MİLLİYET.COM.TR / Israeli aviation expert Nitzan Sadan, who wrote an analysis for Calcalist from the Israeli press, evaluated Turkey's air power with all its elements.
Stating that Turkey draws attention not only with the number of warplanes but also with its capacity to use different layers of air warfare simultaneously, Sadan listed the opportunities of the Turkish Air Force one by one, from the F-16 fleet to long-range ammunition, from aerial refueling planes to early warning systems and electronic warfare capability.
'THE BACKBONE OF TURKISH POWER'
In Sadan's analysis, he claimed that there are more than 250 F-16 warplanes in the Turkish Air Force and said, "The backbone of the Turkish war force is F-16s, more than 250 in number."
The Israeli expert stated that Turkish F-16s have undergone significant modernization and new radar systems have been added to the aircraft. He pointed out that with these improvements, the range, resistance to electronic jamming and target tracking capabilities of the aircraft have been increased.
Sadan also drew attention to the fuel tanks that enable Turkish F-16s to fly long-range and stated that this is an important element in terms of Turkey's air operations against a potential rival.
However, underlining that Turkey's air power does not consist only of F-16s, Sadan wrote that the ammunition used by warplanes also has a remarkable diversity.
'LONG RANGE Striking POWER'
The Israeli expert stated that Turkey has systems such as laser and satellite guided bombs, TOLUN type ammunition and SOM cruise missiles.
Stating that SOM, in particular, combines satellite guidance and smart camera systems and can be used against different targets, Sadan wrote that Turkish warplanes can also carry ammunition such as American-made HARM anti-radar missiles and AGM-154.
Stating that Turkish F-16s use AIM-9X and AIM-120 missiles in air-to-air combat, Sadan also drew attention to Turkey's own developed Gökdoğan missile.
Thus, in the picture drawn by Sadan, the Turkish Air Force stood out not only as a fleet with a high number of warplanes, but also as a force with a wide ammunition capacity that can be used at different ranges and against different targets.
'Türkiye EXCEEDS BORDERS'
Drawing attention to Turkey's capacity to carry air operations to long distances, Sadan claimed that there are 7 KC-135 aerial refueling planes within the Turkish forces and said, "As these planes increase the range and stay in the air of warplanes, they show that Turkey has an infrastructure that allows it to carry out air operations not only around its own borders but also at longer distances."
Another element that Sadan drew attention to was the E-7 Wedgetail early warning and control aircraft. Talking about advanced sensors that can detect threats within approximately 600 kilometers, Sadan stated that these systems provide Turkish warplanes with important early warning and target awareness during operations.
He emphasized that with the addition of HAVA SOJ electronic warfare aircraft to this capacity, Turkey's air power has a much broader structure than warplanes.
'Türkiye RONALDO, ISRAEL MESSI'
One of the most striking parts of the analysis was devoted to Turkey's unmanned aerial vehicle capacity. While comparing the point reached by Turkish UAV technology with Israel, Sadan made a striking analogy through football and said, "If unmanned aerial vehicles were football, Turkey would be Ronaldo and we would be Messi."
Drawing attention to the performance of Turkish UAVs in the Ukrainian war, Sadan cited the use of Bayraktar TB2 against Russian armored units as an example.
However, the Israeli expert stated that Turkey is not limited to TB2 only and wrote that more advanced unmanned systems can also be used in different tasks.
Sadan also drew attention to kamikaze UAV systems such as Kargı, stating that these vehicles can navigate around the target area and search for targets or move directly to the target with satellite guidance.
'ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS'
The Israeli expert evaluated all these elements of the Turkish Air Force together and came to a striking conclusion: "It is one of the most dangerous air forces in the world, thanks to its equipment, culture, capabilities and experience."
According to Sadan, Turkey's power does not only stem from the weapon systems it has. Conducting regular exercises with Western air forces within the scope of NATO membership, testing different operational methods and real-time intelligence integration also increase the capacity of the Turkish Air Force.
He also argued that the presence of expert training, technology, intelligence, electronic warfare and operational experience in the same structure makes Turkey a serious air power.
'THEY FLY 180 HOURS A YEAR'
Sadan also made a special mention of Turkey's human resources. Stating that Turkish pilots receive high quality training, the expert claimed that an average Turkish pilot flies approximately 180 hours a year, which is higher than the pilots of many countries such as Russia, China and England.
'EUROFIGHTER AND KAAN NEXT TO F-16s'
Turkey's future air power also attracted attention in the analysis. Sadan wrote that Turkey is expected to have 44 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft in the coming years, and that the F-35 and the KAAN fighter jet developed by Turkey may also be included in the air force in the future.
He pointed out that if these developments occur, Turkey's current F-16-dominated fleet will be supported by new generation warplanes.
ANKARA'S FIELD EXPERIENCE
Sadan drew attention not only to Turkey's technical capacity but also to its war and operational experience. Stating that Turkish F-16s participated in air operations for approximately 40 days during the Kosovo War, the expert stated that Turkey served with the air forces of different countries under the umbrella of NATO.
Sadan stated that NATO membership provides Turkey with the opportunity to conduct continuous training and exercises with Western air forces.
'THERE ARE THREE SEASONS IN ISRAEL'
When comparing the Turkish and Israeli air forces, Sadan argued that one of the most important differences between the two countries is their war experience.
Describing Israel's perception of war, Sadan made one of the most striking statements of his analysis and confessed: "There are only three seasons in Israel: Summer, winter and war."
'TURKS WILL FIND A WAY TO REACH US'
