aerial warfare Aerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare. Aerial warfare includes bombers attacking enemy installations or a concentration of enemy troops or strategic targets; fighter aircraft battling for contr ...

Turkish Armed Forces The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; tr, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK) are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. Turkish Armed Forces consist of the General Staff, the Land Forces, the Naval Forces and the Air Forces. The current Chie ...

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...

Republic of Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

Turkish Armed Forces The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; tr, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK) are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. Turkish Armed Forces consist of the General Staff, the Land Forces, the Naval Forces and the Air Forces. The current Chie ...

Flight International ''Flight International'' is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", it is the world's olde ...

Flightglobal.com FlightGlobal is an online news and information website which covers the aviation and aerospace industries. The website was established in February 2006 as the website of ''Flight International'' magazine, ''Airline Business'', ''ACAS'', ''Air ...

International Institute for Strategic Studies The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute or think tank in the area of international affairs. Since 1997, its headquarters have been Arundel House in London, England. The 2017 Global Go To Think ...

Ahmet Ali Çelikten Ahmet Ali Çelikten
in the official website of the Naval Air Base Command of the

and first female fighter pilot Sabiha Gökçen both served in the TAF.

History

Initial stages

The history of Ottoman military aviation dates back to between June 1909 and July 1911. In 1911 the former commander of the Action Army Mahmud Sevket Pasa achieved to send some Turkish military officers to the French Bleriot aviation school.Olson, Robert (2000). p.74 The same year the establishment of a Turkish airforce was taken into consideration. During the Italian Turkish war of 1911, the Ottomans had to admit their disadvantage of not possessing an air force. Subsequently the Ottomans employed German and French engineers who helped them to establish an air force with a dozen airplanes. The Ottoman Aviation Squadrons participated in the

Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and def ...

(1912–1913) and

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

(1914–1918). The fleet size reached its apex in December 1916, when the Ottoman Aviation Squadrons had 90 active combat aircraft. Some early help for the Ottoman Aviation Squadrons came from the Imperial German ''Fliegertruppe'' (known by that name before October 1916), with future

Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in W ...

13-victory

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

Hans-Joachim Buddecke flying with the Turks early in World War I as just one example. The General Inspectorate of Air Forces (''Kuva-yı Havaiye Müfettiş-i Umumiliği'') By July 1918, the Aviation Squadrons were reorganized as the General Inspectorate of Air Forces. After the Armistice of Mudros and the occupation of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...

by the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

in 1919, some Turkish aviators tried to build new units in

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

,

İzmir İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the province of the same name. It is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara and the second largest urban aggl ...

, Konya, Elazığ and

Diyarbakır Diyarbakır (; ; ; ) is the largest Kurdish-majority city in Turkey. It is the administrative center of Diyarbakır Province. Situated around a high plateau by the banks of the Tigris river on which stands the historic Diyarbakır Fortres ...

with planes left over from World War I and tried to bring together flight personnel. During the

Turkish War of Independence The Turkish War of Independence "War of Liberation", also known figuratively as ''İstiklâl Harbi'' "Independence War" or ''Millî Mücadele'' "National Struggle" (19 May 1919 – 24 July 1923) was a series of military campaigns waged by th ...

, Turkish pilots joined the

Konya Konya () is a major city in central Turkey, on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, and is the capital of Konya Province. During antiquity and into Seljuk times it was known as Iconium (), although the Seljuks also called it D ...

Air Station (''Konya Hava İstasyonu''). With the formation of the Grand National Assembly (GNA) by Mustafa Kemal and his colleagues on April 23, 1920, in Ankara, and the reorganization of the army, the Branch of Air Forces (''Kuva-yı Havaiye Şubesi'') was established under the Office of War (''Harbiye Dairesi'') of the GNA. A few damaged aircraft belonging to the GNA were repaired, and afterwards used in combat. In July 1922, it was reorganized as the Inspectorate of Air Forces (''Kuva-yı Havaiye Müfettişliği'') at Konya. File:Yesilkoy Air Base Istanbul 1911.jpg, Yeşilköy Air Base in 1911 File:Fesa Bey.jpg,

Mehmet Fesa Evrensev Mehmet Fesa Evrensev (1878, Istanbul - 9 April 1951, Istanbul) was the first Turkish Ottoman aircraft pilot and the first president of Turkish Airlines. Biography Fesa Evrensev was born in 1878 in the Gedikpaşa neighborhood of Istanbul. H ...

(Fesa Bey) in 1911 File:Turkish pilots in 1912.jpg, Ottoman pilots in 1912 File:BALKANHARBINDEHARLANTAYYAREMIZ-1912.jpg, Ottoman pilots during the

Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and def ...

of 1912–1913 File:Constantinople-Cairo Flight.jpg, 1914

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

–

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...

flight, left to right: Sadık Bey, İsmail Hakkı Bey, Fethi Bey and Nuri Bey File:Ahmet_Ali_Celikten_in_flight_suit.jpg,

Ahmet Ali Çelikten Ahmet Ali Çelikten
in the official website of the Naval Air Base Command of the

, an Afro Turk, was the first black aviator in history File:Gallipoli 15th Fighter Flight Squadron.jpg, A

Halberstadt D.III The Halberstadt D.II was a biplane fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by German aircraft company Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke. It was adopted by the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Army Air Service) and served through the perio ...

of the Ottoman 15th Fighter Flight Squadron in 1915, Gallipoli campaign, WWI File:Hurkus.jpg,

Vecihi Hürkuş Vecihi Hürkuş (6 January 1896 – 16 July 1969) was a Turkish fighter pilot, aviation engineer and aviation pioneer. He built Turkey's first aircraft, the Vecihi K-VI, and founded the first civil flight school of the nation. Born in Istanb ...

