffic accidents, and missing individuals. Therefore, when it comes to public safety and security, anything related to ensuring human life's safety falls under the scope of the Gendarmerie. We have duties and responsibilities regarding all of these matters, and in order to fulfill them, we strive to employ UAVs throughout the entire region. Of course, this requires time, resources, and personnel. Additionally, it demands meticulous coordination among these elements.
No matter how many aircraft you have, they are rendered useless without a sufficient number of experienced personnel to operate them. Conversely, having an abundance of personnel but lacking the necessary aerial vehicles also renders efforts futile. In the current situation, it's not feasible to simply decide to acquire as many drones or UAVs as desired. We concentrate on how to use the resources we have in the most sensible and optimal way possible while also considering the potential additional needs in this domain for the upcoming periods. This is because our agenda is in a constant state of change, and requirements evolve. Accordingly, we create an annual plan. As the UAV Command, we determine the required number of personnel, the quantity and type of drones, and the number of UAVs needed for the upcoming period. We monitor the process closely. When changes occur, we promptly assess whether to reduce the personnel count, increase the UAV count, or adjust drone numbers. This requires us to engage in highly dynamic planning. From overall planning, project management, and procurement all the way to personnel training and daily flight missions, the process demands dynamic and meticulous oversight. Managing this process is undoubtedly complex.
Therefore, in order to provide such exceptional services across such different regions, we truly require highly trained and experienced personnel. We are dedicated to preserving this expertise. That's why it's crucial for the experienced professionals working here to remain within the UAV Units and continue their service. Retaining this experience is of utmost importance to us. We need to leverage this accumulated experience of 170,000 hours effectively.
Defence Turkey: Colonel, when you mentioned the 170,000 flight hours, does that include the flight hours of drones as well?
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: No, this is time that was flown only with TB-2 and ANKA UAVs. Additionally, we have 450,000 hours of drone flights. This figure is from a month ago. We also make highly effective use of our drones. Hopefully, we will also commence VTOL flights in the coming period.
Defence Turkey: You mentioned earlier that you focus on optimizing how to use your available resources. In terms of both personnel and platform numbers, do you find your current resources sufficient? Given the numerous tasks at hand and the broad responsibilities of the Gendarmerie General Command, you also mentioned the establishment of new UAV Units. Do you currently have any concrete UAV procurement projects? Is the acquisition of new UAVs and drones under consideration?
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: Definitely, it's inevitable. Let me give you an example with TB-2. Currently, one of our TB-2s has accumulated around 7,500-8,000 flight hours. Just like everything else, an aircraft has a lifespan. Therefore, the aircraft must be continuously 'upgraded' throughout its service life. It requires equipping with new systems, and certain parts need to be replaced.
Considering the scope of our operational tasks, we have new UAV procurement plans for the upcoming period. We also have Vertical Takeoff and Landing Small UAV (VTOL UAV) procurement plans. Our drone procurements are ongoing as well. We assess where and in which tasks we cannot meet the requirements and ask ourselves what capabilities and platforms we need to fulfill those requirements. While meeting these capabilities, we evaluate whether the need can be fulfilled with a Tactical or Operative Class UAV, VTOL UAV, or a drone. In other words, we assess how we can address these requirements. The duration of this need is also important. If it is going to persist, I want to determine the required capability according to that. More accurately, I want to define the capability before the aircraft. What do I need to fulfill this capability? For instance, I need an aircraft that can stay in the air for 50 hours. I will be flying for a very long duration. If necessary, I might need to take off from Van and fly all the way to İzmir. Then, I will need to procure a UAV that matches that requirement and meets that need.
Defence Turkey: You have the AKSUNGUR model here, for instance.
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: Just to give an example, it could be AKSUNGUR or AKINCI. Each of these has different capabilities to meet your requirements.
Defence Turkey: So, depending on how long the new UAVs will be needed, does your roadmap include options like leasing or service contracts? As far as I know, two ANKA Block-A UAVs (11-003 and 12-004, deployed on March 25, 2016), were provided to the Gendarmerie General Command by TUSAŞ in January 2016 for a period of service, and these two ANKA Block-A UAVs were operated by TUSAŞ personnel in Elazığ.
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: This process needs to be decided by evaluating three or four different factors. We are currently assessing these factors. Let's talk about ANKA, for example. How many hours will I fly ANKA in the future? How many hours did it fly last year? How many hours did it fly the year before that? And what were the maintenance intervals? How much spare part requirement did I have? How many maintenance personnel did I need? What am I expecting in the upcoming period? If I anticipate that ANKAs will be flying extensively in the next period, then I might decide to take responsibility for their maintenance activities. Accordingly, I would train my personnel and form maintenance teams. After establishing maintenance levels like Line Maintenance and Central Maintenance, I would stock spare parts for them and carry out maintenance activities myself.
Ok, that's good. So, what would be the cost implication for me? What would it cost me if I were to meet this requirement through service procurement? After all, in addition to the acquisition cost of an aircraft, the operating cost encompasses maintenance expenses throughout its service life, along with the cost of decommissioning. Let's say the service life of a UAV is 20,000 hours; although such a lifespan doesn't currently exist, let's assume it's 20,000 hours for this discussion. Hence, there is a cost associated with procuring these 20,000 hours. Let's assume I've flown this UAV for 20,000 hours. During these 20,000 hours, there will be maintenance costs at 25, 50, and 100 hours, the personnel required to perform these maintenance tasks, spare parts necessary for these maintenance intervals, and the materials I need to stock in the depots for these purposes. Additionally, there's a cost for retiring the aircraft from inventory once its service life is completed. What's the sum of all these costs in total? Let's say it amounts to US$10,000. How many hours have I flown? I've flown 10,000 hours. This equates to US$1 per hour. You see, you're calculating the cost in this manner.
