Türkiye upgrading long-range reconnaissance planes

The project, initiated by the Turkish Defense Industry Directorate, will modernize long-range radar surveillance and control aircraft and the Turkish Air Force Ground Support Center.

Caliber.Az reports, citing a tweet by SavunmaSanayiST.com.

HİK Uçakları ve Sistemleri Modernize Edilecekhttps://t.co/9wRJyOpS6r

— SavunmaSanayiST.com (@SavunmaSanayiST) July 26, 2023

The signing ceremony of the protocol on cooperation on the modernization of the airborne long-range radar surveillance and control system was held at the 16th International Exhibition of the Defense Industry IDEF with the participation of defense companies TUSAŞ, ASELSAN, and HAVELSAN.

As part of a logistical support project implemented by the Turkish Defense Industry Directorate, the AWACS system, consisting of 4 EWAR aircraft and a Ground Support Center, will be upgraded to address growing obsolescence issues due to rapidly changing technological developments and dwindling operational resources.

In 2006, Boeing signed an agreement with the Turkish Ministry of Defense to develop a special modification of the E-7A. The E-7T Barış Kartalı aircraft was supposed to use Turkish-designed electronic equipment. In 2007, the first E-7T was tested, and it was accepted into service in 2014. By the end of 2015, the Turkish Air Force received three more aircraft.

Currently, the Turkish Air Force is armed with four AWACS aircraft under the names North, East, South, and West. AWACS aircraft built on the Boeing 737 platform have a multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar developed by Northrop Grumman. MESA provides all-around visibility and is capable of detecting air, ground, and surface targets. For large air targets, the maximum detection range exceeds 600 km, for fighters - 370 km. A frigate-class surface ship is visible from 240 km. There is an electronic intelligence mode. In this case, the detection range of emitting objects can exceed 800-850 km.

Two CFM56-7B27A engines provide a cruising speed of 850 km/h and a flight range of up to 6,500 km on one gas station. There is equipment for in-flight refueling. The operation of the radar and other means is controlled by 10 operators, the flight crew consists of two people.