The Turk Hava Kuvvetleri (THK, or Turkish
Air Force) is an important user of the F-16.
In September of 1983, the government of
Turkey announced plans to buy 132 F-16Cs and 28 F-16Ds under the Peace Onyx I
program, which operates under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. They were intended
to replace the Lockheed F-104G/S Starfighter and Northrop F-5A/B that were serving with
five tactical air forces. They would also eventually replace the McDonnell F-4E Phantom
II.
The first eight aircraft in the order
were to be built at Fort Worth, but the remaining 152 aircraft were to be assembled in
Turkey at TUSAS Aerospace Industries (TAI) at Murted. TUSAS is an acronym which stands for
Tusas Ucak Sanayii AS, or Turkish Aircraft Industries, which is a company owned jointly by
Turkish and American shareholders. Under the terms of Peace Onyx I, TAI is not
allowed to sell its aircraft to any air force, including the THK. Consequently, F-16s
built at Murted have to be first delivered to the USAF, which then turns them over to the
THK.
Turkey received its first two F-16s in
knock-down kit form in March of 1987. Turkey officially received its first F-16D in a
ceremony at Fort Worth in July of 1987. The first Turkish F-16C/Ds arrived at Murted AB in
October of 1987. The first flight of a Turkish-built F-16C (86-0068) took place on October
20, 1987.
The first F-16C/Ds to be operated by the
THK were handed over to 141 Filo and 142 Filo stationed at No 4 Base at Murted. In
addition, an OCU at Murted was also equipped with the F-16C/D. These F-16s replaced the
F-104G Starfighter. F-16s were later issued to 161 Filo and 162 Filo at Bandirma and 191
Filo and 192 Filo at Balikesir. At Murted, the F-16 units are assigned to air defense
duties only, but the Bandirma's squadrons also have a secondary close air support role.
Although the initial F-16C/Ds for the THK
were Block 30 aircraft, starting with the 44th aircraft (USAF serial number 88-0033), all
THK F-16s were manufactured to the Block 40 standard. The Block 40 aircraft are powered by
General Electric F110-GE-100 engines, which are built under license by TAI Engines at
Eskisehir. The THK Block 40 aircraft are fitted with the GPS navigation system, APG-68(V)
radar, automatic terrain-following radar, digital flight controls, new ECM equipment, more
efficient chaff and flare dispensers, and the ability to carry AIM-7 and AIM-120
radar-guided BVR missiles. These Block 40 machines are also compatible with the LANTIRN
low-level night navigation and attack system.
TAI completed a total of 152 Block 30/40
F-16C/Ds for the THK (plus 8 delivered directly from the USA), plus an additional 34 Block
40 Cs and 12 Block 40 Ds built for the Egyptian Air Force.
The last 20 of the F-16s delivered under Peace
Onyx I were scheduled to replace the Starfighters of Diyarbakir-based 181 Filo. 181
Filo finally retired its last F-104Gs in April 1994. This marked the last use of the
F-104G in THK service.
The Bandirma-based F-16s were scheduled
to receive the NA/AAQ-13 navigation and AAQ-14 targeting pod of the LANTIRN system, being
the first F-16s outside the USAF to be given this system. 161 Filo received its first
LANTIRN-equipped Block 40 F-16C in February 1994. By May of 1994, seven F-16s had received
LANTIRN modifications locally, and the F-16s of 161 Filo are scheduled to be fully
LANTIRN-equipped by the end of 1996.
TAI has also been awarded a contract to
build wings, center fuselages, and aft fuselages for USAF F-16s. They have also been
awarded a contract to build 46 Block 40 F-16C/Ds for the Egyptian Air Force under the Peace
Vector IV program.
In March of 1992, a follow-on order for
two batches of 40 Block 50 F-16C/Ds (68Cs and 12 Ds) was placed under the Peace Onyx II
FMS program. The funding of the first 40 planes was met primarily by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,
and the United Arab Emirates. These Block 50 machines were equipped with the AN/APG-68(V5)
radar, a secure-voice communication system, new radar warning receivers, and the ability
to carry and launch the AGM-88 HARM antiradiation missile. The first of these TAI-built
planes were delivered to the THK on July 19, 1996. The first of these planes re-equipped
Filo 182 at Diyarbakir beginning in July 1996 as replacements for the group's CF-104
Starfighters. The remainder of the order replaced the the F-5A/B Freedom Fighters of 151
and 152 Filo at Merzifon, beginning in 1999.
The last license-built F-16 from TAI was
delivered to the THK on November 13, 1999. TAI built a total of 278 F-16C/Ds for the THK,
plus an additional 46 aircraft for Egypt.
The USAF has embarked upon a Coalition
Force Enhancement (CFE) program in which older F-16s are offered for sale to foreign
customers to generate cash for the purchase of newer models. Turkey is considering
purchasing F-16A/Bs under this program rather than upgrading its fleet of Northrop F-5
Freedom Fighters.
