``When You Need Us, Just Look at the Sky...``

Defence Turkey: The Gendarmerie General Command's first aviation unit was established in Diyarbakır in 1968 under the name "Light Helicopter Company," with the purposes of air transportation/dispatching units, security and public order, reconnaissance and surveillance, as well as the evacuation of patients and injured individuals. Could you provide us with information about the recent humanitarian aid and search and rescue missions conducted by the Aviation Department, as well as the total flight hours accomplished?

Colonel Kenan KURT: Since its establishment in 1968, the Gendarmerie Aviation has been actively engaged in providing disaster relief and carrying out search and rescue missions during numerous natural disasters. Recently, we can summarize some of the tasks we have undertaken within this scope as follows:

• During the earthquake that occurred on January 24, 2020, in Elazığ, a total of 91 hours of flight were recorded using 7 utility helicopters, consisting of 29 hours in daylight, 19 hours at night, and an additional 43 hours from a Manned Airborne ISR Aircraft.

• Following the earthquake in Izmir on October 30, 2020, a combined effort of 33 hours and 34 minutes of flight time was recorded. This involved 5 hours and 14 minutes of flight with 1 utility helicopter (2 hours 48 minutes during the day, and 2 hours 26 minutes at night) and 28 hours and 20 minutes with Manned Airborne ISR Aircraft in total (17 hours and 55 minutes in daylight and 5 hours and 25 minutes at night).

• During the flooding disaster in Sinop and Kastamonu on August 11, 2021, the Gendarmerie Aviation provided aerial support by deploying 7 utility helicopters, 2 Manned Airborne ISR Aircraft, and 4 UAVs. A total of 476 flight hours were executed, leading to the evacuation of 172 citizens. Furthermore, essential supplies such as 71,600 kg of food, 670 liters of fuel, 66 generators, miscellaneous materials, and medicines were airlifted to the necessary locations. Helicopters were also used to transport electricity poles and large generators to settlements that were cut off from road access due to the flooding.

• Between June 28, 2022, and July 7, 2022, during the flood disaster in Düzce, Kastamonu, and Bartın provinces, 2 utility helicopters and 1 Manned Airborne ISR Aircraft provided aerial support, resulting in 35 flight hours and the evacuation of 37 citizens.

• From July 31 to August 13, 2021, as part of efforts to extinguish forest fires in Antalya and Muğla provinces, a total of 2,750 sorties were carried out with 20 aerial assets, totaling 750 flight hours and dropping 5,500 tons of water.

• In 2022, during forest fire extinguishing efforts in Muğla, Kütahya, and Mersin provinces, a total of 1,150 sorties were conducted with 34 aerial assets, amounting to 435 flight hours and dropping 2,300 tons of water.

• From July 21 to 25, 2022, the extent of the forest fire in the Marmaris district of Muğla province was determined from the air using our UAVs through the Wide Area Mapping System (GAHS).

• On February 6, 2023, following the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş and affecting neighboring provinces, despite unfavorable meteorological conditions, flight crews from all Gendarmerie Aviation units were prepared for deployment to the earthquake zone from 05:35 onwards. However, due to unsuitable flying conditions, the teams were unable to reach the area.

• On the second day of the earthquake (February 7, 2023), despite the continued unsuitability of meteorological conditions, flight operations commenced in the earthquake zone under the command of Major General Ali DOĞAN, the Chief of Gendarmerie Aviation, with all risks taken by our flight teams to stand by the side of our nation during this major disaster.

• Following the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş, a total of 42 aerial assets and 353 personnel were deployed from our units in Ankara, Diyarbakır, Aydın, and Van. These included 36 utility helicopters, 2 Manned Airborne ISR Aircraft, and 4 UAVs. In the earthquake zone, 1,750 Search and Rescue (SAR) personnel provided assistance to a total of 950 citizens affected by the earthquake, among which 500 were injured. Furthermore, 892 tons of provisions/aid materials, 1,500 kg of medicines, 3,500 tents, 10,000 blankets, heaters, generators, and SAR equipment were transported. Throughout this process, a total of 4,700 sorties were conducted, comprising 250 hours of night flights (750 sorties), resulting in a cumulative flight time of 2,300 hours. On February 7, 2023, the day the deployment to the earthquake zone took place, Gendarmerie Aviation dispatched 2 helicopters to handle a fire incident at Hatay İskenderun Port, involving 17 sorties and dropping 34 tons of water.

