National Combat Aircraft (MMU/TF-X) - Turkey's Project
At the Defense Industry Executive Committee (SSİK) meeting held on December 15, 2010, it was decided to build a jet training and a jet fighter aircraft for the first time in Turkey with domestic means, and it was announced that the construction of the aircraft would be carried out by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ). In the months following this decision, the design studies of the aircraft were started by the working group formed by the Air Force Command and TAI representatives within the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB). It has been decided to manufacture our warplane as a 5th generation stealth combat aircraft. The aircraft was named MMU (National Combat Aircraft) as its definition and TF-X as its model. The letter “T” means Turkey, the letter “F” means Fighter used in international aviation and the letter “X” means Experimental. When the aircraft goes into mass production, the number to be determined will be used instead of "X". SSB announced that the plane is planned to leave the hangar in 2023, the 100th anniversary of our Republic. If the name of the aircraft is determined as TF-23, this aircraft will have carried the last two digits of the founding date of our Republic.
In order to achieve the goal of "Build Your Own Aircraft", which was set by our Air Force in the 1970s, the first step was taken to realize a combat jet aircraft with our domestic means by assembling F-16 aircraft at TAI facilities. The Turkish Air Force has the experience to define the combat jet aircraft it needs today. The TUSAŞ aircraft factory, which was decided to be the facility where the domestic jet fighter aircraft will be made, has reached the potential to manufacture such a fighter aircraft with its advanced technological level and modern facilities in the aviation industry, and its trained, talented, experienced managers, engineers and manpower. The main goal is to have a combat aircraft system that is not dependent on any foreign country.
The most important step in the design phase of an aircraft is the "Identification of needs" phase. The foremost criterion at the stage of determining the needs is that the aircraft to be manufactured must have the performance to meet the future threat and other operational needs.
At the initial stage of the studies on the MMU/TF-X, which was decided to be manufactured as a combat aircraft with the 5th generation (stealth) capability, the Defense Industry Presidency officials, Turkey's construction of a 5th generation combat jet that will be designed and manufactured from scratch. They stated that the technical support of foreign countries whose expertise has been proven in their studies will be needed. For this purpose, a two-year contract was signed with the Swedish company Saab, one of the companies specialized in the production of jet warplanes. As a result of the studies on the conceptual design of the aircraft in collaboration with Saab engineers, three separate models of the MMU were designed, two of which are single-engine and one is twin-engine. After long analysis and studies, our Air Force Command chose the twin-engine model of the MMU in April 2016. Choosing the twin-engine model of the MMU was a very sensible and historic decision. Among the 5th generation combat aircraft currently flying around the world, the US-made F-117 Nighthawk and F-22 Raptor, the Russian SU-57 and Mig LMFS, the Chinese J-20 Chengdu and J-31 Shenyang, the Japanese F-3 Shinshin, the Southern Korea KF-21 Boramae and concept phase Swedish FS-2020, India HAL (AMCA), British/Swedish/Italy TEMPEST, French/German/Spanish FCAS and US 6th generation NGAD, which made its maiden flight last year All aircraft are designed with twin engines. The only model manufactured as a single-engine 5th generation fighter jet in the world is the US F-35 JSF Lightning II aircraft. In order to carry fuel and weapons loads inside the fuselage of a single-engine stealth aircraft, it is inevitable that a bulging image occurs in the structure of the aircraft from top to bottom. This fat fuselage structure causes the turning radius of the aircraft to be large and the amount of G drawn to be low. In addition, the radius of operation of a single-engine aircraft is shorter than that of a twin-engine aircraft. The total weight of the weapon loads carried in the hull is also very low compared to the twin engine. Therefore, by choosing the twin-engine model of our MMU aircraft, all these performance degradations that could be encountered in the single-engine model were prevented.
After the two-year contract with the Swedish Saab company expired, a new evaluation was made and it was decided to continue the development of the MMU with the British company BAE Systems. “Heads of Agreement” was signed between TAI and BAE Systems on 28 January 2017 in Ankara. The Cooperation Agreement between the two companies was signed on 25 August 2017 and entered into force. The Cooperation Agreement with BAE System, of which USD 156 million was committed, covers the following issues within a four-year calendar:
1. The first 7 units with the contract The design, development, production, testing and certification of t MMU aircraft will be carried out jointly with BAE Systems.
2. The configuration of the fighter aircraft, whose cockpit will be designed for one person, is planned as follows:
a. twin engine
b. Radar stealth capability
c. In-body weapon carrying feature
d. Supercruise (supersonic flight without using Afterburner)
e. Advanced avionics (flight and firing systems)
f. AESA dual function radar
g. electronic warfare capability
3. With the said Cooperation Agreement, guarantees will be provided from state to state and both countries will stand behind the project by giving maximum support to the work of TAI and BAE Systems until the project is completed. In this way, the MMU project will be kept above all domestic laws and the project will be acted upon by giving guarantees according to interstate agreements.
