Continuing with the problems and delays to modernize its Air Force, Türkiye announced this week its decision not to move forward with the modernization of part of its current fleet of F-16 fighters to Block 70.which was one of the main parts of a complex negotiation with the US to unblock the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO. For now, Ankara would seek to rely on its local military-industrial complex to face this process, once again straining relations with its North American ally, requiring its approval to advance this effort to modernize the platform of American origin.
The news was confirmed by Turkey’s defense minister, Yaşar Güler, stating that the agreement reached in the first half of the year between both countries would be severely curtailed. Put in concrete terms, the potential operation stipulated the acquisition of 79 modernization kits to bring the F-16 to Block 70, along with the purchase of 40 new Vipers of this variant, meaning that the package would exceed $23 billion. up to a smaller amount estimated between 6,500 and 7,000 million; intended for the purchase of the 40 aforementioned aircraft and a weapons package to equip them.
When arguing his decision, Minister Güler stated: “We were going to supply 79 modernization kits. We gave up on these 79 (…) We gave up for this reason: TAI is currently in a position to carry out this modernization of the F-16 itself. That’s why we will move them there. We will buy the 40 new planes. There is also special ammunition included. The total amount will amount to approximately between 6,500 and 7,000 million dollars.“
In relation to this issue, it is still not clear what the various modifications that the Turkish industry would seek to implement on the fighter will be in detail, although some recent developments allow us to make an approximation of the process. Following this line, it must be highlighted among these advances that the ASELSAN company managed this same year to incorporate one of its AESA MURAD radars in one of the F-16 Block 30 fighters of the Turkish Air Force, a system that would also be added to the capabilities of the future KAAN fighter of local development. In short, within the framework of the ÖZGÜR program, Turkey managed to implement a renewed locally manufactured avionics system on its Block 30 fighters and extend the useful life of its cells.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the aforementioned purchase of 40 new F-16 Block 70 would have already been started with the first payment of installments, this being confirmed by Minister Güler himself. However, with the collapse of the negotiation for the new modernization kits, it is not yet clear whether the US would willingly agree to allow Turkey to move forward in the aforementioned process with local industries as has been announced to update F-16 to Upper Blocks.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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