, the first Turkish civil aviator, designed and manufactured the first Turkish aircraft, the Vecihi K-VI, in 1924

Inspectorate of Air Forces

After the establishment of the

Republic of Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

on 29 October 1923, plans were made to form a modern air force. Originally consisting of three normal and one naval aviation units, and an air school, the number of units was increased to 10 normal and three naval aviation units. Starting in 1924, personnel were sent abroad for flight education. In 1925, the Air School was re-established in

Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from "old" and "city") is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 898,369 with a metropolitan population of 797,708. The city is located on the banks of the ...

and its first students graduated that same year. The Inspectorate of Air Forces was reorganized as the Undersecretariat of the Ministry of Defense in 1928 and new schools were found for non-pilot personnel. Some personnel were sent to the United Kingdom and France for training; others were sent to the United States and Italy in 1930. From 1932, the air regiments were considered to be a separate combat arm and started training its own personnel. Turkish aviators wore blue uniforms from 1933. Sabiha Gökçen became the first female fighter pilot in

military history Military history is the study of War, armed conflict in the Human history, history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, cultures and economies thereof, as well as the resulting changes to Politics, local and international relationships. ...

in 1937. Another key event in 1937 was the establishment of the Air War College (''Hava Harp Akademisi'').

Air Force Command

By 1940, Turkish air brigades had more than 500 combat aircraft in its inventory, becoming the largest air force in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

and the Middle East. The growing inventory of air brigades required another structural change, which was made in 1940. The Air Undersecretariat under the Ministry of National Defense for logistical affairs and the General Staff for educational affairs were united to form the Air Force Command (''Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı'') in 1944. Thus, the Air Force became a separate branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The first Commander of the Turkish Air Force was General Zeki Doğan. Turkey did not enter World War II on the side of the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

until February 1945. However, the Turkish Armed Forces went on full alert and were prepared for war following the military alliance between neighbouring

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

and the

Axis Powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...

which was formalized in March 1941, and the occupation of neighbouring Greece by the Axis Powers in April 1941. Within a year, Turkey's borders were surrounded by German forces in the northwest and west, and Italian forces in the southwest. The Turkish Air Force made daily reconnaissance flights over Bulgaria, Greece, the

Greek Islands Greece has many islands, with estimates ranging from somewhere around 1,200 to 6,000, depending on the minimum size to take into account. The number of inhabited islands is variously cited as between 166 and 227. The largest Greek island by a ...

in the

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi ( Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans ...

, and the Dodecanese Islands which then belonged to Italy, to monitor the positions of the Axis forces. The large cities in western Turkey were darkened at nights, and anti-aircraft guns and searchlights were deployed for defence against possible enemy planes. Almost all available money in the Turkish Government Treasury was used to purchase new weapons from any available provider in the world. The Turkish Air Force received large numbers of new aircraft in this period, including

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Gri ...

Mk.I/V/IX/XIX, Curtiss Falcon CW-22R/B,

Fairey Battle The Fairey Battle is a British single-engine light bomber that was designed and manufactured by the Fairey Aviation Company. It was developed during the mid-1930s for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a monoplane successor to the Hawker Hart and ...

-I,

Avro Anson The Avro Anson is a British twin-engined, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) ...

-I,

Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness b ...

I/II, Morane-Saulnier M.S.406, Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk, Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk,

Westland Lysander The Westland Lysander is a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft that was used immediately before and during the Second World War. After becoming obsolete in the army co-operation role, the aircraft' ...

-I, Consolidated B-24D Liberator B-24, Bristol Blenheim IV/V, Bristol Beaufort,

Bristol Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort ...

Mk.I/X,

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' (" Shrike") is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, ...

-A3, Martin 187 Baltimore,

De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British twin-engined, shoulder-winged, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the Second World War. Unusual in that its frame was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or " ...

Mk.III/IV, Douglas B-26B/C Invader,

P-47D Thunderbolt The P-47 Thunderbolt was a World War II fighter aircraft built by Republic Aviation from 1941 to 1945. Early designs XP-47 (AP-10) In response to a USAAC requirement for a new fighter aircraft, Republic Aviation engineer Alexander Kartveli ...

and Douglas C-47A/B Dakota. The Air Machinist School (''Hava Makinist Okulu'') was reorganized as Aircraft Maintenance School (''Hava Uçak Bakım Okulu'') on 2 January 1950 to unite schools responsible for training non-pilot Air Force personnel. In 1950 it also was decided to upgrade the Air Force fleet through the inclusion of jets. Eight pilots were sent to the United States for jet pilot training. They graduated in 1951 and started training jet pilots in the Turkish Air Force. In the same year, the 9th Fighter Wing (9uncu Ana Jet Üssü) was founded in Balıkesir as Turkey's first fighter wing; the 191st, 192nd, and 193rd squadrons being the first ones which were established. Further training in the United States followed, usually involving jet manufacturers. In 1951 the Air Force Academy was formed with integrating some air schools in

Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from "old" and "city") is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 898,369 with a metropolitan population of 797,708. The city is located on the banks of the ...

and its first academic year started on 1 October 1951. In 1956 the ''Hava Eğitim Kolordu Komutanlığı'' (Air Education Corps Command) was founded and all education was united under this command. The command was renamed as ''Hava Eğitim Komutanlığı'' (Air Education Command) in 1957. Upon Turkey's membership to

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

in 1952, the process of modernization was accelerated. In 1962 the ''Taktik Hava Kuvveti'' (Tactical Air Force) was founded by upgrading the ''Hava Tümeni'' (Air Division) units to corps-level organizations. In 1974 the Air Force was employed in the Cyprus War. With the arrival of 3rd generation fighter jets in 1980, the Air Force was reorganized.

Turkish Air Force and NATO

The headquarters of NATO's Allied Air Component Command for

Southern Europe Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Alb ...

(formerly designated as AIRSOUTH and originally headquartered in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...

, Italy) was established in

İzmir İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the province of the same name. It is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara and the second largest urban aggl ...

, Turkey, on 11 August 2004.

Allied Air Command İzmir Allied Air Command İzmir was a military aviation component command of the NATO Military Command Structure from 2004 to 2013. History Previously designated Allied Air Forces Southern Europe (AIRSOUTH) and located in Italy, the Headquarters of th ...

was deactivated on 1 June 2013, when the

Allied Air Command The Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) is the central command of all NATO air and space forces and the Commander Allied Air Command is the prime air and space advisor to the Alliance. When directed by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), it p ...

