Turkey shifts to self-reliance, modernizes F‑16 fleet independently

At the outset, it’s worth mentioning that Turkey has managed to build the second-largest NATO army and a defence industry that other nations might envy. Moreover, it achieved this by spending comparatively, and now even less than Poland, on defence.

Turkey is one of the largest F-16 operators in the world — it currently operates 234 of these aircraft, most of which were built through licensed production in Turkish factories. Since Ankara was excluded from the F-35 program in 2019, its air force — which, aside from F-16s, also operates the last specimens of the aging F-4 Phantom — faced a significant challenge with its aging combat aircraft fleet.

The response to this challenge was supposed to be the purchase of additional F-16s from the United States in the latest F-16C/D Block 70/72 variant, as well as the modernization of 79 of its existing planes to this standard (brand new aircraft are Block 70/72, while modernized ones are F-16V).

The cost of the entire modernization program was estimated to reach approximately $20 billion CAD. Despite the agreement granted by the US Department of State in January 2024, both for the purchase of new planes and the modernization of older ones, Ankara decided to find another solution.

Turkey still intends to buy new F-16s but wants to modernize its own aircraft using its domestic industry. It is the only country in the world with this capability, outside the United States and Israel.

This is because Turkey possesses the source codes for the F-16C/D Block 30 variant, which the USA granted in 2011. Since then, Ankara has independently modernized its aircraft and offers such a service to foreign clients, including Pakistan.

The modernization of Turkish F-16s is based on the Özgür program (Turkish for Free) developed by the TAI (TUSAŞ) facilities and includes a comprehensive avionics upgrade, likely involving the radar, to products of the domestic industry.

It's noteworthy that their offering includes the modern AESA Murad radar, designed, among others, for the Turkish 5th-generation fighter TAI Kaan or combat drones. In February 2024, the Turks conducted the maiden flight of the first F-16 equipped with this radar.

In the context of Turkey’s actions, the Polish modernization program for the F-16 is worth mentioning. The American industry will upgrade Polish aircraft, which will cost Polish taxpayers up to $7.3 billion CAD (the final price will likely be lower).

Simultaneously, Turkey has resumed efforts to acquire the F-35. Ankara, despite partially financing the development of this aircraft and intending to purchase at least 100 units, was excluded from purchases. This was due to Turkey’s order of the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft systems, which not only breached alliance agreements but also raised concerns about the possibility of Russians obtaining too much information about the F-35.

Six years after the decision of exclusion, Turkey has resumed efforts to acquire the F-35. A negotiation argument is Ankara's potential order of several dozen Eurofighter aircraft.

During negotiations, it was also proposed — as detailed by the Konflikty.pl service — to place the S-400 at the American İncirlik base in Turkey. Regardless of these efforts, Ankara is working on its own future 5th-generation aircraft named TAI Kaan.

This does not change the fact that Turkey, which has allocated $15-20 billion CAD annually to defence over the years (comparatively, and now even less than Poland), has managed to build its defence sector with impressive capabilities. It accomplished this through its research and by transferring technology provided with licensed production of various weapon models.

The effects of these efforts are becoming visible. In the early 21st century, Turkey was an armament importer dependent on foreign technologies, but now it is gradually rearming its military with equipment that it controls the production, modernization, and sometimes even exportation of.

The backbone of the Turkish armed forces remains hundreds of units of older, foreign equipment — tanks from the M60 family, Leopard 1s, older variants of Leopard 2s, M110 howitzers, or thousands of M113 transporters.

However, the process of replacement has already begun, and the Turkish industry has an increasing amount of modern equipment to offer. Its list—especially in the context of the capabilities of other NATO countries—is impressive.

Turkey produces its own Altay main battle tanks (developed with South Korea), T-155 Fırtına howitzers (also a result of cooperation with Seoul), light-wheeled ARPAN-155 howitzers, several models of multiple rocket launchers (some developed in cooperation with China), and ballistic missiles—both tactical (Bora system) and short (Tayfun) and medium-range (Cenk).

The Turkish industry also produces helicopters, drones of various sizes and purposes, and is working on a 5th-generation aircraft called TAI Kaan and its aviation armaments, such as the air-to-air missiles Bozdoğan and Gökdoğan, which will be in service in 2024.

Turkish shipyards are building modern submarines and surface ships of the Reis type (a licensed variant of the German Type 214). Until recently, these were licensed versions of German (MEKO) and American (modified Oliver Hazard Perry type) units, but in 2024, the first of eight ordered Istif-type frigates, designed from scratch in Turkey and armed with Turkish domestic anti-ship Atmaca, entered service.

This is the effect of the ambitious MILGEM program, initiated back in 2004. Under this program, Ankara is also building its corvettes or patrol vessels (also for export—to Pakistan, Ukraine, or Malaysia) and will soon start working on missile destroyers (eight TF-2000 units have been ordered).

Additionally, the first landing ship TGC Anadolu, commissioned in 2023, was built in a Turkish shipyard (in cooperation with Spain) and features a flight deck designed not only for helicopters but also for large drones.