The following THK units are currently
equipped with the F-16C/D:
- 4 Ana Jet Us - based at Akinci air base
(formerly known as Murted)
- 141 "Kurt" Filo
- 142 "Ceylan" Filo
- 5 Ana Jet Us - based at Merzifon air base
- 6 Ana Jet Us - based at Bandirma
- 161 "Kartal" Filo
- 162 "Zpkin" Filo
- 8 Ana Jet Us - based at Diyarbakir
- 181 "Pars" Filo
- 182 "Atmaca" Filo
- 9 Ana Jet Us - based at Balikesir
- 192 "Kaplan" Filo
- 191 "Kobra" Filo
Serials of THK F-16s:
86-0066/0072 General Dynamics F-16C Block 30B Fighting Falcon
for Turkey under Peace Onyx I
first two built by Fort Worth, rest by TAI
86-0191/0196 General Dynamics F-16D Fighting Falcon
built by Fort Worth for Turkey
87-0002/0003 General Dynamics F-16D Block 30E Fighting Falcon
built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
87-0009/0018 General Dynamics F-16C Block 30B Fighting Falcon
Built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
87-0019/0021 General Dynamics F-16C Block 30E Fighting Falcon
Built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
88-0013 General Dynamics F-16D Block 30E Fighting Falcon
built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
88-0014/0015 General Dynamics F-16D Block 40A Fighting Falcon
built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
88-0019/0032 General Dynamics F-16C Block 30E Fighting Falcon
built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
88-0033/0037 General Dynamics F-16C Block 40A Fighting Falcon
built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
89-0022/0033 General Dynamics F-16C Block 40A Fighting Falcon
built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
89-0034/0041 General Dynamics F-16C Block 40D Fighting Falcon
built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
89-0042 General Dynamics F-16D Block 40A Fighting Falcon
built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
89-0043/0045 General Dynamics F-16D Block 40D Fighting Falcon
built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
90-0001/0009 General Dynamics F-16C Block 40D Fighting Falcon
built by TAI for Turkey
90-0010/0021 General Dynamics F-16C Block 40F Fighting Falcon
built by TAI for Turkey
90-0022/0024 General Dynamics F-16D Block 40F Fighting Falcon -
built by TAI for Turkey
91-0001/0005 General Dynamics F-16C Block 40F Fighting Falcon
Built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
91-0006/0021 General Dynamics F-16C Block 40J Fighting Falcon
Built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
91-0022/0024 General Dynamics F-16D Block 40J Fighting Falcon
Built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
92-0001/0017 Lockheed/General Dynamics F-16C Block 40L Fighting Falcon
built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
92-0018/0021 Lockheed/General Dynamics F-16C Block 40P Fighting Falcon
built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
92-0022/0024 Lockheed/General Dynamics F-16D Block 40L Fighting Falcon
built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
93-001/014 Lockheed F-16C Block 40P Fighting Falcon
c/n 4R-123/4R-135. Built by TAI for Turkey, Peace Onyx I
94-071/096 Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 50 Fighting Falcon
c/n HC-36/HC-60. Under licence by TAI
To Turkey as 94-071/096
94-097/104 Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 50 Fighting Falcon
c/n HC-61/HC-68. Under licence by TAI
To Turkey as 94-097/104. Contract cancelled
94-105/110 Lockheed Martin F-16D Block 50 Fighting Falcon
c/n HD-7/HD-12. Under licence by TAI
To Turkey as 94-105/110
94-1557/1564 Lockheed Martin F-16D Block 50 Fighting Falcon
c/n HD-13/HD-20. under licence by TAI. to Turkey
plus later contracts (Peace Onyx II).
The following is a list of THK F-16
write-offs of which I am aware:
- Two Block 50 F-16Cs of 151 Filo collided
in midair Apr 4, 2000. One pilot ejected safely, the other pilot was killed.
Sources:
- Combat Aircraft F-16, Doug Richardson,
Crescent, 1992.
- General Dynamics Aircraft and their
Predecessors, John Wegg, Naval Institute Press, 1990.
- The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and
Peter Bowers, Orion, 1987.
- United States Military Aircraft Since
1909, Gordon Swanborough and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.
- F-16 Fighting Falcon--A Major Review of
the West's Universal Warplane, Robert F. Dorr, World Airpower Journal, Spring 1991.
- The World's Great Interceptor Aircraft,
Gallery, 1989.
- Modern Military Aircraft--F-16 Viper, Lou
Drendel, Squadron/Signal Publications, 1992.
- Lockheed F-16 Variants, Part 1, World
Airpower Journal, Volume 21, Summer 1995.
- Turkish Aerospace Industries--The First
Ten Years, Renzo Sacchetti and Paolo Rollino, Air International, June 1994, p.353.
- Airscene Headlines, Air International,
April 1994, p 170.
- Continental NATO Air Forces, Paul Jackson,
World Airpower Journal, Volume 1, Spring 1990.
- Modern Military Aircraft--F-16 Viper, Lou
Drendel, Squadron/Signal Publications, 1992.
- Lockheed Martin F-16 Operators: Part 2,
Peter R. Foster, World Airpower Journal, Vol 24, Spring 1996.
- Military Aviation Review, World AirPower
Journal, Vol 28, 1997.