(AIRCOM) at the

Ramstein Air Base Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and als ...

in Germany became the sole Allied Air Component Command of NATO. Turkey is one of five NATO member states which are part of the nuclear sharing policy of the alliance, together with Belgium,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

, Italy, and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. A total of 90 B61 nuclear bombs are hosted at the Incirlik Air Base, 40 of which are allocated for use by the Turkish Air Force in case of a nuclear conflict, but their use requires the approval of NATO. , the United States is considering withdrawing these nuclear bombs from Turkey, and from several other foreign locations in Europe.

Notable events

* In 1925, the Air Force was deployed to take part in a campaign aimed to suppress the Sheikh Said rebellion. * Sabiha Gökçen was the first Turkish female combat pilot. She joined the Turkish Air Force in 1936 and in 1937 took part in the military operation to put down the Dersim Revolt, thus becoming the world's first female air force pilot with battle experience. Throughout her career in the Turkish Air Force, which lasted until 1964, Gökçen flew 22 different types of aircraft for more than 8000 hours, 32 of which were active combat and bombardment missions. She was selected as the only female pilot for the poster of "''The 20 Greatest Aviators in History''" published by the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...

in 1996. * In 1995, the Turkish Air Force took part in NATO's

Operation Deliberate Force Operation Deliberate Force was a sustained air campaign conducted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in concert with the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) ground operations, to undermine the military capability of the ...

. * Turkey provided 18 F-16s for the NATO campaign against Serbia during Operation Allied Force in 1999. Of these, 11 TAI-built F-16s were stationed at the NATO base in Aviano, Italy, while the other 7 were based in Ankara, Turkey. All were equipped with laser-guided bombs using the LANTIRN night vision system. Turkish jets had previously patrolled Balkan airspace, providing protection for attacking aircraft. During this allied air campaign, TAI-built F-16s set a world CAP record by patrolling for 9 hours and 22 minutes above the Balkan theatre. Normally, CAP missions last between 3 and 4 hours. * On 8 October 1996 – 7 months after the escalation of the dispute with Turkey over the Imia/Kardak islands, a Greek

Mirage 2000 The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (' ...

fired an R.550 Magic II missile and shot down a Turkish F-16D over the

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi ( Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans ...

. The Turkish pilot died, while the co-pilot ejected and was rescued by Greek forces. In August 2012, after the downing of a RF-4E on the Syrian Coast, Turkish Defence Minister İsmet Yılmaz confirmed that the Turkish F-16D was shot down by a Greek

Mirage 2000 The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (' ...

with an R.550 Magic II in 1996 after reportedly violating Greek airspace near

Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mast ...

island. Greece denies that the F-16 was shot down. Both

Mirage 2000 The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (' ...

pilots reported that the

F-16 The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successf ...

caught fire and they saw one

parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, w ...

. * Turkey participated in the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

peacekeeping mission in

Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and Pars pro toto#Geography, often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of Southern Europe, south and southeast Euro ...

, employing two squadrons (one in the

Ghedi Ghedi (Brescian: ) is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, Italy. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on November 24, 2001. Ghedi is known for a base of the Italian Air Force, Ghedi Air B ...

fighter wing, and after 2000 one in the

Aviano Aviano ( fur, Davian; cim, Pleif) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Pordenone at the foot of the Dolomites mountain range in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northern Italy. Aviano is home to the C.R.O. (Oncological Referral Center), a cancer rese ...

fighter wing). They returned to Turkey in 2001. * In 2006, 4 Turkish F-16 fighter jets were deployed for NATO's Baltic Air Policing operation. * In December 2007, the Turkish Air Force initiated Operation Northern Iraq, which continued until the end of February 2008, eventually becoming a part of Operation Sun. At the initial phase of this operation, on December 16, 2007, the TuAF used the

AGM-65 Maverick The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground missile (AGM) designed for close air support. It is the most widely produced precision-guided missile in the Western world, and is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, ...

and AGM-142 Popeye/Have Nap during a night bombardment for the first time. * On 22 June 2012, a Turkish RF-4E Phantom II reconnaissance aircraft was lost, reportedly due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire. The incident happened over the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

, close to the town of Ras al-Bassit. * On September 16, 2013, Turkish jets shot down a Syrian Mi-17 helicopter on the Syrian-Turkish border. * On 23 March 2014, Turkish fighter jets shot down a Syrian MiG-23. The

Syrian Arab Republic Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

claims that its aircraft was in Syrian airspace on a mission to attack rebel held areas in the city of

Latakia , coordinates = , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = 11 , elevation_ft = , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , area_code = Country code: 963 City code: 41 , geocode ...

when it was shot down by Turkey in an act of "blatant aggression." The Syrian pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft. Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan stated that Turkish F-16s shot down the aircraft for violating Turkish airspace and said that the Turkish "response will be heavy if you violate our airspace." * On 24 November 2015, a Turkish F-16 shot down a Russian Su-24 Fencer strike aircraft which, according to Turkish authorities, had violated its airspace. The Russian Government contests those claims, stating that the aircraft never entered Turkish airspace. One Russian pilot was killed, the other rescued in a Russian special forces operation. *Following a failed coup attempt in 2016 and subsequent purges, more than 300 pilots were dismissed from the air force, including the pilot that shot down the Su-24 Fencer a year earlier. This resulted in the TAF struggling to keep its F-16 fleet combat ready. The Turkish government started looking overseas to make up the shortfall.

Equipment

Fighter and reconnaissance aircraft

In 1984 Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) was established and Turkey started to produce fighter aircraft locally under license, including a total of 232

F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successf ...

