Türkiye's development in defense and aviation in recent years will reach its peak in the 100th year of the Republic.
The Turkish defense industry, which tries to provide the security forces with the most advanced tools and equipment with domestic and national resources under the coordination of the Presidency of Defense Industry, will take critical steps in many projects in a period of about a year.
The National Combat Aircraft, which is the most important technology development project of Türkiye and carried out by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), will leave the hangar on March 18, 2023 by starting the engine.
It is aimed that the National Combat Aircraft, which will replace the F-16 aircraft in the inventory of the Air Force Command and which is planned to be phased out starting in the 2030s, will make its first flight in 2025 and start duty in 2028. Türkiye will become one of the countries with the infrastructure and technology to produce a 5th generation combat aircraft as a result of the project's studies in technology areas such as low visibility, internal weapon slot, high maneuverability, increased situational awareness and sensor fusion, which should be in a new generation aircraft.
Countdown in Hürjet
The jet trainer and light attack aircraft Hürjet will make its maiden flight on March 18, 2023. Hürjet, whose assembly activities have come to an end and is preparing for ground tests, will perform flight tests with 4 prototypes and will reach the level where it can perform its first mission in 2025.
Hürjet is designed to play a critical role by using its superior performance features with its single-engine, tandem and cockpit with modern avionics suite. Hürjet's replacement of the T-38 jet trainers in the inventory of the Turkish Air Force and the F-5 planes used in acrotim demonstrations, the "light attack aircraft" configuration with a payload capacity of 3,000 kilograms, and the close air support and combat training of the F-16s. It is aimed to share the roles of the aircraft.
Atak-2 will fly, Gökbey will start his first mission
Another important development in this period will be the first flight of the heavy class attack helicopter Atak-2. The Heavy Class Attack Helicopter, which has been specially developed with a high ammunition carrying capacity, will be able to operate in all challenging conditions including hot weather and high altitude, day/night and icing conditions. The helicopter, which weighs 11 tons, can carry 1.2 tons of ammunition, and has a 30 millimeter cannon, will be able to perform attack, close air support, air-ground combat, armed escort, air-air combat, joint attack operations, armed reconnaissance and surveillance missions.
TAI will also make the first delivery of the Gökbey helicopter this year. 3 helicopters to be delivered to the gendarmerie are preparing for duty. Gökbey was designed for superior performance and usage quality with advanced avionics, considering the current needs as well as the operational requirements of the future. With its large cabin space with high payload, this helicopter can be easily configured for the execution of various mission profiles for civil and military users around the world.
Countdown for Bayraktar Kızılelma and Bayraktar TB3
Bayraktar Kızılelma, the combat unmanned aircraft system developed by Baykar, is also expected to fly in the first months of 2023.
Work on Bayraktar Kızılelma, an unmanned fighter aircraft whose structural integration has been completed to a large extent and whose mechanical and avionic integration process continues, continues on 2 prototypes.
Bayraktar Kızılelma will operate with high and aggressive maneuverability, can stay in the air for 5 hours, and can reach an operational altitude of 35 thousand feet. Bayraktar Kızılelma, which is one of the examples of the latest point that UAV technology has reached in the world, has a take-off weight of 6 tons and a payload capacity of 1.5 tons. Bayraktar Kızılelma, which was developed locally and is intended to use all the ammunition in the inventory, is intended to land and take off at TCG Anadolu.
Bayraktar TB3 SİHA, developed by Baykar to be deployed on the TCG Anadolu ship, will also meet with the sky in the first half of the new year.
Bayraktar TB3 will create a huge force multiplier as the first unmanned aerial vehicle in the world to land and take off from a short-runway ship in a conventional manner. With its features, Bayraktar TB3 will be an alternative between Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar Akıncı TİHA.
Bayraktar TB3, which will have the ability to carry out operations with the domestic smart ammunition it carries under its wings, as well as reconnaissance-surveillance and intelligence missions, is designed for use on helicopter ships and aircraft carriers with its foldable wing structure. In this way, Bayraktar TB3 offers the user the ability to perform operations with armed unmanned aerial vehicles in overseas missions.
Bayraktar TB3, which has line-of-sight communication capability as well as line-of-sight communication, can thus be controlled from very long distances.
Manned flight with national engine
The maturation tests of the TS1400 turboshaft engine, the first prototype of which was developed by TUSAŞ Motor Sanayii AŞ (TEI) for use in the Gökbey helicopter, and delivered for integration studies, have come to an end.
It is aimed to deliver the first engine, which has reached sufficient maturity for manned flight, to TAI, which produces the helicopter, before the end of the year. In the first half of 2023, it is aimed to define the integration of the engine to the Gökbey helicopter and to perform the first flight with the national engine.
The TS1400 turboshaft engine will eliminate one of the most important obstacles to the export of helicopters developed and produced in Türkiye by ending the foreign dependency in this field.
Floating UAV base TCG Anadolu
TCG Anadolu, which will be Türkiye's largest warship, is also preparing to join the inventory.
Multi-Purpose Amphibious Ship TCG Anadolu, which was built with a full load displacement of 27 thousand 436 tons, a length of 231 meters and a width of 32 meters, and also known as an "aircraft carrier" in the public, can be used in the operation areas of the Aegean, Black Sea and Mediterranean Seas and, when necessary, in the Indian and Atlantic oceans.
