Defense Technology International - September 2007 - (Page 30) DISPATCHES GLOBAL ordered 10), and Turkey’s Peace Eagle program involving Boeing’s shipbuilder Dearsan won the initial contract for the 56-meter, 400737 Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft. (Turkish contrac- ton YTKB-400 vessels, which have a top speed of 25 kt. and a range tors to Peace Eagle include electronics and avionics companies, of 1,000 naut. mi. The vessels will be equipped with hull sonar, a new Aselsan ASW rocket launcher, depth charges, twin Oto Melara among them MiKES Inc., an electronic warfare specialist.) Among TAI’s development projects is Turkey’s first locally designed 40-mm./70 turrets and two Aselsan Stamp 12.7-mm. mounts. Loaircraft, the Hurkus turboprop primary and basic trainer, of which cal content will account for about 60% of the electronics. The navy also wants a new class of six large (1,600-ton) airthe first of four prototypes is scheduled to fly in late 2009. Plans are independent-propulsion (AIP) atfor the Hurkus to enter service in late tack submarines, canceling a plan 2011. The trainer will be offered for to upgrade three Ay-class Type export (DTI July/August, p. 8). 209 boats. This creates an opporOther areas of interest at TAI tunity to increase the know-how of include unmanned aerial vehicles. the state-owned Golcuk shipyard The company is designing the entire in the design and construction of Tiha-A MALE (medium-altitude, these complex vessels. The basic long-endurance) UAV, including design will be foreign (France and ground equipment, for the air force. Germany manufacture AIP sysIt will include the AselFlir-300T tems—DTI May, p. 24), with mathermal imaging sensor, developed jor international shipyards expected by Turkish electronics specialist to bid aggressively for the contract. Aselsan, which has also been speciThe program will, however, see unfied for the new AgustaWestland A129T attack helicopter for Turkey. TAI will be second-source precedented involvement by local The Tiha-A prototype is to be ready supplier for the forward companies in the supply of systems, by 2009 and will be available for exfuselage of 100 F-35 fight- sensors and equipment. Turkish fast-patrol boats have port. TAI is also designing a smaller ers bought by Turkey. been ordered by the coast guard tactical UAV, the Gozcu, and plans to develop a much larger HALE (high-altitude, long-endurance) and by international customers. Pakistan, for example, procured UAV, the Tiha-B, which will have a maximum takeoff weight of the Yonca-Onuk MRTP-33 design, a lengthened derivative of the MRTP 29 Kaan design in service with the coast guard. This is a 3,500 kg. (7,700 lb.) and 24-hr. endurance. In rotorcraft, TAI benefits from the Atak II program, which saw 35.6-meter boat capable of 60 kt. that can be armed with a 30the AgustaWestland A129 helicopter selected over the AH-2 Rooivalk mm. gun turret, eight anti-ship missiles, two machine guns and a from Denel Aviation in South Africa. The A129T variant is an almost short-range SAM launcher. There is so far no interest from local industry to build the landing new design based on the A129 International configuration. TAI is the prime contractor. The program initially calls for 51 helicopters, platform dock that the navy wants, but smaller amphibious units, each assembled in Turkey, with deliveries beginning in 2013. TAI is including two tank-landing ships, will be constructed in Turkey. The defense industry’s most ambitious land project is developresponsible for integration of the avionics and electronics, including the core mission computers. Almost all critical electronics are being ment of a main battle tank. Otokar is the prime contractor, and South Korea’s Rotem is the foreign supplied by local companies, with partner. The first of four protoAselsan playing a key role. The totypes rolls out in 2009. Production tal requirement is for 90 helicopters. should start in 2013, with an initial Export sales will be pursued. requirement of 250 tanks and the At sea, the navy will increasingly potential for as many as 1,000. The rely on locally designed and built goal is to have the vetronics (vehicle vessels equipped with Turkishelectronics) developed locally, as made electronics and weapons, a well as part of the armor, though blow to European suppliers. not the engine, which will likely be The Mil Gem (National Ship) from MTU. Turkish industry has program for up to 12 light frigates experience developing fire-control has already started, with the first systems. Examples include the ship (Heybeliad) under construcLeopard 1 modernization program tion at the TNF Istanbul shipyard. (162 tanks), which features the The hull is 100 meters (328 ft.) Otokar will be Aselsan Volkan suite; upgrading long with a 14.4-meter beam. The prime contractor in 170 M60A1 Patton tanks to the first steel was cut in July 2005. The developing Turkey’s M60T standard, which is similar ship is slated to be finished by 2009 main battle tank. to the Israel Defense Forces’ Sabra and to enter service in 2012. It utilizes a combined diesel and gas turbine propulsion system—two III tank; and the fire-control system of the T-155 Firtina self-propelled MTU 16V595TE90 diesels and a General Electric LM2500 gas howitzer, a derivative of the South Korean K-9, for which there is a turbine driving a 31.5-megawatt gearbox from Renk in Germany. 220-unit requirement (56 have been delivered). FNSS Co. has built more than 2,200 tracked infantry fighting Top speed is more than 29 kt. Havelsan is supplying the Genesis combat management system, which is being retrofitted into FFG- vehicles (IFV), derived from the U.S. M113/AIFV family, in several 7-type Gabya-class frigates. The Mil Gem design is being marketed configurations and variants, including a longer and heavier model called Akinci (Raider) that has been exported. FNSS also developed, in Pakistan and other countries. Another major program involves production of as many as 16 from a U.S. design, the Pars family of wheeled IFVs in 4 X 4, 8 X anti-submarine warfare (ASW) patrol craft, in four batches. Private 8 and 10 X 10 configurations. I TAI CONCEPT OTOKAR CONCEPT 30 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL SEPTEMBER 2007 www.aviationweek.com/dti http://www.aviationweek.com/dti
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.