(Block 30/40/50) aircraft for the air force. The air force had previously received 8 F-16s that were purchased directly from the United States, bringing the total number of F-16s received by the air force to 245. TAI in 2007 built 30 F-16 block 50+ for the airforce And applied CCIP modernization program to 117 its block 40 & 50 F-16s, bringing 117 of the block 40/50 F-16s to a block 50+ configuration Dozens of TAI-built F-16s were also exported to other countries, particularly in the Middle East. A total of 46 TAI-built F-16s have been exported to the

Egyptian Air Force The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية المصرية, El Qūwāt El Gawīyä El Maṣrīya), is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces that is responsible for all airborne defence missions and operates all mili ...

under the Peace Vector IV Program (1993–1995), making it TAI's second-largest F-16 customer after the Turkish Air Force. Turkey is one of only five countries in the world which locally produce the F-16 Fighting Falcon. On July 11, 2002 Turkey became a Level 3 partner of the

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide ele ...

(JSF) development program, and on January 25, 2007, Turkey officially joined the production phase of the JSF program, agreeing to initially purchase 116 F-35A Lightning II aircraft. Turkey placed an order for 6

F-35 Lightning II The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide elect ...

's with four delivered to

Luke Air Force Base Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States., effective 20 December 2007 It is located west of the central business district of Glendale, and west of Phoenix. Luke AFB is a major traini ...

. In June 2018 the

US Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

passed a defense spending bill prevents the Turkish Air Force from obtaining the

F-35 The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide elect ...

stealth fighter due to the country's acquisition of the

S-400 The S-400 Triumf (russian: link=no, C-400 Триумф – Triumf; translation: Triumph; NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler), previously known as the S-300 PMU-3, is a mobile, surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed in the 1990s by Russ ...

SAM systems from

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

. Tensions between the US and Turkey are to blame for the cancelled contract, and now may put Turkey in a position to become the first customer for Russia's

Su-57 The Sukhoi Su-57 (russian: Сухой Су-57; NATO reporting name: Felon) is a twin-engine stealth multirole fighter aircraft developed by Sukhoi. It is the product of the PAK FA (russian: ПАК ФА, russian: label=short for, Перспе� ...

. Turkey also has a national fifth generation

fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield ...

project named the TAI TFX.

Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft

A total of four Boeing 737 AEW&C Peace Eagle ( tr, Barış Kartalı) aircraft (together with ground support systems) were ordered by the Turkish Air Force, with an option for two more aircraft. Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is the primary subcontractor for the Peace Eagle parts production, aircraft modification, assembly and tests. Another subcontractor, HAVELSAN, is responsible for system analysis and software support. Signed on 23 July 2003, the contract to Boeing valued at US$1.385 billion, which was later reduced by US$59 million because some of the requirements were not met. The down payment to Boeing amounted to US$637 million. The project consists of the delivery of 737-700 airframes, ground radars and control systems, ground control segments for mission crew training, mission support and maintenance support. Peace Eagle 1 is modified and tested by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in Seattle, Washington, USA. Peace Eagle 2, 3 and 4 are modified and tested at the facilities of TAI in Ankara, Turkey, with the participation of Boeing and a number of Turkish companies. As of 2006, the four Peace Eagle airplanes were scheduled to be delivered in 2008."Boeing Installs MESA Antenna on First Peace Eagle Aircraft"
, Boeing, March 2, 2006. As of mid-2007, systems integration was ongoing and airworthiness certification works continued. In September 2007, Boeing completed the first test flight of Turkey's AEW&C 737. On 4 June 2008, it was announced that Turkish Aerospace Industries completed the first in-country modification of a

Boeing 737-700 The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boeing ...

into an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform for Turkey's Peace Eagle program. The first Peace Eagle aircraft, named ''Kuzey'' (meaning North) was formally accepted into Turkish Air Force inventory on 21 February 2014."First Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft of the Peace Eagle Project, ''Kuzey'' (North) was taken into inventory"
. Turkish Air Force The remaining three aircraft will be named ''Güney'' (South), ''Doğu'' (East) and ''Batı'' (West). The six-year delay was a result of Boeing experiencing difficulties while developing some features required by the Turkish Air Force. Turkey demanded compensation of US$183 million from Boeing for the delay. The payment of the penalty is requested in the form of increased start-up support period from an initially planned two years to five years, as well as three years of software maintenance service and around US$32 million in spare parts.

Aerial refueling tanker aircraft

In 1994 the Turkish Air Force signed a deal to lease two and purchase seven Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aerial refueling tanker aircraft. Following the arrival of all seven purchased aircraft, the two leased KC-135Rs were returned to the United States. All seven KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft of the Turkish Air Force have received the Pacer CRAG (Compass, Radar And GPS) upgrade. The KC-135R-CRAG Stratotanker aerial refueling tanker aircraft of the Turkish Air Force are operated by the 101st Squadron, stationed at the Incirlik Air Base.

Military transport aircraft

Turkey is a partner nation in the Airbus A400M Atlas production program. The Turkish Air Force has ordered a total of ten A400M Atlas aircraft. The first two A400M Atlas were delivered to the Turkish Air Force in 2014. All A400M Atlas deliveries to the Turkish Air Force are scheduled to be completed by 2018. Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) produces several components of the A400M Atlas, including the middle-front fuselage, emergency exit doors, rear fuselage upper panels, rear upper escape doors, ailerons and spoilers; which are sent to the

Airbus Military Airbus Military was a business unit of Airbus, which was part of European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) from 2009 to 2013. The company was formally created in April 2009 by the integration of the former Military Transport Aircraft Di ...

factory in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

for assembly. Although the Airbus A400M Atlas is essentially a heavy tactical lift aircraft, it can also be transformed into an aerial refueling tanker aircraft at short notice. The Turkish Air Force also uses the CASA CN-235,

C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desi ...

and

C-160 Transall The Transall C-160 is a military transport aircraft, produced as a joint venture between France and Germany. " Transall" is an abbreviation of the manufacturing consortium Transporter Allianz, comprising the companies of MBB, Aerospatiale, ...

military transport aircraft.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

At present, the Turkish Air Force operates

MALE Male (symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilization. A male organism cannot reproduce sexually without access to ...

