Turkish Air Force, which has been competing with its age since 1911, is waiting for HÜRKUŞ, HÜRJET and MMU KAAN

‘1 June 1911’ Founding Date of Turkish Air Force

On 17 December 1903, shortly after the Wright brothers succeeded in taking off the first motorised aircraft, the Ottoman Empire was among the countries such as the USA, France, England, Germany, Italy, Italy, Austria and Russia that established their military aviation organisations between 1909 and 1912.

Understanding the importance of aeroplanes and military aviation, Mahmut Şevket Pasha, the Minister of War of the period, requested two officers to receive training in aviation abroad. An aviation commission was established on 1 June 1911 to select the officers to be sent and to carry out aviation affairs. This date was later accepted as the foundation date of the Turkish Air Force. 

The two selected candidates, Cavalry Captain Fesa and Engineering Lieutenant Yusuf Kenan Beys, received flight training at the Bleriot Factory in France in July 1911, and Fesa Bey, who became a pilot on 21 February 1912, was entitled to wear the Turkish Army's No.1 badge and Yusuf Kenan Bey was entitled to wear the No.2 badge. On 26 April 2012, Fesa Bey made his first flight in Yeşilköy with his REP (Robert-Esnol-Pieteri) aircraft, becoming the first Turkish pilot to fly on Turkish soil. In reference to the date of the first flight, 26 April has been celebrated every year since 2000 as ‘Pilots’ Day' in Turkey and later in the world. 

On 3 July 1912, with the opening of the Turkish Aeronautical School in Yeşilköy (Istanbul), the process of training pilots in the Turkish Army began. During this period, the first aircraft used by Ottoman aviators, most of which were of reconnaissance/training type, were REP (3 units), Deperdussin (3 units), Bleeriot IIB (3 units), Bristol (4 units) Harlan Eindecker (2 units) D.F.W. Mars Pfeil (2 units), Parsaval P.9 (1 unit), Curtiss M F-2 (1 unit). In the meantime, the Naval Aviation School was established in Yeşilköy in June 1914, and at the beginning of the First World War, aviation squadrons were established. In the same period, German aircraft and pilots started to serve in these squadrons. During the war, Ottoman aviators took part in almost every front where Turkish soldiers fought, from Çanakkale to Hijaz, from the Caucasus to Palestine. Throughout the war, Turkish pilots flew L.V.G. B-1, Fokker D-1, Fokker E/I III, Bristol Scout, Halberstadt D-V, Martinsyde, Caudron C-4, Albatross D-III, Spad S-XIII, Voisin, Nieuport-XVII, Pfalz and similar fighter/bombers as well as reconnaissance aircraft. 

In these years, with the increase in the number of aircraft in the Army, the Air Inspectorate was established for the single-handed management of aviation activities, and this inspectorate was affiliated with the aircraft school, aircraft stations, aircraft squadrons, fixed balloon squadrons, anti-aircraft artillery units and meteorological stations. Naval air divisions and Naval Air School were also attached to the Ministry of Navy. On 16 May 1916, while the land and naval aviation were merged, the tactical command of the air squadrons was left to the Army Commands under their command.

After the Armistice of Mudros, Turkish aviators took part in the national struggle launched in Anatolia under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha with the few remaining aircraft. The Ankara Government, aware of the importance of air activities, established the Air Forces Branch (later Inspectorate) on 13 June 1920. Through this branch, on the one hand, efforts were made to ensure the operation of aircraft, and on the other hand, new aircraft were purchased from countries such as Italy and France. With each aircraft, which was barely able to operate, Turkish aviators showed great usefulness with a total of 38 various types of hunting and reconnaissance aircraft (Spad XIII, Albatross DIII and C-XV, Breguet XIVB2, de Havilland 9, Fiat R2 Paradiso, Aviatik and Gotha) on the Western Front, in the Kütahya-Eskişehir Battles, Sakarya and finally in the Great Offensive. 

With the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, it was aimed to establish a strong air force that would adapt to modern aviation. For this purpose, Junkers A-20, Junkers F-13, Caudron C-27 and C-59, Spad 21 and 61, Morane Saulnier, Dewoitine, Rohrbrach, Savoia S-16, Potez 25A-2 aircraft were purchased from abroad. While the number of aeroplanes increased, the number of aircraft squadrons was also increased in parallel. From 1924 onwards, personnel were sent to France, England, the USA and Italy for flight training, while the Air School was reactivated in Eskişehir in 1925.

