Monday, October 11, 2004 - The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified the U.S. Congress last week of a possible sale to Turkey of an F-16 modernization package as well as associated equipment and services.

The package covers the modification of 104 F-16 Block 40 aircraft, 76 F-16 Block 50s and 38 F-16 Block 30s. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $3.9 billion.

The proposed sale will include the following Major Defense Equipment (MDE) items for integration and testing:

180 AN/APG-68(V)9 radars;
7 full mission trainers for upgrade/replacement;
200 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS);
200 AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Goggles (NVG);
4 AGM-84H Joint Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER);
4 AGM-84 Harpoon missiles;
6 AIM-120C Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM);
4 drones (aerial targets);
1 AGM-154B Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW);
1 AGM-154A JSOW;
2 AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles;
2 CBU-103 Cluster Bomb Units with Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD);
2 CBU-105 Sensor Fused Weapon with WCMD;
1 AGM-88B High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM);
2 AN/ASQ-213 HARM Targeting System (export) (HTS(E).
The proposed upgraded capabilities will include integration of the Modular Mission Computer, AN/APG-68( V)9 radar, JHMCS, AN/AVS-9, Link-16, Self-Protection Electronic Warfare Suite (SPEWS II), HTS(E), export versions of weapons available on F-16s, plus five additional foreign weapon systems: Infra-Red Improved Sidewinder-TVC (IRIS-T) (Germany) and Penguin (Norway), Python-5 (Israel), Derby (Israel), and Spice (Israel).

Also included are system integration and testing, missile modifications, software development/integration, test sets and support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical data, maintenance, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor representatives, contractor engineering and technical support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $3.888 billion.

"This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the military capabilities of Turkey and further weapon system standardization and interoperability with U.S. forces," the DSCA said.

The principal contractors will be:

BAE Advanced Systems
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
Harris Corporation Government Communications Systems Division
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control
Northrop-Grumman Electro-Optical Systems
Northrop-Grumman Electronic Systems
Raytheon Missile Systems.

Türk Hava Kuvvetleri'nin elindeki F-16'lar üç versiyondan oluşuyor: Block-30, 40 ve 50. Bu versiyonlar arasında bazı yapısal ve elektronik, aviyonik vb farklılıklar mevcut. Söz gelimi F-16 Block-50'ye uygulanacak radar yenilemesi ile Block-40'a uygulanacak radar yenilemesi maliyet ve kapsam açısından farklı. Block-50 radarını APG-68v9 radarına yükseltme çok cüzi bir çalışma sonucu gerçekleşebilirken Block-40 için daha masraflı. Aynı şey silah sistemlerinin sertifikasyonu için de geçerli. Block-30'lar elimizdeki en eski modeller oldukları için en fazla uçuş saatine sahip uçaklar. Dolayısıyla Block-30'lar için daha fazla yapısal yenileştirme gerekebilir. Bu gibi ayrıntıların çözülmesi ve hangi silah sistemlerini seçileceğine karar verilmesi bir miktar zaman alacak.

Kamuoyuna çok fazla yansımış bilgi yok, şu anda proje başlangıç fazında denebilir.

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Arda Mevlütoğlu

Genel olarak ben de Turkiye kaynaklı hic bilgi goremedigim icin sormustum zaten. Ozellikle kaska monteli hedef takip/nisangah sistemlerinin su asamada kullanımı dusunuluyor mu, hele AIM 9X envantere alınacaksa? Bu arada kaza kırıma ugrayan ucaklar icin yeni tedarik calısmaları var mı, bilginiz varsa paylasırsanız sevinirim

iyi gunler..