UAVs such as the TAI Anka,

Bayraktar TB2 The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations. It is manufactured by the Turkish company Baykar Makina Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş ...

and the

IAI Heron The IAI Heron (Machatz-1) is a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the Malat (UAV) division of Israel Aerospace Industries. It is capable of Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) operations of up to 52 ...

. Having been unable to purchase the armed version of

Predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill t ...

UCAVs from the United States, Turkey has fitted these drones with indigenous

MAM Mam or MAM may refer to: Places * An Mám or Maum, a settlement in Ireland * General Servando Canales International Airport in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico (IATA Code: MAM) * Isle of Mam, a phantom island * Mam Tor, a hill near Castleton in th ...

series munitions.

Turkish Armed Forces The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; tr, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK) are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. Turkish Armed Forces consist of the General Staff, the Land Forces, the Naval Forces and the Air Forces. The current Chie ...

currently stands as one of the top countries that uses UCAVs in combat effectively. TAI was once the leading partner in the Talarion UCAV project of

EADS Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft throughout the world. The company has three divisions: '' ...

.

Satellites

Turkish Air Force operate an intelligence satellite named Göktürk-2, with plans to commission more in years ahead. These include a 0.8m resolution reconnaissance satellite (Project Göktürk-1) for use by the Turkish Armed Forces and a 2m resolution reconnaissance satellite (Project Göktürk-2) for use by the

National Intelligence Organization The National Intelligence Organization ( tr, Millî İstihbarat Teşkilatı, MİT) is the state intelligence agency of Turkey. Established in 1965 to replace National Security Service, its aim is to gather information about the current and po ...

. The production of Göktürk-2 is completed by the Turkish Aerospace Industries, while Göktürk-1 is still in the production stage. Some electro-optical parts that are required for the Göktürk-1 (0.8m resolution) satellite were beyond TAI's technological know-how, thus a foreign partner was sought. The official bidders for the project were

EADS Astrium Astrium was an aerospace manufacturer subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) that provided civil and military space systems and services from 2006 to 2013. In 2012, Astrium had a turnover of €5.8 billion and 1 ...

(U.K.), OHB-System (Germany) and

Telespazio Telespazio Spa is a European spaceflight services company founded in 1961. It is a joint venture owned by Leonardo (67%) and Thales Group (33%) headquartered in Rome. Telespazio provides services that include the design and development of space ...

(Italy); and the contract was won by Telespazio of Italy. Göktürk-2 was launched from Jiuquan Launch Area 4 / SLS-2 in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

by a Long March 2D space launch vehicle at 16:12:52 UTC on December 18, 2012. It was placed into a

low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with a period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial objects in outer space are in LEO, with an altitude never m ...

of at 16:26 UTC. The first signal from Göktürk-2 was received at 17:39 UTC by the

Tromsø Satellite Station Tromsø Satellite Station ( no, Tromsø Satellittstasjon, TSS), until 1988 known as Tromsø Telemetry Station ( no, Tromsø telemetristasjon), is a satellite earth station located in Tromsø, Norway. The facility is owned by Kongsberg Satellit ...

, northern

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

. In 2013 Turkey approved the construction by Roketsan of its first satellite launching center, initially for low earth orbit satellites. In 2015, Turkey and Ukraine signed a space program cooperation agreement worth billions of dollars. On January 8, 2021, Turkey launched the Türksat 5A satellite, greatly extending the range of drone operations from the West of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

to the east of

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

, with more resistance against jamming, rejection and wiretapping; high-definition live streams of targets and commanding of munitions drops.

Formation and structure

Turkish Air Force F4E Phantom II MOD 45157794

For a long period, the combat units of the Turkish Air Force were organized into a 1st Air Force (deployed in the western part of the country and headquartered in

Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from "old" and "city") is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 898,369 with a metropolitan population of 797,708. The city is located on the banks of the ...

) and a 2nd Air Force (deployed in the eastern part of the country and headquartered in

Diyarbakır Diyarbakır (; ; ; ) is the largest Kurdish-majority city in Turkey. It is the administrative center of Diyarbakır Province. Situated around a high plateau by the banks of the Tigris river on which stands the historic Diyarbakır Fortres ...

). On August 5, 2014, the two have been fused into the newly formed Combatant Air Force and Air Defence Command with headquarters in

Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from "old" and "city") is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 898,369 with a metropolitan population of 797,708. The city is located on the banks of the ...

. Due to its involvement in the coup d'état attempt on July 15, 2016, the 4th Main Jet Air Base Command near Ankara was disbanded and its F-16s were dispersed to other bases.

Air Force Command HQ (''Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı Karargâhı'') (Ankara)

* Combatant Air Force and Air Missile Defense Command (''Muharip Hava Kuvveti ve Hava Füze Savunma Komutanlığı'') (

Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from "old" and "city") is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 898,369 with a metropolitan population of 797,708. The city is located on the banks of the ...

) ** 1st Main Jet Base Command (''1. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı'') (

Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from "old" and "city") is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 898,369 with a metropolitan population of 797,708. The city is located on the banks of the ...

) *** 111th Squadron "Panther" (''111. Filo "Panter"'') - F-4E 2020T Terminator (last operational F-4 unit) *** 112th Squadron "Devil" (''112. Filo "Şeytan"'') (temporarily disbanded in anticipation of F-35As) *** 113th Squadron "Gazelle" (''113. Filo "Ceylan"'') - F-16C/D Block 30/50 Fighting Falcon (

SNIPER A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...

and DB.110 recon pods-specialised. The former 113th Squadron "Light" (''"Işık"'') flying RF-4E has been disbanded in 2014, but the disbandment of the 4th Main Jet Base in Ankara-Akıncı has resulted in the relocation and rebadging of its reconnaissance 142nd Squadron "Gazelle" (''142. Filo Ceylan'') to Eskişehir) *** 401st Test Squadron (''401. Test Filosu'') - F-16C/D Block 30/40, F-4E 2020 (weapons testing and evaluation squadron, took over this role from the 132nd Squadron) *** 201st Liaison and SAR Squadron "Attack" (''201. İrtibat ve Arama-Kurtarma Filosu "Atak"'') - CN-235M-100, AS-532UL Mk.1 ** 3rd Main Jet Base Command (''3. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı'') (

Konya Konya () is a major city in central Turkey, on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, and is the capital of Konya Province. During antiquity and into Seljuk times it was known as Iconium (), although the Seljuks also called it D ...

