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Turkish arms agency launches separate helicopter office
Turkey's defense procurement agency, in a sign that it is attaching a greater importance to the country's military helicopter programs, has divided its aviation department into two divisions, creating for the first time a unit that will deal exclusively with helicopter projects.
In the past, the aviation department had overseen both fixed-wing and rotary-wing programs. But in a Jan. 3 memo, obtained by the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Defense Industry Undersecretary Murad Bayar ordered the creation of two separate units.
In his memo, Bayar appointed Köksal Liman as head of the helicopter department.
Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry, or SSM, officer Yakup Taşdelen will be the head of the aircraft unit.
Turkey has four large-scale military helicopter programs for attack, heavy lift, utility and naval platforms. Turkey is buying 17 S-70B Seahawk naval helicopters from the U.S. company Sikorsky Aircraft.
In 2008, the country signed a multibillion-dollar contract with Italy's AgustaWestland to buy 60 T-129 helicopter gun ships.
The SSM also is negotiating with the U.S. government to buy up to 14 Boeing-made CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift aircraft via the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. Sikorsky Aircraft and AgustaWestland are also competing for a nearly $4 billion contract for 109 utility helicopters.
Aircraft unit
The SSM's aircraft department will deal with several of Turkey's most costly defense procurement programs.
At the top will be the country's largest-ever program, for the purchase of 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II, the Air Force's next-generation fighter jet. The Turkish program is worth about $15 billion over the next 15 years. Turkey is a member of a nine-nation consortium developing and producing the F-35. The U.S. Lockheed Martin leads the program.
The aircraft department also will oversee Turkey's ongoing F-16 projects. Turkey in the short term will buy 30 F-16 Block 50 fighter aircraft worth about $1.8 billion. Additionally Lockheed Martin is leading the modernization of Turkey's older F-16s.
The same department also will oversee the development and manufacture of a "national" fighter aircraft after 2020. Because of the high technology involved, Turkey is expected to work with a foreign partner in this ambitious program.
The aviation department also will deal with Turkey's transport and training aircraft efforts.
Turkey's defense procurement agency, in a sign that it is attaching a greater importance to the country's military helicopter programs, has divided its aviation department into two divisions, creating for the first time a unit that will deal exclusively with helicopter projects.
In the past, the aviation department had overseen both fixed-wing and rotary-wing programs. But in a Jan. 3 memo, obtained by the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Defense Industry Undersecretary Murad Bayar ordered the creation of two separate units.
In his memo, Bayar appointed Köksal Liman as head of the helicopter department.
Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry, or SSM, officer Yakup Taşdelen will be the head of the aircraft unit.
Turkey has four large-scale military helicopter programs for attack, heavy lift, utility and naval platforms. Turkey is buying 17 S-70B Seahawk naval helicopters from the U.S. company Sikorsky Aircraft.
In 2008, the country signed a multibillion-dollar contract with Italy's AgustaWestland to buy 60 T-129 helicopter gun ships.
The SSM also is negotiating with the U.S. government to buy up to 14 Boeing-made CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift aircraft via the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. Sikorsky Aircraft and AgustaWestland are also competing for a nearly $4 billion contract for 109 utility helicopters.
Aircraft unit
The SSM's aircraft department will deal with several of Turkey's most costly defense procurement programs.
At the top will be the country's largest-ever program, for the purchase of 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II, the Air Force's next-generation fighter jet. The Turkish program is worth about $15 billion over the next 15 years. Turkey is a member of a nine-nation consortium developing and producing the F-35. The U.S. Lockheed Martin leads the program.
The aircraft department also will oversee Turkey's ongoing F-16 projects. Turkey in the short term will buy 30 F-16 Block 50 fighter aircraft worth about $1.8 billion. Additionally Lockheed Martin is leading the modernization of Turkey's older F-16s.
The same department also will oversee the development and manufacture of a "national" fighter aircraft after 2020. Because of the high technology involved, Turkey is expected to work with a foreign partner in this ambitious program.
The aviation department also will deal with Turkey's transport and training aircraft efforts.