Another option is for me to outsource this service. In other words, whoever provides me with the UAV should also provide the maintenance service. This way, I can rid myself of the burden of stocking spare parts, training personnel, and establishing a complex maintenance infrastructure. I would solely handle basic maintenance at the user level while entrusting all other maintenance responsibilities to them. If the maintenance cost turns out to be less than US$1 in doing so, then it might not be necessary for me to acquire this capability. Essentially, you examine the commissioning and decommissioning costs within a foreseeable process and make decisions accordingly. However, if the cost of maintenance from the provider company amounts to, let's say, US$3 instead of US$1, and if my expectations in terms of flight hours persist, then I should develop my own capabilities in this regard and perform these tasks myself, rather than outsourcing them to a firm.
Defence Turkey: Are the maintenance services for ANKA and Bayraktar UAVs provided by companies under warranty or as service contracts? Or have you established your own maintenance/repair capabilities?
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: For some of the aircraft, we perform Organizational-Level (O-Level) Maintenance while the manufacturer carries out the higher-level maintenance. In this context, 75% of the responsibility lies with the manufacturer, and 25% is our responsibility, mainly to gain more experience and reinforce our training.
Why? There's no fixed timeframe for how long this maintenance service will continue. Currently, there's a need; UAVs are flying, and excellent services and support are being provided. During this process, even when maintenance responsibility is fully transferred to us, we will continue to participate as observers to ensure uninterrupted and smooth maintenance operations. In this regard, all of our personnel actively participate in each phase and level of maintenance. We closely monitor them individually. For instance, if it's a motor technician, we ensure that every one of the five motor technicians is participating in addressing any motor-related issue or periodic maintenance. If there are any who haven't participated, we plan for their participation in the next maintenance cycle. We always strive to ensure that everyone is familiar with and witnesses the entire procedure of that maintenance.
For some of the aircraft, maintenance is now 90% under our control; we handle it ourselves. Of course, this transition doesn't happen suddenly. Although we have completed the entire training process for this, we still request personnel from the manufacturers as Field Supervisors or Observers. This continues for a period, like six months to a year. At the end of one year, all maintenance activities will be entirely managed by us.
Defence Turkey: Manned aircraft undergoes Depot-Level Maintenance and Repair (D-Level) in certain periods. Is there a similar level of maintenance activity for UAVs?
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: Currently, there is no such concept. There hasn't been a classification yet regarding what each level of maintenance entails, who has the authority, and who will perform it. With the transfer of maintenance responsibility to us, we wanted to take charge of establishing this framework. Because if the responsibility is transferred to us, this classification needs to be established. I need to know what falls within my authority and what doesn't. There hasn't been any further allocation in this regard. It's an important matter for us as well.
The 2022 Activity Report of the Gendarmerie General Command mentions the KUZGUN (Raven) application, which transfers images from UAVs to mobile devices. Could you provide us with more details about the system?
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: It's crucial to transmit the video feed of UAVs to the relevant operational unit as efficiently as possible. For instance, if you're conducting a mission during a wildfire, you need to transmit the imagery to the coordinating unit in that region. Similarly, you should transfer the imagery to the operation commander during an operation. This capability needs to be established nationwide. Thus, we aim to ensure that UAV feed is transmitted instantly to all units whenever possible. Currently, we have this infrastructure, but in locations where this infrastructure doesn't exist, we need devices for remote viewing, such as Remote Display Terminals or KUZGUN. For instance, when an aircraft is flying over a search and rescue zone, the Provincial Gendarmerie Commander and relevant unit commanders need to see those images.
KUZGUN System, which is actively used in the field, is entirely developed by the Gendarmerie General Command. It features secure image transmission capabilities onto designated tablets. This means you can use any tablet you want, but not every tablet can receive this imagery. First, you need to define that tablet to the system. Additionally, the video feed is transmitted to the tablet in encrypted form. We allocate these tablets to the relevant unit commanders during operations.
Defence Turkey: Did the Gendarmerie UAV Division take part in the development of the KUZGUN System?
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: Let me explain. The UAV Division was integrated into the Aviation Department two years ago. The history of the KUZGUN tablet goes back even further. Previously, it was under the Intelligence Department. Therefore, many of the existing UAV projects were prepared while under the Intelligence Department's umbrella. From the initial UAV procurement to personnel training and aerial operations, the Intelligence Department contributed significantly. UAVs operated within the Gendarmerie Intelligence Department from 2009 to 2021, achieving 100,000 flight hours in this period.
Regarding software, we have other target detection and identification systems integrated into our Ground Control Stations (GCS). There are many software-based programs similar to KUZGUN that assist the Pilot and Payload Operator in analyzing imagery. Most of these initiatives began under the Intelligence Department. So, it's important to mention the Intelligence Department in this context.
Defence Turkey: So, if I understand correctly, out of the mentioned 170,000 flight hours, 100,000 hours were conducted between 2017 and 2021 while you were part of the Intelligence Department, and the remaining 70,000 hours were performed under the Aviation Department over the past 2 years?
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: Yes, we can say that.
Defence Turkey: Is this rapid increase in flight hours due to the increased number of platforms, or is it due to more frequent flights/sorties?
Colonel Hüseyin ÖZKAN: Actually, both could be said. UAV flights were conducted before as well, but there were fewer platforms. As the number of aerial vehicles has increased, we are conducting more flights now. Of course, it's not only the aerial platform that constrains us. The limitations that apply to all aerial vehicles are applicable to us as well. These include factors like meteorological conditions and environmental constraints. However, it seems that this number will continue to increase in the upcoming period.
Defence Turkey: Colonel, thank you for sparing your time for our readers