) *** 131st Squadron "Dragon" (''131. Filo "Ejder"'') - B-737-7ES AEW&C (AEW squadron) *** 132nd Squadron "Dagger" (''132. Filo "Hançer"'') - F-16C/D Block 50 Fighting Falcon (in 2014 the unit has been designated as a weapons and tactics training squadron. However, after the 2016 restructuring of the TuAF units this might has changed, as the Turkish DHA news agency has reported, that 12 F-16s of the squadron have participated in bombing missions in Northern Syria as part of Operation Olive Branch in January 2018.) *** 133rd Aerobatic Squadron "

Turkish Stars The Turkish Stars ( tr, Türk Yıldızları) are the aerobatic demonstration team of the Turkish Air Force and the national aerobatics team of Turkey. The team was formed on November 7, 1992, and was named the Turkish Stars on January 11, 1993. ...

" (''133. Akrotim Filo "Türk Yıldızları"'') - NF-5A/B 2000 Freedom Fighter *** 135th Liaison and SAR Squadron "Fire" (''135. İrtibat ve Arama-Kurtarma Filosu "''Ateş") - AS-532UL Mk.1+ ** 5th Main Jet Base Command (''5. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı'') ( Merzifon) *** 151st Squadron "Bronze" (''151. Filo "Tunç"'') - F-16C/D Block 40/50 Fighting Falcon (

HARM Harm is a moral and legal concept. Bernard Gert construes harm as any of the following: * pain * death * disability * mortality * loss of abil ity or freedom * loss of pleasure. Joel Feinberg gives an account of harm as setbacks to inte ...

-specialised) *** 152nd Squadron " Raider" (''152. Filo "Akıncı"'') - F-16C/D Block 40 Fighting Falcon (relocated to Incirlik Air Base to free facilities at Merzifon for the relocation of 4th Main Jet Base's 143rd Squadron from Ankara-Akıncı, but retained as part of 5th Main Jet Base Command) *** 153rd Squadron "Forefather" (''153. Filo "Öncel"'') - F-16C/D Block 30/40 Fighting Falcon (F-16 OCU, the former 4th Main Jet Base's (in Ankara-Akıncı) 143rd Squadron in the OCU role, relocated to Merzifon and rebadged as the 153rd.) *** 5th Main Jet Base Command SAR Flight "Angel" (''5. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı Arama-Kurtarma Kolu "Melek"'') - AS-532UL Mk.1+ ** 6th Main Jet Base Command (''6. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı'') (

Bandırma Bandırma () is a city in northwestern Turkey with 161,894 inhabitants as of 2021 on the Sea of Marmara. Bandırma is a district of Balıkesir Province. Bandırma is located in the south of the Marmara Sea, in the bay with the same name, and is ...

) *** 161st Squadron "Bat" (''161. Filo "Yarasa"'') - F-16C/D Block 40/50+ Fighting Falcon ( LANTIRN-specialised) *** 162nd Squadron "Harpoon" (''162. Filo "Zıpkın"'') - F-16C/D Block 40 Fighting Falcon *** 6th Main Jet Base Command SAR Flight (''6. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı Arama-Kurtarma Kolu'') - AS-532UL Mk.1+ ** 7th Main Jet Base Command (''7. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı'') ( Malatya- Erhaç) *** 171st Squadron "Corsair" (''171. Filo "Korsan"'') (temporarily disbanded, to convert to F-35A) *** 172nd Squadron "Hawk" (''172. Filo "Şahin"'') (temporarily disbanded, to convert to F-35A) *** 173rd Squadron "Dawn" (''173. Filo "Şafak"'') (recon squadron, RF-4E/TM(G) phased out of service, to operate armed TAI Anka UAVs) *** 7th Main Jet Base Command SAR Flight " Burak" (''7. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı Arama-Kurtarma Kolu "Burak"'') - AS-532UL Mk.1+ ** 8th Main Jet Base Group Command (''8. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı'') (

Diyarbakır Diyarbakır (; ; ; ) is the largest Kurdish-majority city in Turkey. It is the administrative center of Diyarbakır Province. Situated around a high plateau by the banks of the Tigris river on which stands the historic Diyarbakır Fortres ...

) *** 181st Squadron "Leopard" (''181. Filo "Pars"'') - F-16C/D Block 40TM/Block 50+ Fighting Falcon ( LANTIRN-specialised) *** 182nd Squadron " Accipiter" (''182. Filo "Atmaca"'') - F-16C/D Block 40 Fighting Falcon *** 202nd Liaison and SAR Squadron "East" (''202. İrtibat ve Arama-Kurtarma Filosu "Şark"'') - CN-235M-100, AS-532UL Mk.1+ ** 9th Main Jet Base Command (''9. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı'') ( Balıkesir) *** 191st Squadron "Cobra" (''191. Filo "Kobra"'') - F-16C/D Block 50 Fighting Falcon *** 192nd Squadron "Tiger" (''192. Filo "Kaplan"'') - F-16C/D Block 50+ Fighting Falcon *** 9th Main Jet Base Command SAR Flight (''9. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı Arama-Kurtarma Kolu'') - AS-532UL Cougar Mk.1+ ** 10th Tanker Base Command (''10. Tanker Üs Komutanlığı'') ( Incirlik) *** 101st Tanker Squadron " Asena" (''101. Tanker Filosu "Asena"'') - KC-135R Stratotanker ** 14th

UAV An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...