4. BAE Systems will provide 400 man/year engineering services to TAI for the MMU project. BAE System's engineers will have supersonic aircraft design/manufacturing experience.
5. The patent of the aircraft will belong to Turkey.
General features of MMU
Wingspan : 14 meters
Length : 21 meters
Height : 6 meters
Engine : 2 x 29.000 Lb
Maximum flight altitude: 55,000 feet
Maximum speed: Mach 1.8 (at 40,000 feet)
G limits: Positive +9.0G, Negative -3.5G
Operational Radius: Over 800 nautical miles
One of the key points in the MMU/TF-X project is to decide on the turbofan engine of the aircraft to be used and to supply this engine according to a schedule to be determined. While negotiations are being conducted with jet engine manufacturers for the turbofan engine that is planned to be used in the TF-X, studies are also being carried out on the option of using an engine that will be manufactured with domestic means. The "Original Engine Development Project", which is aimed at using the TF-X in the specified configuration in order to meet the operational needs of the Air Force Command, is being carried out. Until the "Original Engine Development Project" is completed, the development activities of the aircraft will continue by using the ready engine. For the first two prototype TF-X aircraft to be manufactured according to the project, 5 of the General Electric F110-GE-129 series engines, which are still used in the F-16 aircraft of the Turkish Air Force, were purchased.
The TF-X, the 5th generation multi-role fighter aircraft, will have the performance to perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The cockpit design of the TF-X is being matured to minimize the pilot's workload by considering the capabilities and equipment that the 5th generation warplanes should have. A cockpit design is developed that will increase the pilot's situational awareness, taking into account the physical, cognitive and environmental factors that the pilot will be in during the design process.
The Defense Industry Presidency has announced that our National Combat Aircraft will leave the hangar on March 18, 2023 and ground tests will begin. The Engineering Center, where the National Combat Aircraft will be manufactured, and the MMU Building, which has a specially protected confidentiality, were put into service with a ceremony held on January 5, 2022. In addition, the construction of Turkey's largest and Europe's second largest wind tunnel is in the process of being completed in the TAI factory region for the development of original fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, especially the National Combat Aircraft, to be manufactured by TAI, and to be used in critical sectors. Officials of the Presidency of Defense Industry announced that MMU will make its first flight in 2026 and meet with the sky, flight tests will continue and 2 planes will be produced per month and delivered to our Air Force as of 2029. Since our current F-16 aircraft in our inventory are planned to be decommissioned from the 2030s, there will be no need to procure combat aircraft from a foreign country in the interim period, and Turkey will be freed from dependence on a foreign country, as it has been for years, in the supply and maintenance of warplanes.
On the other hand, after the USA's F-35 founding partner countries removed Turkey from the F-35 program with a joint decision, it is vital that the MMU program be carried out without delay and that the aircraft take their place in the combat fleets on the date specified by the competent authorities. Now, Turkey must concentrate all its power and means to manufacture our own National Combat Aircraft, by putting forth its best. TUSAŞ has gained great experience in aircraft manufacturing by manufacturing different models of jet and propeller aircraft such as F-16, CASA CN235, KT-1 jointly with foreign partners, in Mürted facilities. TAI has also shown success in manufacturing the ATAK T129 armed helicopter, ANKA and AKSUNGUR UAV/SİHA unmanned aerial vehicles and HÜRKUŞ-B air-ground integration aircraft. Work continues on the development of the T625 Gökbey general purpose helicopter and the T-929 Atak II armed helicopter. TAI is also working on the production of the single turbofan-engined HURJET aircraft to be used in jet training missions and close air support missions of our Air Force, and plans to fly this aircraft on March 18, 2023. In this context, at the last meeting of the Defense Industry Executive Committee, the first stage mass production decision was taken for HÜRJET.
In recent years, companies such as Alp Aviation, Aselsan, Ayesaş, Havelsan, Kale Aero, Mikes, Roketsan, Tubitak-Sage and Milsoft in Turkey; Before Turkey was removed from the F-35 program, they produced more than 900 parts of this aircraft in our country, thus gaining great experience in the production of 5th generation fighter jet parts and software. Together with these companies that have gained experience in the production of 5th generation aircraft parts, TUSAŞ needs to produce our National Combat Aircraft with the most perfect performance and according to the planned schedule by putting all its possibilities, manpower and experience.
The MMU Project is the biggest project in the history of the Turkish Defense Industry. With its technical and strategic features, it will have a great place in the defense of our beautiful country in the future. With these features, MMU is not the Government's, Defense Industry Presidency, TAI and Air Force's project, but TURKEY'S PROJECT. The realization of this project is also the liberation struggle of the Turkish aircraft industry. It is a duty of citizenship for everyone to give all their support to win this struggle.
İrfan Sarp
Contact: [email protected]