• Furthermore, with the introduction of night flight capability to the Mi-17 Helicopters, effectively responded to relief efforts in Kahramanmaraş such as the evacuation of patients, injured individuals and personnel with the first-time use of Night Vision Goggles (NVG) during night-time conditions.

Defence Turkey: In the earthquake-stricken region, a significant number of aircraft from different branches, such as the Air Force, Land Forces, and Gendarmerie General Command, operated within a relatively confined area. Who was responsible for coordinating these units? Did each institution/branch handle the coordination of its own helicopters?

Colonel Kenan KURT: The Ministry of National Defense has established its own Coordination Center. The Gendarmerie Aviation Department has assigned personnel to the AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Authority) Coordination Center for the coordination of flight operations.

Furthermore, representatives have been appointed from all institutions to the AFAD Coordination Center. Aircraft have been assigned to the provinces of Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Hatay, and Adana, and Major General Ali DOĞAN, the Chief of Gendarmerie Aviation, personally supervised the flight operations of our assigned aircraft from the province of Kahramanmaraş, on-site in the region. Adana Şakir Paşa Airport was also utilized as a maintenance base for helicopter maintenance support.

The Manned Airborne ISR Aircraft and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) of the Gendarmerie Aviation Department have also fulfilled significant roles in the earthquake-stricken area. They supported the ground units and decision-makers by conducting activities such as aerial reconnaissance of the earthquake-stricken area, identification of debris, aerial monitoring of operations, control of land traffic, and aerial surveillance in law enforcement incidents.

Defence Turkey: Could you please provide us with information regarding the search and rescue as well as medical evacuation missions carried out by the Gendarmerie Aviation Department from 2019 until today?

Colonel Kenan KURT: From 2019 up to the present day, a total of 3,312 flight hours have been accomplished in search and rescue as well as medical evacuation missions. These missions include 72 Search and Rescue operations and 155 Medical Evacuation missions, resulting in the aerial evacuation of 1,736 citizens. The conducted missions encompass various tasks such as organ transportation, evacuation of injured or sick individuals, rescue of individuals stranded or injured on mountains, and search and rescue of individuals lost due to adverse weather conditions or medical conditions.

Defence Turkey: What additional capabilities is the Gendarmerie Aviation Department integrating into its helicopters to improve the execution of search and rescue, medical evacuation, humanitarian aid, and forest fire suppression missions more effectively?

Colonel Kenan KURT: Colonel Kenan KURT: The Gendarmerie General Command's aerial assets undertake a significant role not only in tasks like counter terrorism but also in activities such as search and rescue, medical evacuation, humanitarian aid, and forest fire suppression. Portable stretchers for utility helicopters have been developed to improve the effectiveness of medical evacuation missions nationwide. Especially in the earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş, these helicopters have been effectively utilized for the inter-provincial transfer of patients and the injured.

With the introduction of the Airborne Tactical Extraction Platform (AirTEP), which has entered our inventory for the first time, rescue operations have become more efficient, overcoming the limitations of the current helicopters, which are only equipped with rescue hoists. In conjunction with our current hoist-equipped helicopters, efforts are underway to domestically manufacture a low-cost Rescue Hoist System that can be assembled and installed rapidly. Moreover, an ample quantity of Bambi Buckets has been incorporated into our inventory for firefighting purposes.

To ensure a more effective response in natural disasters and search and rescue activities, joint training sessions, such as "Rescue Basket, Fast-Rope, Hoist, and Over Water Low-Level Flight," are regularly conducted in collaboration with the Gendarmerie Special Public Security Command (JÖAK).

With the mottoes "Leave No Man Behind..." and "When You Need Us, Just Look at the Sky...," the Gendarmerie Aviation, which has been carrying out its duties with great dedication for 55 years, will continue to serve our esteemed nation, always relying on its current capabilities and the projects it has developed and implemented. 

Defence Turkey: Can you inform us about the process of task assignment to the Gendarmerie Aviation Department carried out during natural disasters?

Colonel Kenan KURT: The Ministry of Interior's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) conveys requests for aerial assets to the Gendarmerie General Command. The Gendarmerie General Command evaluates these requests and assigns tasks to the Aviation Department accordingly. Based on the needs and the current situation, aircraft and flight crews are swiftly determined, and the required missions are carried out.

Defence Turkey: Commander, thank you for sparing your valuable time for our readers.