In 1928, the group and aviation station commands under the Undersecretariat of Air within the Ministry of National Defence were replaced by aviation battalions. In 1932, a transition was made to the structure of air regiments, and on 1 July of the same year, aviation personnel were accepted as a separate class. Thus, starting from 1933, Turkish aviators started to wear the blue coloured uniform, the symbol of aviation all over the world. 

During these years, the Air Force was involved in the suppression of Nesturi, Sheikh Sait, Ararat and Tunceli uprisings, which threatened the existence of the Young Republic, and achieved significant successes. In 1937, the Air War Academy was opened. On 22 May 1939, air brigades were established. In 1940, the number of aircraft in its inventory reached around 500, and according to most sources, the Turkish Air Force became the most powerful air force in the Balkans during this period. Curtiss Fledling, Supermarine, Vultee V, Curtiss Hawk, Curtiss Falcon, Focke Wulf FW-44, FW-58 and FW-190, Gotha, P.Z. L P-24, Heinkel HE 111K, Martin 139 W, Henriot 182, Spitfire, Fairey Battle, Avro Anson, Hawker Hurricane, Curtiss Tomahwk, Miles Magister, Westland Lysander, Curtiss Kittyhawk, Librator, Bristol, Martin Baltimore, the Turkish Army was always kept ready for war against a possible war during World War II. In the meantime, on 16 August 1943, air brigades were raised to the level of divisions and were given the title of air divisions.

Organisation of the Air Force as an Independent Force

In 1944, in parallel with the developments in the world, it was decided to gather the air units of the Turkish Army under a single roof. For this purpose, the Air Forces Command was established as an independent force on 31 January 1944 and the first Commander was Major General Zeki DOĞAN. Thus, while combat air units were included under the Air Forces Command, logistic support units were affiliated to the Ministry of National Defence and training institutions were affiliated to the General Staff. From these years onwards, the Turkish Air Force took steps towards acquiring new capabilities to conduct counter-air and air defence operations in addition to the support of surface forces. Within this framework, the Command was raised to the Army level. 

Within the scope of the Truman Doctrine, improvements were made in the Air Force base, radar and air defence infrastructure with American military aid. Thunderbolt P-47D (180 units), T-6 Harward (196 units), Beechcraft AT-11 (128 units), C-47 A/B Dakotaa (102 units) aircraft from the USA were added to the inventory, and all the facilities and capabilities of the Turkish Air Force were renewed from scratch. Furthermore, in 1950, all air units and institutions, except the Air War Academy, were affiliated to the Air Force Command, and the current structure was established. In the same year, the Air Technical Schools Command was established in Izmir to provide training in all specialisations and branches other than pilot training.

In 1950, the decision was taken to switch from propeller aircraft to jet aircraft, and on 15 October, eight pilots were sent to the USA for jet training. The pilots, who successfully completed their jet training on 31 August 1951, started to work as jet adaptation instructors. After Turkey became a member of NATO on 15 February 1952, the transition to jet aircraft accelerated and propeller aircraft were almost completely decommissioned. During this period, T-33 (166 units), F-84G (479 units), F-86E (107 units), T-34A (24 units), RF-84F (52 units) aircraft were purchased from the USA, while MKE-4 Uğur (57 units) aircraft built by the Mechanical and Chemical Industry started to provide initial training to pilot candidates. Meanwhile, with the transition to jet aircraft, nomenclatures such as battalion, regiment and brigade were abandoned. A transition was made to base and squadron organisation with new terms in accordance with aviation jargon. In the new structure, Balıkesir 9th Main Jet Base Command became the first jet base of the Turkish Air Force, and the 191st, 192nd and 193rd squadrons were reorganised as the first jet squadrons. In 1952, the first Turkish acrotim team with the call name ‘Milli’ was established and F-84G aircraft were used as the aircraft type.

On 30 August 1956, the Air Training Command was established at corps level, and all training and education activities of the Air Force began to be planned and managed from a single centre. 

After the F-100 (130 units) aircraft, which served the Air Force for many years from 1958, the F-84 Q/F (93 units) in 1959, the F-104 G (175 units) from 1962, the F-5/RF-84F in 1966 and the F-102 (44 units) in 1968 were added to the inventory. Meanwhile, in June 1962, air divisions were upgraded to corps level and the title of Tactical Air Force was introduced. In addition to the F-100C (92 units) in 1972 and the F-104S (40 units) purchased from Italy in 1974, the Turkish Air Force was further strengthened with the third generation F-4 fighter jets. 

