Turkish Aerospace Industries (Türk Havacılıok ve Uzay Sanayi A.Åž., TAI) performs the structural upgrades for the F-16 Block 30s as a part of an ongoing improve program. Turkey’s procurement and protection authorities designed to extend the structural lifetime of the nation’s current fleet of F-16 Block 30 jets from 8,000 flight hours to 12,000. The great improve program would contain revisions, renewals, replacements and physique reinforcement. The life-extension Program will cowl 1,200 to 1,500 elements per plane.
In September 1983, the federal government of Turkey introduced plans to purchase 132 F-16C’s and 24 F-16D’s below the Peace Onyx I program, which operates below the International Army Gross sales (FMS) program. The primary eight plane within the order had been to be constructed at Fort Value, however the remaining 148 plane had been to be assembled in Turkey atTurkish Aerospace Industries at Akinci (previously Mürted). TheTurkish Air Power acquired its first two F-16s as meeting kits in March of 1987, and Turkey formally acquired its first F-16D in a ceremony at Fort Value in July of 1987.
Commercial
The Turkish Air Power (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri, TuAF) has a complete of 270 F-16C/D plane in its stock, all of them Block 30/40/50 fashions. Turkey is one in all 5 international locations to regionally produce F-16s. TAI is at the moment constructing 30 new F-16 Block 50+ plane for the Turkish Air Power and is working an improve program overlaying greater than 160 F-16 Block 30/40/50 plane. TAI has additionally been awarded a contract to construct wings, middle fuselages, and aft fuselages for USAF F-16s. They’ve additionally been awarded a contract to construct 46 Block 40 F-16C/D’s for the Egyptian Air Power.
The Turkish Air Power has supplied 18 F-16s to the allied marketing campaign in opposition to Serbia – 11 stationed on the NATO base at Aviano, Italy, and the opposite seven at residence. The entire planes had been outfitted with laser-guided bombs utilizing the LANTIRN night-vision system. Turkish F-16s are sometimes used within the battle in opposition to the PKK. Principally they supply air cowl for the bottom forces. Through the years, Turkish F-16s have usually been concerned in fights with Greek plane over the a lot disputed elements of the Aegean Sea.
