AirForces Monthly – June 2018

Havelsan looked after tactical

control systems, ground control

stations and integrated logistical

support services. Aselsan

provided avionics, including an

ASELFLIR-200 thermal imaging

system, LN-100GT inertial

navigation system, cockpit

displays, ASES-235M electronic

warfare self-protection system,

MXF-484 V/UHF air radio, MXF-

795 V/UHF ground radio and PRC-

434A search and rescue radio.

Another contributor to the project

was Milsoft with the MPA Link

11 tactical data link processor.

After TAI installed the systems,

test flights and mission system

tests were planned to be

completed in France. Although the

first aircraft was intended to enter

service by 2007 delays meant test

flights did not begin until 2008.

According to Thales there were

serious difficulties in integrating the

operator consoles (four in the MPA,

two in the MSA), radar, electronic

support measures (ESM), optronics

and sonobuoys. The added

equipment weight also reduced the

range more than was expected.

Turkish pilots and operators

received training for the new aircraft

at Nîmes-Garons air base in France.

Tuition was given on the similarly

equipped French Navy Atlantique 2.

After the CN235 Meltem II was

certified in France, the first four

MPA aircraft were delivered to

301 Filo between February and

June 2012. The remaining two

MPAs were handed over to Naval

Aviation Command in 2013.

As part of the Meltem II project

a new Naval Air Operation

Assistance Centre became

operational in September 2013

and is co-located with 301 Filo.

New capabilities

The Turkish Navy’s CN235 MPA is

operated by a crew of nine: two

pilots, one tactical co-ordination

officer, five operators and one flight

engineer. The aircraft has four

AMASCOS-300 mission systems

consoles manned by a radar

operator, a tactical co-ordination

officer, an acoustics operator

and signals operator. There are

also two seats for observers.

The aircraft are capable of

intelligence, surveillance and

reconnaissance (ISR) missions using

their synthetic aperture radar, as

well as locating submarines using

sonobuoys supported by acoustic

systems and a magnetic anomaly

detector (MAD) system. Each

aircraft carries 48 sonobuoys, 16

of which can be simultaneously

deployed and monitored. The

forward-looking infrared (FLIR)

system allows operators to detect

and identify targets, day or night,

from long distances. All this

information can be transferred to

friendly forces using the Link 11

system. Detected submarines can

be attacked with Mk46 torpedoes.

A Traffic Alert and Collision

Avoidance System (TCAS)

II ensures safe operations

in civilian airspace.

Both MPA and MSA versions

can deploy Aerolite 6 life rafts

for SAR operations. These can

accommodate six to 14 survivors.

The Coast Guard CN235s became

operational in 2013 after 170 hours

of flight tests and training. The

MSA version is crewed by two

pilots, two console operators, two

observers and a flight engineer.

Four passenger seats are also fitted.

For pollution control, the MSA

carries Terma SLAR sensors on

both sides of the fuselage. These

can detect oil spills from 15,000ft.

Meltem III

After acquiring the maritime

CN235s, Turkey sought a more

capable MPA offering increased

capacity, longer range and more

powerful engines. Despite

considerable experience with the

CN235 series, Turkey opted for

the ATR 72 rather than the C295.

In 2005 an agreement for ten

ATR 72-500 aircraft was signed

Meltem and more

The CN235 MPA is provided with

comprehensive self-protection

equipment. The aircraft’s ASES-

235M suite includes a missile

warning receiver and is used in

conjunction with chaff and, seen

here, fl ares. DzKK (Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri)

301 Filo fl eet

Type Serial

TB-20 TCB-601

TB-20 TCB-602

TB-20 TCB-603

TB-20 TCB-604

TB-20 TCB-605

TB-20 TCB-606

TB-20 TCB-607

CN235 MPA TCB-651

CN235 MPA TCB-652

CN235 MPA TCB-653

CN235 MPA TCB-654

CN235 MPA TCB-655

CN235 MPA TCB-656

ATR 72-600 TMUA TCB-701

ATR 72-600 TMUA TCB-702

ORBAT

Unit Aircraft Base

301 Filo CN235

MPA

Cengiz Topel

NAS

Inventory

Aircraft Number Remarks

CN235 MPA 6

ATR 72-600

TMPA

6 On order

Sahil Güvenlik Hava Komutanlığı

(Coast Guard Command).

Until the Meltem II project came

into effect, the nine CN235s were

used only for general-purpose

roles. Signed in 2003, Meltem II

called for the six navy airframes

to be modified as CN235 MPA

(Maritime Patrol Aircraft) while the

three Coast Guard examples would

become unarmed CN235 MSA

(Maritime Surveillance Aircraft).

Meltem II also stipulated

that French firm Thales would

equip all nine airframes with

the AMASCOS-300 (Airborne

Maritime Situation Control System).

Additionally, the aircraft received

Ocean Master 400 radar. TAI was

the subcontractor

responsible for

installing these

systems. Meanwhile,

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #363 JUNE 2018 // 41