Until 1961, various eagle figures were used as the symbol of the Turkish Air Force, while the single-headed ‘Seljuk Eagle’ was adopted in June 1961. Turkish pilots won the Challenge Cup for two consecutive years in the international military pentathlon competitions held in 1954-1955, won first place in the air shooting competitions held in the NATO south east region in 1955 and in the Best Hit air shooting competitions held in 1971, and second place in the Best Hit air shooting competitions held in 1972, The fact that in 1973 they again came first in aerial shooting competitions, and in 1975 they came first in military pentathlon competitions, and finally the successes of the Turkish Air Force in bombing, reconnaissance and airborne landing missions during the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation were indicative of the level of training and skill possessed by aviation personnel at that time.

Since 1987, 160 Block 30/40 F-16C/D aircraft manufactured at the facilities of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TAI) have been equipped to modernise the capabilities of the 4, 6, 9, 8 and 5 Main Jet Base Commands of the Turkish Air Force. Between 1996 and 1999, the second package of 80 F-16 C/D Block 50 aircraft was produced at TAI and brought into the inventory. In addition, between 2007 and 2012, the Turkish Air Force became the air force with the second largest F-16 fleet in the world with a total of 270 F-16 fighter aircraft, including 30 F-16 Block 50+ aircraft procured directly from the USA.

Air Logistics Command was established on 3 April 1989 in order to ensure the supply and material flow of a modern air force and to maintain the aircraft in the best way possible. On 18 January 1991, aerial refuelling was carried out for the first time with Turkish-made F-16 Fighter Falcons. Meanwhile, the Turkish Stars Acrotim Squadron, which was formed in order to resume air shows in the Turkish skies, performed its first air show with NF-5 aircraft on 18 June 1993. In this context, the only F-16 Demonstration Flight (SOLOTÜRK) was performed on 15 April 2011.

In 1994, 161st Squadron, which was equipped with LANTIRN pods with low altitude attack capability at night, became the backbone of the striking power of the Air Force in the west of the country, and 181st Squadron, which was equipped with similar capability in 2000, became the backbone of the striking power of the Air Force in the east of the country. In the meantime, a total of seven KC-135R tanker aircraft were taken into inventory between 1995 and 1997, and an aerial refuelling capability was acquired. As a result of the modernisation agreements with Israel, 54 F-4 and 48 F-5 aircraft were modernised towards the end of the 1990s. With the procurement of four Boeing Airborne Early Warning Control (AEWC) aircraft in 2015, the Turkish Air Force's airborne surveillance systems, which are integrated with fixed and mobile radars on the ground, came into operation.

Since April 1993, Turkish Air Force fighter squadrons, which were deployed alternately at Ghedi Base in Italy, took part in the Bosnia-Herzegovina Operation. Again, between 29 May 2000 and 7 August 2001, the Turkish Air Force participated in the Kosovo Operation from Aviona Base. Between 4 April - 31 October 2011, air patrol missions were carried out over the Mediterranean Sea within the scope of NATO's Operation Unified Protector launched against Libya from Sigonella Base (Italy). The Turkish Air Force, which has actively supported the counter-terrorism operations of the Turkish Armed Forces since the 1980s, continued to carry out internal security and cross-border aerial bombardment and reconnaissance missions against PKK and YPG elements with manned and unmanned aerial vehicles. 

Nowadays, Turkish Air Force

The Headquarters of the Turkish Air Force Command is located in Ankara. The mission of the Command is to deter the enemy from its aggressive intentions with its superior speed and high destructive power weapons and means, to intercept enemy aircraft from the most advanced line in case of an attack on the country, to destroy the vital military targets of the enemy country, to break the determination and power to continue the war, and to win the war in the shortest time with the least casualties.

In line with this mission, the Air Forces Command, which performs various activities and functions in peace and war, continues to add new capabilities to its inventory with the understanding of a force that competes with its age in order to rise above the level of modern world aviation and to take its place more effectively in the defence of the country in accordance with Atatürk's vision of ‘The Future is in the Skies!’. 

In this context, the Turkish Air Force, which pioneered the ‘Build Your Own Aircraft’ campaign by establishing the Turkish Air Force Foundation in 1973, is primarily motivated by the desire to use domestically developed and produced aircraft, sensors, modern ammunition, etc. To this end, together with the Presidency of Defence Industries, the Turkish Air Forces Command endeavours to add new capabilities to its inventory in cooperation with all Turkish companies involved in the defence industry, particularly Turkish Armed Forces Foundation partnership companies such as TAI, ASELSAN, HAVELSAN and ROKETSAN.

