Scramble Magazine – May 2018

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Scramble 468

Turkish defence procurement officials say the country will

replace its aging fleet of T-38M trainers with an indigenously-

developed armed jet trainer that will be baptized “Hurjet”.

Primary developer of the new trainer will be Turkish Aero-

space Industries (TAI), most probably assisted by foreign

aviation-tech companies like BAE Systems. The Turkish mili-

tary is planning to use the Hurjet for training and for close-

air support missions with the country’s F-16 fighters. TAI’s

board gave the official go-ahead for the Hurjet program in

August 2017. The company has since been working on the

architectural phase and the ambition is to have the Hurjet’s

maiden flight in 2022. The Hurjet will have a maximum speed

of Mach 1.2 and will operate at a maximum altitude of 45,000

feet.

Turkish Aerospace Industries has successfully tested the

Hurkus-C, an armed version of the Hurkus single-prop

aircraft family, equipped with L-UMTAS, a laser-guided

long-range anti-tank missile. L-UMTAS was developed by

the state-controlled missile-maker Roketsan. In 2016, the

system was qualified and integrated into the T-129 ATAK

assault helicopter. The aircraft also features other locally

developed ammunition including CIRIT, TEBER, HGK and

LGK. It can also use INS/GPS-guided bombs, conventional

bombs, non-guided rockets and machine guns. The armed

Hurkus features armoured body parts, a self-protection

system, a data link, laser tacking, an electro-optical and

infrared pod, an external fuel tank, and advanced avionics.

With a 1,500-kilogram payload that can be utilized through

seven external hardpoints, the Hurkus-C will perform light-

attack and armed reconnaissance missions.

Karayel UAV
KRY-001 Vestel Sivrihisar undated photo
KRY-X02 Vestel Sivrihisar photo mar15
KRY-X03 Vestel Sivrihisar undated photo

Türk Kara Kuvvetleri (AR)

CH-47F
16-7464/AH TKHK photo
16-7465/AH TKHK photo

T129B
? TAI photo ATK-32 aug17
17-1026/BG TKHK undated photo

17-1027/BG TKHK undated photo 17-1028/BG TKHK photo mar18 17-1029/BG TAI, for Army photo aug17

Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri (NY)

Anka UAV (18)-027 TCB photo, fy pending mar18

During March, the Turkish Navy received its first Anka UAV.

Türk Jandarma Havaçilik Komutanligi (PO)

Beech 350 J-0423? Jandarma? del FL-423 aug17 J-0489? Jandarma? del FL-489 aug17 J-0511? Jandarma del FL-511 sep17 J-0604? Jandarma del FL-604 sep17 J-0604? Jandarma del FL-615 sep17 Ce680 J-001 Jandarma, Kararg. Kitaati 680-0232 nov17 T129B J-1071 Jandarma named “Alparslan” apr18 J-1299 Jandarma named “Osmangazi” apr18 J-1453 Jandarma named “Fatih” (Conqueror) feb18

In a surprise move, the Türk Jandarma Havacilik Komutanliği

(Turkish Gendarmerie Aviation Command) received its first

batch of TAI/AgustaWestland T129B ATAK twin-engine,

tandem seat, multi-role, all-weather attack helicopters. The

Jandarma ordered eighteen of these last year, and it clearly

shows the changing role from defensive to offensive of this

paramilitary operator that is tasked with internal affairs only.

Since the failed coup d’état of 15 July 2016, the Jandarma was

put firmly under the control of the Ministry of the Interior

(MoI). This swift delivery brings home once again that

Turkey is not only fighting across the border but has internal

struggles that justify hardware like the sophisticated T129B.

Last year, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) delivered

nine T129B ATAK helicopters to the Turkish Armed Forces,

making the number of delivered T129s in the Turkish Armed

Forces inventory 27. Another Aviation Command – that of the

Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü (General Directorate of Security)

which is also reporting to the MoI, has ordered the T129B

ATAK. The Polis is expected to receive the first of six exam-

ples ordered later this year.

United Kingdom

As of 1 February 2018, the Royal Air Force (RAF) dropped

Dromaders are cool enough already. But this is an even rarer two-seat M18BS Dromader Trainer, only a few of which are operated by HAF. These

are based at Tatoi/Dekelia. (22 March 2018, Dino van Doorn)