Systems Base Command (''14. İnsansız Uçak Sistemleri Üs Komutanlığı'') (

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

) *** TAI Anka, IAI Heron, Karayel, Harpy, I-GNAT ER ** Air Defence Command (''Hava Savunma Komutanlığı'') *** 15th Missile Base Command (''15. Füze Üs Komutanlığı'') (Alemdağ-

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

) ***S400 Group Command (''S400 Grup Komutanlığı'') ( Akıncı-

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

) ****15th Missile Base Command (''15. Füze Üs Komutanlığı'') ( Alemdağ-

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

) ****xxth Missile Base Command (''xx. Füze Üs Komutanlığı'') (

Birecik Birecik; ku, Bêrecûk is a town and district of Şanlıurfa Province of Turkey, on the Euphrates. Built on a limestone cliff 400 ft. high on the left/east bank of the Euphrates, "at the upper part of a reach of that river, which runs near ...

-

Şanlıurfa Urfa, officially known as Şanlıurfa () and in ancient times as Edessa, is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of Şanlıurfa Province. Urfa is situated on a plain about 80 km east of the Euphrates River. Its climate features ...

) ****one more base will be established possibly in Anamur-

Mersin Mersin (), also known as İçel, is a large city and a port on the Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Mersin (İçel) Province. It is made up of four municipalities and district governorates: Akdeniz, Mezitl ...

*** 9 x Aerial Surveillance Radar Post Commands (Ahlatlıbel-

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

; Körfez- Kocaeli; Karabelen- Izmir; Çanakkale; Erzurum; Datça-

Muğla Muğla () is a city in southwestern Turkey. The city is the center of the District of Menteşe and Muğla Province, which stretches along Turkey's Aegean coast. Muğla's center is situated inland at an altitude of 660 m and lies at a dista ...

;

Ayancık Ayancık is a town and district of Sinop Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. The mayor is Hayrettin Kaya ( CHP). History In the late 19th and early 20th century, Ayancık was part of the Kastamonu Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire. Being the ...

- Sinop;

İskenderun İskenderun ( ar, الإسكندرونة, el, Αλεξανδρέττα "Little Alexandria"), historically known as Alexandretta and Scanderoon, is a city in Hatay Province on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Names The city was founded as Ale ...

-

Hatay Hatay Province ( tr, Hatay ili, ) is the southernmost province of Turkey. It is situated almost entirely outside Anatolia, along the eastern coast of the Levantine Sea. The province borders Syria to its south and east, the Turkish province ...

;

Rize Rize ( Greek: ρίζα, Laz: რიზინი, Georgian: რიზე, , Ottoman Turkish: ريزه) is the capital city of Rize Province in the eastern part of the Black Sea Region of Turkey. Rize is a typically Turkish provincial capital wi ...

) ** 13 x Airfield Commands (''reserve air bases'') ( Akhisar,

Antalya la, Attalensis grc, Ἀτταλειώτης , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 07xxx , area_code = (+90) 242 , registration_plate = 07 , blank_name = Licence plate ...

,

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

,

Dalaman Dalaman is a district, as well as the central town of that district, situated on the southwestern coast of Turkey, in the Muğla Province. Dalaman Stream (''Dalaman çayı'') forms much of the western border of the district, where its neighbo ...

, Erzurum, Afyon, Çorlu, Muş,

Ağrı Ağrı ( ku, Agirî; ) is the capital of Ağrı Province in eastern Turkey, near the border with Iran. Formerly known as Karaköse ( ku, Qerekose) from the early Turkish republican period until 1946, and before that as Karakilise ( ota, قره‌� ...

,

Sivas Sivas (Latin and Greek: ''Sebastia'', ''Sebastea'', Σεβάστεια, Σεβαστή, ) is a city in central Turkey and the seat of Sivas Province. The city, which lies at an elevation of in the broad valley of the Kızılırmak river, is ...

, Sivrihisar,

Van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across th ...

, Yalova) * Air Training Command (''Hava Eğitim Komutanlığı'') (

İzmir İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the province of the same name. It is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara and the second largest urban aggl ...

) ** 2nd Main Jet Base Command (''2. Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı'') (

Çiğli Çiğli (''Silleon'' in Greek) is a metropolitan district of İzmir in western Turkey. It covers the northern end of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality around the mouth of the River Gediz, across the Gulf of İzmir from the main city. The Gediz de ...

-

İzmir İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the province of the same name. It is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara and the second largest urban aggl ...

) *** 121st Squadron "Bee" (''121. Filo "Arı"'') - T-38A Talon (advanced flying training) *** 122nd Squadron "Scorpion" (''122. Filo "Akrep"'') - KT-1T (basic flying training) *** 123rd Squadron "Chick" (''123. Filo "Palaz"'') - SF-260D ((initial flying training) *** 124th Squadron "Pioneer" (''124. Filo "Öncü"'') (borrows a/c from the other squadrons) (instructor training, standartidation and instrumental flying training) *** 125th Squadron "Panther" (''125. Filo "Panter"'') - CN-235M-100, UH-1H Iroquois (transport and helicopter training) ** Air Training Command Liaison Squadron (''Hava Eğitim Komutanlığı İrtibat Filosu'') (

İzmir İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the province of the same name. It is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara and the second largest urban aggl ...

-

Adnan Menderes Airport Adnan ( ar, عدنان, 'adnān) is the traditional ancestor of the Adnanite Arabs of Northern, Western, Eastern and Central Arabia, as opposed to the Qahtanite Arabs of Southern Arabia who descend from Qahtan. His ancestry can be traced back t ...

) *** 203rd SAR Squadron " Aegean" (''203. Arama Kurtarma Filosu "Ege"'') - CN-235M-100 ** Air Warfare School (''Hava Harp Okulu'', the Air Force academy) ( Yeşilköy-

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

) *** Training Corps (Eğitim Kıtaatı) **** Sparrow Flight (''Serçe Kol'') - T-41D Mescalero *** Search and Rescue Flight (''Arama-Kurtarma Kolu'') - UH-1H Iroquois *** Yalova Glider Camp (''Yalova Planör Kampı'') - SZD-50-3 ** Air Force Technical Schools Command (''Hava Teknik Okullar Komutanlığı'') (

Gaziemir Air Base Gaziemir Air Base ( tr, Gaziemir Hava Üssü, ) is an airbase of the Turkish Air Force south of Izmir, Turkey. It is owned by the Turkish Air Force and operated by the Air Force Training Command. The airport is at an elevation of above mean se ...