TCG Anadolu, which has the ability to transport the necessary combat and support vehicles to crisis areas with an amphibious battalion, will be able to participate in landing operations with the vehicles it will carry in its pool.
With the national unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to be deployed on it, it is aimed that Hürjet will be able to land and take off at TCG Anadolu, which will also serve as a UAV base at sea.
Unmanned naval vehicles, which emerged as a result of 4 different collaborations realized by Turkish defense industry companies, are also competing to be included in the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces. Unmanned sea vehicles are expected to start joining the inventory in the near future.
"Chiefs" join the navy
The first of the 6 submarines to be produced within the scope of the New Type Submarine Project is planned to be delivered this year.
The submarines are built with a length of 68.35 meters, a durable hull outer diameter of 6.3 meters, a displacement of 1850 tons and a capacity of 40 personnel.
The submarines, known worldwide as "Type-214" and capable of independent propulsion thanks to their fuel cell technology, are the first for the Turkish Naval Forces. Equipped with weapons against underwater, surface and land targets, submarines are capable of launching many types of torpedoes, missiles and laying mines.
Deliveries of the Reis class submarines, which will be one of the most important elements of the Turkish Naval Forces in blue waters, with the ability to operate in secrecy under water for weeks thanks to its air-independent propulsion system, are expected to be completed by 2027.
New manned and unmanned ground vehicles
New manned and unmanned land vehicles developed within the Turkish defense industry will also be included in the inventory for the first time.
The "heavy class unmanned ground vehicle" developed by FNSS and the "medium class unmanned ground vehicle" developed by ASELSAN, Best Grup, Elektroland and HAVELSAN were revised and equipped with additional capabilities in line with the opinions, suggestions and demands of the security forces after the field tests. After the development processes are tested in the field, unmanned ground vehicles will be made available to the security forces.
Developed by FNSS to meet the amphibious armored vehicle needs of the Naval Forces Command, ZAHA is among the Turkish defense industry products that will be added to the inventory.
ZAHAs both ensure the safe landing of troops on shore in amphibious operations and serve as armored personnel carriers after landing.
These vehicles land from dock landing ships in the amphibious assault phase of the operation and make the ship-to-shore transfer at high speed, ensuring that the troops land as soon as possible under protection. ZAHA can perform side-by-side missions with other armored vehicles on land.
As a dual nature vehicle, the vehicles in question must show superior performance both at sea and on land. Very few countries in the world have such vehicles in their inventory. In NATO and its allies, there is only one company other than FNSS, which produces vehicles in this class.
Within the scope of the ZAHA Project, a total of 27 vehicles, including 23 personnel carriers, 2 command and control vehicles and 2 rescue vehicles, will be delivered.
"Special" vehicle of the Turkish Armed Forces
The days are counted for the Pars IV 6x6 Special Operations Vehicle, which was originally developed for the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces, to enter the inventory.
Developed within the scope of the 6x6 Mine Protected Vehicle (MKKA) Procurement Project, the vehicle is a vehicle beyond the existing ones with its fire capability for special operations, effective protection against hand-made explosives (IED), survivability infrastructure including high mine and ballistic protection, new technology mission equipment. was designed.
The vehicle, designed and developed by FNSS with national resources, has a unique, modular armor structure.
The acoustic warning system, which is sensitive to supersonic sounds and integrated with weapon turrets, active mixing/blinding system, 360-degree dual-user fog mortars and CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) system are also on the vehicle as active protection elements.
In line with the tactical needs of special operations, the Pars IV 6x6 Special Operations Vehicle, which was originally created with its concept, has 2 independent Starboard Remote Controlled Weapon Systems, also developed by FNSS. Three different weapon types (7.62 millimeter, 12.7 millimeter machine gun and 40 millimeter automatic grenade launcher) can be used in the turrets, which can be easily changed by the user if needed. The vehicle provides surveillance and 2 times effective firepower against threats that may appear from different directions simultaneously from all around or from high points.
The first Altay tank will be produced
The first armored combat vehicle with a modernized and integrated unmanned gun turret will be delivered.
First deliveries of Domestic Motor Vuran, 8x8 wheeled container carrier vehicles and Amazon armored vehicles will be made.
The production of the first Altay tank will be completed after the localization of some subsystems subject to foreign export license.
"Our abilities are now considered game changers"
President of the Presidency of Defense Industries, İsmail Demir, evaluated the vehicles, equipment and systems that will be put into service in the 100th anniversary of the Republic.
Stating that very important stages will be left behind in various projects in a short time, Demir said, "The breakthrough of our defense industry in recent years has gained the great appreciation of our nation and attracted the attention of the world. Our systems that have a multiplier effect on the operational field are used effectively by our security forces in the field and our capabilities in some areas are now game changers. In less than a year, we will see that many of our important projects have been completed, some of our new platforms have been delivered, and that we have left behind important milestones in our various projects." said.
Emphasizing that the work continues with the strategy of being a pioneer in the defense industry, Demir said:
"We will witness new developments in almost every field of our defense industry, from our National Combat Aircraft to our Red Apple Combat Unmanned Aircraft, from our ships to our helicopters, from our land vehicles to our engine projects, from our unmanned sea and land vehicles to our submarines, from our air defense systems to our missiles and ammunition, and we will give new good news to our nation. As the Turkish defense industry, in the 100th anniversary of our Republic, we will continue our work that makes our nation proud, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
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