Turkish Aerospace Industries, delivered 6th F-16 Block-30 to the Air Forces within the scope of F-16 Structural Improvement Project.
Due to completion of service life or close to the end of their service life, F-16 fighter jets that in the Air Forces Command inventory needs to undergone structural improvement process for extending their lifespan. For this reason Turkish Aerospace Industries carry out F-16 Structural Improvement Project.
Presidency of Republic of Turkey Presidency of Defence Industries made statement that within the scope of the project 6th F-16 Block-30 fighter jet structural improvement was completed. Fighter has delivered to Air Forces Command. The official content from Presidency of Defence Industries as following:
Structural improvements of the F-16 Blok-30 aircraft are continuing.
We delivered the sixth F-16 Block-30 aircraft to the Air Force Command, whose structural improvement was completed within the scope of the F-16 Structural Improvement Project. pic.twitter.com/8oFnbibvpo
— SSB (@SSB_Eng) May 31, 2021
Within context of structural imrovements conducting by Turkish Aerospace Industries(TAI), repairs and replacements for neccessary parts and reinforcements on fuselage has been made. After the Acceptance Tests and Inspection process, last test flight has been made by Air Force Pilots and first F-16 Block-30 acceptance completed in July 2020. Thus one of the major milestone has been reached. Within scope of the project completion of 35 F-16 Block-30 stuctural improvement is expected.
President of Defence Industries Prof. Dr. İsmail Demir said that “1200-1500 structural part for each F-16, undergone renovations and revisions related engineering studies and repairs and replacements for neccessary parts also reinforcements on fuselage applications executing. With this project has carried out TAI we aim, increasing our air forces main striking element F-16 service life from 8000 hours to 12000 hours.”
Within scope of F-16 Structural Improvement Project, 25 of Block-30 fighters will be modernize by TAI and 10 of them will be modernize by 1. Airlift and Maintanence Center Command.