, İzmir) ** Air Force NCO Schools Command (''Hava Sınıf Okulları Komutanlığı'') (

Gaziemir Air Base Gaziemir Air Base ( tr, Gaziemir Hava Üssü, ) is an airbase of the Turkish Air Force south of Izmir, Turkey. It is owned by the Turkish Air Force and operated by the Air Force Training Command. The airport is at an elevation of above mean se ...

, İzmir) ** Air Force Basic Training Brigade Command (''Hava Er Eğitim Tugay Komutanlığı'') (

Kütahya Kütahya () (historically, Cotyaeum or Kotyaion, Greek: Κοτύαιον) is a city in western Turkey which lies on the Porsuk river, at 969 metres above sea level. It is inhabited by some 578,640 people (2022 estimate). The region of Kütahya ha ...

) * Air Logistical Command (''Hava Lojistik Komutanlığı'') (

Etimesgut Etimesgut or Etimesut, formerly Ahimesut, is a metropolitan district of Ankara Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, mainly consisting of large public housing projects, from Ankara city centre. According to 2010 census, the populati ...

-

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

) ** 11th Air Transportation Main Base Command (''11. Hava Ulaştırma Ana Üs Komutanlığı'') (

Etimesgut Etimesgut or Etimesut, formerly Ahimesut, is a metropolitan district of Ankara Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, mainly consisting of large public housing projects, from Ankara city centre. According to 2010 census, the populati ...

-

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

) *** 211th Squadron "Globetrotter" (''211.Filo "Gezgin"'') - various CN-235 variants, including ELINT, EW, MedEvac and VIP *** 212th Special Squadron "Eagle" (''212. Özel Filo "Doğan"'') - A330, A319, Ce. 550/ Ce.560, Ce.650, G.IV-SP - government and high command executive fleet ** 12th Air Transportation Main Base Command (''12. Hava Ulaştırma Ana Üs Komutanlığı'') ( Erkilet-

Kayseri Kayseri (; el, Καισάρεια) is a large industrialised city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri province. The Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality area is composed of five districts: the two central districts of Kocasina ...

) *** 221st Squadron "Breeze" (''221. Filo "Esen"'') - A-400M, C-160D) *** 222nd Squadron "Flame" (''222.Filo "Alev"'') - C-130B/E) ** 1st Air Supply and Maintenance Center Command (''1. Hava İkmal Bakım Merkezi Komutanlığı'') (

Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from "old" and "city") is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 898,369 with a metropolitan population of 797,708. The city is located on the banks of the ...

) ** 2nd Air Supply and Maintenance Center Command (''2. Hava İkmal Bakım Merkezi Komutanlığı'') (

Kayseri Kayseri (; el, Καισάρεια) is a large industrialised city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri province. The Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality area is composed of five districts: the two central districts of Kocasina ...

) ** 3rd Air Supply and Maintenance Center Command (''3. Hava İkmal Bakım Merkezi Komutanlığı'') (

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

) ** Military Air Traffic Control Command (''Hava Malzeme Transit Komutanlığı'') (

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

) ** Air Museum Command (''Hava Kuvvetleri Müzesi'') (

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

)

Squadrons

The above commands consist of: * 19

Combat Combat (French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

squadrons * 1

Reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops ( skirmishe ...

squadron * 6

Training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...

squadrons * 6

Transportation Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land ( rail and road), water, cable, pipelin ...

squadrons * 1 Tanker squadron * 8

Surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

(SAM) squadrons

Insignia

* OF3, OF2, & OR2 translate to "Head of 1000", "Head of 100", and "Head of 10" respectively.

Future of the Turkish Air Force

In 2008, HAVELSAN of Turkey and

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and ...

of the United States were in the process of developing a next generation, high-altitude ballistic missile defence shield. It was envisaged that the system would be used by Turkey, the U.S. and other NATO members. In 2011, Turkey's

Undersecretariat for Defense Industries In Turkey, Defence Industry Agency ( tr, Savunma Sanayii Başkanlığı (SSB)); formerly ''Presidency of Defense Industries'' and ''Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM)'' before that, is a civil institution established by the government ...

(SSM), signed an agreement with TAI for the conceptual development of basic capabilities of a national fifth generation

fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield ...

project named the

TAI TF-X The TAI TF-X (Turkish Fighter) is a stealth twin-engine all-weather air superiority fighter in development by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and BAE Systems as its sub-contractor. The aircraft is planned to replace F-16 Fighting Falcons o ...

On June 30, 2021, the Turkish Air Force made an official presentation about the TF-X program to the press. On 28 March 2013, the Turkish Secretary of the Defence Industry of the Ministry of National Defence of Turkey Murat Bayar announced intentions to replace the F-16 fighter with domestically produced multi-role fighters by 2023. TAI Hürjet Teknofest2021 (3)

Following the agreement signed on 22 July 2018 between the Turkish Air Force and TAI, the program for developing an advanced jet trainer, TAI Hürjet, was initiated to replace the existing Northrop T-38 Talon, T-38 Talon aircraft. The Hürjet is expected to be operational by 2025. The CEO of the UAV-giant in Turkey, Baykar, announced that Turkey is developing an unmanned fighter jet and bomber, the Baykar Bayraktar Kızılelma, Baykar Kızılelma (MIUS). The fighter is expected to make its first flight in 2023.

Notes

References

Bibliography

*

External links

*
Official Turkish Armed Forces Website

Official Turkish Air Force Website

Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics
{{Authority control Turkish Air Force, Aviation in Turkey Air forces by country

History

Initial stages

Inspectorate of Air Forces

Air Force Command

Turkish Air Force and NATO

Notable events

Equipment

Fighter and reconnaissance aircraft

Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft

Aerial refueling tanker aircraft

Military transport aircraft

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

Satellites

Formation and structure

Air Force Command HQ (''Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı Karargâhı'') (Ankara)

Squadrons

Insignia

Future of the Turkish Air Force

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links