combat aircraft

signed a contract for TF-X with TAI,

which in turn led to the key players —

TAI, TUSAŞ and BAE Systems from the

UK — signing a heads of agreement on

January 28, 2017.

The Turkish F-16 relationship kicked

off with Peace Onyx I, which was set in

motion at the beginning of the 1980s

as a procurement project to replace

the country’s ageing F-104 Starfighters

and F-5 Freedom Fighters. A number of

options were evaluated as well as the

F-16, including the F/A-18 Hornet, F-20

Tigershark, Tornado and Mirage 2000.

The ‘Viper’ was declared as the winner

in 1984 with an initial requirement for

160 jets — 128 single-seat F-16Cs and 32

two-seat F-16D combat trainers under

working for civil aviation companies

to return to the military to meet

instructor needs.

The F-16 era

The ‘Viper’ — as the F-16 is unofficially

known — is Turkey’s most numerous

fighter and is likely to remain so until at

least 2030. Turkish Aerospace Industries

(TAI) is well down the road with a new

indigenous fighter aircraft under the

TF-X program, and it is envisaged that

this will dovetail with Turkey’s F-35A

Lightning II acquisition to underpin

national security out past 2070. TF-X is

no pipedream. On August 5, 2016, the

Undersecretary for Defense Industries

THE

PATH TO

THE F-16

COCKPIT

After assessment and grading in

the T-41D and the SZD-50-3 glider,

successful applicants move to Çiğli,

İzmir, for basic training in the SF260D

and the turboprop KT-1T. From here,

students move to the upgraded

T-38M Talon, which includes an

introduction to fighter fundamentals

course now the F-5A has been retired.

Then it’s off to 153 Filo and F-16

conversion training at Merzifon. Basic

pilot training on the F-16 is mandated

as requiring either 80 flight hours or

65 sorties.

Left: This Block

30 F-16C was

assigned to 142

Filo, which has

now disbanded

with its aircraft

passing to

113 Filo.

Below: The

striking tail

markings of 181

and 182 Filo at

Diyarbakır, flying

the Block

40 F-16C/D.

TURKISH FALCONS

http://www.combataircraft.net // July 2018 75

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