Turkish Land Forces A Bright Star in Peace
The stable and predictable threat environment of the Cold War era has been replaced by the present day multi-dimensional and unpredictable threat/risk environment with uncertainties. Today’s revolutionary developments in Information Technologies and multi-dimensional risks triggered by reorganization strategies have added to the well-defined military threats of the Cold War era.
Security concept mainly perceived as military security before the Cold War era has gained a more profound meaning with the end of Cold War; therefore, political, social, economic and environmental issues have been incorporated into this concept. The changing security environment and technological developments require Land Forces Command to have a force structure which is flexible enough to adapt to such developments.
In this regard, Turkish Land Forces Command has adamantly been sustaining its efforts to meet the requirements of 21st century with continuous progress perspective while it has been maintaining a force structure capable of facing the threats and risks in today’s environment.
In accordance with its vision and mission, Land Force’s objective for the21stCentury is to attain a force structure with high survivability and combat power against all kinds of threats and risks and thereto has superior technology, information and training systems, which is full-armed with national and high tech weapons; is capable of performing uninterruptedly in all kinds of environment and under all conditions as an efficient and sustainable structure which is compatible with mobile, modular, national and international forces in joint and combined operations and finally trained to meet the needs of the modern age with a network enabled capability.
By the time the ongoing and prescribed modernization projects are realized, 2020’s will have been a landmark in Land Forces Command’s force development and modernization. While the conducted studies have presently been exploited to put forward short and medium term measures, plans for long term prospects have been made by envisioning the combat environment of 2050’s.
In the immediate and foreseeable future, It is aimed to organize a Land Forces Command constituted by professional, modular, ability-based, cyber-threat proof units having the joint effort perspective besides decisiveness for achievement and thereto are capable of taking precautions against all kinds of hybrid threats likely to be faced in the combat environment and thereby able to adapt to the requirements of the modern warfare. It is all well aware of the fact that all these considerations and developments focus on human beings. Its overriding objective is to meet the security needs of the Great Turkish Nation without hesitation under the auspices of Turkish Armed Forces.
Restructuring for a Better Future
Restructuring is a continuous activity maintained to ensure deterrence of Land Forces Command against the changing threat perceptions and risks and to use the allocated resources in the most economical way possible by following the changes and developments carefully around us. In that sense, Turkish Land Forces Command attaches great importance to modernization activities. The aim is to become more effective through downsizing by using technology.
Within this frame; The modernization of M60 tanks as M60 T tanks has been completed. Besides, the procurement of Leopard 2A4 tanks that have the same qualities with the 3rd generation tanks has been mostly completed in order to meet the need until modern tank production with national capabilities is possible. Within this frame, modification of fire control systems is continuing.
The mobility of maneuver units has been improved by establishing Armored Combat Vehicle Battalions in 2011 in order to use the existing Armored Combat Vehicles in battlefield in the most effective way.
With the aim of obtaining qualitative rather than quantitative superiority, the capabilities of fire support vehicles have been improved with the new Fırtına howitzers that have been taken into the inventory in addition to the present ones. With this modernization activity the old generation towed artillery weapons are being taken out of the inventory.
Development phase of the long range munitions need of Fırtına and Panter howitzers was completed with the help of Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation as the main contractor. A contract regarding mass production has been signed and it has been planned that deliveries begin as of 2012.
Land Forces is aiming to meet the need of utility helicopter by national capabilities and resources in the long term as in ATAK project. For that purpose the Light Original Helicopter Project was started in 2010.
The Partially Protected Vehicles Against Mines procured in order to reduce the effects of IEDs/mines and provide a better protection for the personnel during motorized deployments in Counter-Terrorist Operations have been put into use as of March 2011. Delivery process of these vehicles is continuing.
Mechanical mine clearing vehicles procured in 2010 in order to clear the mines laid are still being tested in the area; and according to the test results the project will be redirected.
Light alloy fixed bridges have been procured and put into use in order to increase the capability of rapid and secure movement through the obstacles during operations.
Ground reinforcement equipment has been taken into inventory in order to increase the mobility of wheeled and track laying vehicles in soft ground conditions.
Thermal cameras and thermal binoculars have been procured and put into use in order to increase the surveillance capabilities of border units and base areas in difficult/night conditions; likewise, Pilot Night Vision Goggles have been procured and put into use in order to increase the night vision capability of pilots.
Under the Tactical Wheeled Vehicles Project, most of the new generation cargo vehicles were received and distributed to the units. Delivery of the remaining vehicles is proceeding.
With the advent of new technological developments, Land Forces’ efforts to equip its units with modern systems and equipments in terms of intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition are well underway. Its efforts on procurement and widespread use of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), which can be used by any unit in Land Forces Command, have continued during 2011. Integration of the received UAV systems into Land Forces Command’s intelligence systems has been completed.
Land Forces Command’s efforts regarding its priority intelligence objective, which is to use information and space technology for intelligence, to make an a single integrated system of all intelligence means and to enable to gather all target information in one centre and distributing from this centre in order to create a real time picture of the battlefield in its units’ responsibility areas starting from the border area, will continue in the coming period as well.