With this basic principle and understanding, Turkish Air Force personnel actively support the introduction of ANKA, AKSUNGUR, ANKA-III, TB-2, AKINCI and KIZILELMA in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, Gökbey and T-70 Utility Helicopters, Hürkuş, the new generation basic training aircraft, and Hürjet, the developmental jet training aircraft, and finally the fifth generation national combat aircraft (MMU) Kaan, the flagship of our defence industry in the field of aviation.
As a matter of fact, a signing ceremony was held on 18 April 2024 with the participation of General Ziya Cemal KADIOĞLU, Commander of the Air Force, for the Manned Air Platforms, which play an important role in the full independence of our country. The delivery contracts of the indigenous and national air systems HÜRKUŞ-B and HÜRJET, and the extended contract of KAAN were signed. 

New Generation Advanced Basic Trainer and Light Attack Aircraft HÜRKUŞ

On 26 December 2013, the HÜRKUŞ-B Contract was signed with TAI to meet the Air Forces Command's need for 15 new generation basic trainer aircraft. On 3 May 2021, the project gained momentum with the renewed contract, and the first single-engine, propeller-driven, tandem-structured aircraft equipped with modern avionics is expected to be delivered to the Air Force in 2025.

Developmental Jet Trainer Aircraft HÜRJET

The HÜRJET project, which is expected to fulfil a wide range of missions with superior performance and was initiated in 2017 for this purpose, aims to develop a single-engine, tandem, high performance Evolutionary Jet Trainer Aircraft with a cockpit and modern avionics suite. When this project is completed, it is planned to include HÜRJET aircraft in the Turkish Air Force inventory instead of T-38 jet training aircraft and F-5 aircraft used in Akrotim shows. On 19 May, HÜRJET, which performed together with F-5s, proved to be a good candidate for the Turkish Star and found a place in the hearts of the nation.

National Combat Aircraft KAAN

The Turkish Air Force, which actively supports the production of fifth generation fighter aircraft in Turkey, as in the case of training aircraft, pioneered the launch of the MMU Kaan project with the decision of the Defence Industry Executive Board (SSİK) in December 2010. KAAN is being developed under the main contractor of TAI, with all the capabilities of a fifth generation fighter aircraft, such as super cruise, high manoeuvrability, low radar visibility, avionic architecture open to improvement, increased situational awareness, precision targeting and interoperability. At the end of this process, Turkey entered the club of countries developing fifth generation fighter aircraft with the first flight of KAAN on 21 February 2024. 

In the short term, the aim is to produce and deliver at least 20 F110-GE-129-engined MMU KAANs with better features and capabilities than the F-16 aircraft to the Air Force Command by 2028. In line with this target, TAI is expected to first produce seven more prototypes in addition to the existing prototype and fulfil the requirements of the flight test process. With a total of eight prototype aircraft, efforts are being made to fly an estimated 6-7,000 flight test sorties, to verify around 100,000 test points, to carry out some additional tests with flying test laboratories or platforms, to complete the flight tests of many domestic and national sensors and systems such as AESA radar and EOTS, and to complete the integration process to KAAN.

In the long term, it is aimed to develop and integrate the indigenous engine into the KAAN under the umbrella of TR Motor, and eventually, the MMU will serve in the Air Force fleets until at least 2070 as a fighter aircraft that fully meets the fifth generation operational requirements. 

Conclusion

On 1 June 1911, the Turkish Air Force set out to take its place in the skies, and on 31 January 1944, it was established as a separate Command like the Land and Naval Forces. The Turkish Air Force, whose foundation day is celebrated every year on 1 June with air shows and various events, has always followed modern technology since its establishment and has reached its current proud level. 

I believe that air platforms, weapons and sensors such as Hürkuş, Hürjet, MMU KAAN, Anka III, Kızılelma, which are original and sovereign products of the Turkish defence industry, will carry the Turkish Air Force to better and more perfection and make it stronger. 

The Turkish Air Force, which is a source of pride for its nation, is the guarantee of the continuity of peace in its region as a highly deterrent force. The Air Force personnel, whose knowledge, skills, discipline, superior understanding of duty and self-sacrificing diligence I have witnessed closely, will continue to lead our Air Force from success to success today and tomorrow, as they did in the past, with the unwavering support of the Turkish nation. 

Note: This article was previously published in the 46th issue of the A5 Defence Industry Magazine, May-July 2024.

References

Akif Ayyıldız, “İnsanlı hava platformları için imza töreni”, DefenceTurk.net, 19 Nisan 2024, https://www.defenceturk.net/insanli-hava-platformlari-icin-imza-toreni

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Çetin Tuna’nın çizimleriyle Türk Hava Kuvvetleri Uçak Albümü (1911-1996), Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı Yayınları, 1996

Hava Kuvvetleri Tarihçesi, Hava Kuvvetleri Web Sayfası, 13 Nisan 2022, https://www.hvkk.tsk.tr/Custom/Hvkk/79