Turkish F-16s flying from Malbork, Poland under NATO’s Allied Air Command mission made their first intercept of an unknown aircraft today. A statement said that as part of NATO’s Air Policing mission, Turkish F-16s today carried out their first Prevention against an unknown aircraft. The shared images show the Ilyushin Il-20M electronic and signal intelligence aircraft used by the Russian air and Space Forces.
Turkish F-16s flying from Malbork, Poland under NATO's Air Policing mission made their first intercept of an unknown aircraft today. Allied fighters scramble 24/7 to identify aircraft without a flight plan or without a flight transponder to safeguard Allied airspace #WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/43NrVkyF3t
— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) July 20, 2021
4 Turkish F-16 fighter jets in Poland
By the statement the Ministry of National Defence,
“The Turkish Air Force has just started its Enhancing Air Policing mission in Poland. 4xF-16 aircraft from our 161st Jet Squadron will be serving to protect the Polish airspace.”
made statements.
Four Turkish Air Force F-16s from 6th Main Jet Base at Bandırma touched down at Malbork Air Base in Poland on Tuesday.
An 80-strong Turkish Air Force detachment operates the fighters from Malbork until mid-September in support of NATO’s Air Policing mission in the region. This is the second time, the Turkish Air Force contributes fighter jets to NATO Air Policing in the region, and the first deployment to Malbork, Poland.
This third Air Policing detachment in the region – in addition to the Spanish Air Force at Šiauliai, Lithuania, and the Italian Air Force at Ämari, Estonia – is an uptake of additional aircraft offers made by the Allies. The deployment of another additional fighter detachment to Malbork, POL, takes place under the auspices of the existing NATO enhanced Air Policing posture introduced in 2014. The deployment underlines the solidarity and cohesion among NATO Allies and the collective commitment to deterrence and defence.
Signing agreement for Poland’s TB2 UCAVs
BayraktarTB2, Turkey’s first national and original UCAV, will be exported to Poland. The export agreement was signed by Baykar General Director Haluk Bayraktar and Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak. Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs, which is the first in the history of Turkish aviation, will fly in the skies of Poland after Ukraine, Qatar and Azerbaijan. This will be the first time Turkey has exported high-tech UCAVs (armed drones) to a member state of NATO and the European Union (EU).
24 Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs will be exported
Within the scope of the agreement made with Poland, the 4 systems to be exported from Turkey will include 24 Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs, ground control stations (YKI) and ground data terminals (YVT). In addition, MAM-C and MAM-L mini smart munition by Roketsan will be exported to Poland.
For 320 thousand hours in the skies
Bayraktar TB2, which was designed and developed nationally and uniquely by Baykar, and which is the best in its class in the world in terms of its technical features and the operations it participated in, also surpassed 320 thousand hours of successful flight. National UCAVs continue to carry the title of national aircraft that has served the longest time in the sky.
Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs first entered the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in 2014. The unmanned aerial vehicle, which was armed in 2015, is used operationally by the Turkish Armed Forces, the General Command of Gendarmerie, General Directorate of Security and the MIT. Bayraktar TB2 UCAV has been active in the fight against terrorism at home and abroad since 2014 by the security forces. Currently, 180 Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs, which is in the inventory of Turkey, Ukraine, Qatar and Azerbaijan, continues to duty.
The indigenousness rate a record level
Baykar, which has developed national and original unmanned aerial vehicles since the beginning of the 2000s, is shown as one of the world’s leading technology companies in its field with its engineering power in 13 different disciplines. It is being developed by Baykar as a national and original with the participation of 93% of domestic industry at a level that is considered a record in the world.
First UCAV to be exported
Bayraktar TB2s, the first UCAV system exported by Turkey to the world, is being followed with interest by the world aerospace and defence sector. Its operational success in countries where national Sihas are used also enabled the export of advanced aircraft to a NATO and EU member state for the first time in the history of the Republic.
Exports of $ 360 million in 2020
Last year, most of Baykar’s revenues came from exports abroad. Baykar made its first national UAV export in 2012. Negotiations are also ongoing with many countries interested in National UCAVs. TB2 UCAVs also broke the Turkish altitude record with an altitude of 27 thousand 30 feet in its class in the history of Turkish aviation.