Its studies are not limited to modernization activities. The following important developments on about manpower, training, logistics and organizational activities are also well underway:
Regarding to personnel recruitment, education and employment in Turkish Military Academy (TMA) and NCO Vocational School of Higher Education, in order to educate the future instructors, procedures for enabling the personnel in junior ranks to be chosen as instructors in TMA and NCO Vocational School of Higher Education, easing the way for instructors to publish academic articles and attend academic activities have been completed and put into action.
In order to train the specialist personnel thoroughly, to meet the needs of military branches and to meet the national and international standards imposed on all higher education organizations within the context of Bologna Process, a Multiple Degree Program will be applied at TMA. Starting from 2012-2013 Academic Year, Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Business Administration, Public Administration, and in 2013-2014 Academic Year, Computer Engineering and Sociology departments will be opened in addition to the currently applied System Engineering Program. The programs to be opened at the TMA and the current programs in NCO Vocational School of Higher Education are prepared in accordance with Higher Education Academic Evaluation and Quality Development Commission (YÖDEK) criteria.
In addition to vocational education and courses, Land Forces Command continues to send its officers meeting the necessary criteria to graduate programs at Turkish and foreign universities in order to meet the requirements for expert military personnel who can work at operational and strategic headquarters.
Some of its specialized sergeants have to leave Turkish Armed Forces before getting retired due to age-in-grade With the aim of uplifting the vocational morale and motivation of such personnel some arrangements have been made, after which it has become possible for them to be employed as a civil servant in public institutions, primarily in Ministry of Defense and Turkish Armed Forces until the time they deserve to get their pension rights.
Nowadays, regional and global operational needs and counter-terrorism requirements have increased the importance and priority level of commando and border units. Commando brigades are especially one the most important elements of counter-terrorism in Turkey.
In the context of professionalization of commando brigades, all commando branches have been professionalized. In addition to commando branches, there have been ongoing efforts especially to employ specialist sergeants as the drivers of vehicles and users of latest technology weapons in mechanized and armored units.
In ensuring border security, it is planned to utilize technology more, employ professional personnel and use different organizational models according to regional features.
In the light of experiences gained from professionalization of commando brigade branch personnel, contractual soldier procurement activities have been started in 2011 in accordance with law numbered 6191 in order to fulfil the requirement of trained personnel in border unit cadres of Turkish Armed Forces. With the contractual soldiers in service, border units are expected to have a more effective structure.
For the purpose of training personnel (Officer/NCO/ Specialized Sergeant/Rank and File) who are more effective in anti-terrorism and have high level of training, Internal Security Training and Exercise Center was established in 2007, and for the purpose of singlehanded and more effective training of the personnel deployed to border units, Land Forces Border Training Center was established in 2010. Evaluations on these centers are positive.
In order to fulfil the border station facility requirements of Land Forces, the construction of 31 border stations have been completed and the construction of 96 stations is underway. Moreover, for the accommodation of units assigned in the Interior Security Area, various containers have been supplied.
All measures are taken by its units to protect civilian population against ricochets during fires and/or contact with unexploded ordnance after fires in the firing range. In addition to this, national and international military publications are reviewed to improve its measures to be taken in existing firing ranges and new firing range projects are developed in line with recent technical developments.
Land Forces Command’s logistics system now has a more contemporary structure with major changes.
While conducting all these activities and services at Land Forces Command, first priority has always been on personnel. Maintaining high morale and motivation of the personnel and their families is the primary objective. Along with the employment of personnel with appropriate quality and quantity, in order to have a modern armed force which is able to take timely measures for global and regional developments, planning and executing activities for the self development of personnel are proceeding.
Land Forces 2014 Model
Throughout this process, while standing by the planning principles, the revisions are being made in line with the rapid developments experienced in the security environment, without being bound by time considerations. Those cadres and organizational structures which have lost their functionality in the targeted Force Structure have either been cancelled, changed or renewed. As a result, while saving quantity (in the last five years there has been a saving at around 10-12 %), enhanced effectiveness is also ensured in terms of quality. In this context, Land Forces 2014 Model" has been replaced by an effective "Land Forces Model" based on quality rather than quantity, ability rather than threat.
Turkish Defence Industry has made a significant breakthrough to meet requirements Of Turkish Land Forces Command
The primary objective of Turkish Land Forces Command is to fulfill the modernization requirements by exploiting domestic defense industry capabilities. In this context, large scale major modernization projects such as main battle tank, attack helicopter, rocket/missile projects, air defense systems, tactical wheeled vehicles and engineering projects are planned to be procured by domestic development model. Thereby what is aimed at is to meet the defense needs by using national systems independent from foreign bidders on one hand and to improve the technological and production infrastructure for the prospective needs of domestic defense industry by means of these projects on the other hand. Under the present circumstances, it has been considered that defense industry has made a significant breakthrough as a system by means of design, development and production of the main weapon systems. It is supposed that important contributions can be made to Turkey’s economy in the near future by improving cooperation in high technology based projects that are being conducted in the international area, in parallel with meeting modernization needs by domestic production
