'Turkish Air Force' (
Turkish: ''Türk Hava Kuvvetleri'') is a branch of the
Turkish Armed Forces.
Turkish Air Force is one of the oldest air forces in the world and operates one of the largest combat aircraft fleets of
NATO. In its long history, many famous air aces and aviation pioneers have served in the Turkish Air Force, including
Sabiha Gökçen, the world's first female combat pilot. Supported by the TuAF's
in-flight refueling capability, the fighter jets of the Turkish Air Force can participate in international operations and exercises on every major continent and return back to their home bases.
History
Founding years
The TuAF was founded in June
1909, making it one of the oldest combat aviation organizations in the world. Its formation came about after the
Ottoman Empire sent two Turkish pilots to the International Aviation Conference in
Paris. After witnessing the growing importance of an air combat support branch, the Turkish government decided to organize its own military aviation program. For this purpose, officers were sent to Europe by the end of
1910 to participate in the study of combat flight. However, because of bad living conditions, the student program was aborted and the trainees returned to Turkey in the spring of
1911.
Although left without any governmental guidelines for establishing an air force, the Turkish Minister of Defence of the time, Mahmut Åževket, continued to encourage the idea of a military aviation program and sent officers Fesa and Yusuf Kenan, who achieved the highest maneuvering points in a piloting test conducted in
1911, to France for receiving a more satisfactory flight education.
In late
1911 Süreyya Ilmen was instructed with founding the ''Havacılık Komisyonu'' (Aviation Commission) bound to the ''Harbiye Bakanlığı Fen Kıtaları Müstahkem Genel Müfettişliği'' (War Ministry Science Detachment General Inspectorship).
1911-1918
Turkish pilots in early 1912
Turkish pilots during the Balkan Wars (1912-1913)
Turkish pilots during the First World War years (1914-1918)
On February 21,
1912, Fesa and Yusuf Kenan completed their flight education and returned home with the 780th and 797th French aviation diplomas. In the same year, eight more Turkish officers were sent to
France for flight education.
The
Ottoman Empire started preparing its first pilots and planes, and with the founding of the ''Hava Okulu'' (Air Academy) in
Istanbul on July 3,
1912, the empire began to tutor its own flight officers. The founding of the Air Academy quickened advancement in the military aviation program, increased the number of enlisted persons within it, and gave the new pilots an active role in the
Armed Forces. In May
1913 the world's first specialized Reconnaissance Training Program was activated by the Air Academy and the first separate Reconnaissance division was established by the Air Force.
Because of the lack of experience of the Turkish pilots, the first stage (1912) of the
Balkan Wars (
1912-
1913) ended with the loss of several aircraft. However, the second stage (1913) was marked with great success since the pilots had become more battle-hardened. Many recruits joined the Air Academy following a surge of Turkish nationalism during the war.
With the end of the Balkan Wars a modernization process started and new planes were purchased. In June
1914 a new military academy, ''Deniz Hava Okulu'' (Naval Aviation Academy) was founded, also in
Istanbul. With the outbreak of the
First World War, the modernization process stopped aprubtly, but in
1915 some German officers came to the
Ottoman Empire and some Turkish officers went to
Germany for flight education.
The Ottoman Air Force fought on many fronts during the First World War, from
Galicia in the west to the
Caucasus in the east and
Yemen in the south. Efforts were made to reorganize the Ottoman Air Force, but this ended in
1918 with the end of the
First World War and the occupation of
Istanbul.
1918-1923
With the end of the
First World War and the occupation of the Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman Air Force was nothing more than a department. All personnel, including pilots and teachers, were either relieved of duty or disbanded, and all Air Force governmental buildings were closed. Some optimistic Turks tried to build new units in
Istanbul,
Ä°zmir,
Konya,
Elazığ and
Diyarbakır with planes left over from the
First World War and tried to bring together flight personnel, but were unsuccessful.
Turkish pilots during the War of Independence (1919-1922)
During this period, the Turks in
Anatolia were roused and ready to fight for their independence and motherland under
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Turkish pilots were ready to do this, too, and subsequently joined the
Konya Hava Istasyonu (
Konya Air Station). Parallel to this, however, the Ottoman Air Force was closed by the Ottoman Ministry of War and all personnel were formally discharged. The Ottoman pilots were thus left without planes and proper assistance and the period of Ottoman Aviation ended. But with the opening of the Grand National Assembly in
1920 in Ankara, the reorganization of an ordered Army, the ''Kuva-yı Havaiye'' (Air Force) bound to the Harbiye Dairesi (Ministry of War bound to the
TBMM) was found. A few damaged aircraft belonging to the
Grand National Assembly were repaired, and afterwards used in combat.
In
1921, the Hava Kuvvetleri (''Kuva-yı Havaiye'') Şubesi air force section was renamed as ''Hava Kuvvetleri Genel Müdürlüğü'', or the Air Force General Command.
1923-1940
Turkish Air Force pilots in 1933
After the proclamation of independence and sovereignty with the
Treaty of Lausanne and the establishment of the
Republic of Turkey by
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in
1923, approaches were made to form a modern Air Force. Originally consisting of 3 normal and 1 naval aviation units, and an Air Force Academy, the number of units was increased to 10 normal and 3 naval aviation units. Starting in
1924, personnel were sent abroad for flight education. In
1925 the Air Force Academy was reestablished in EskiÅŸehir and its first students graduated in that same year. The Air Force was reorganized in
1928 and new schools were found for non-pilot personnel. Additional to the personnel sent to
England and
France, other personnel were sent to the
USA and
Italy in
1930.
In
1933 the Air Force became independent and trained its own personnel. The blue uniforms worn by the Air Force were established in
1933. In
1934 the first Turkish airplanes were produced in Kayseri. Still in
1934 the ''Türkkuşu'' (''Turkishbird'') aviation and parachute society was established, and in
1936 Sabiha Gökçen joined the Turkish Air Force - she became the world's first female combat pilot in
1937. Throughout her career in the Turkish Air Force, Gökçen flew 22 different types of aircraft for more than 8000 hours, 32 hours of which were active combat and bombardment missions.
[1] She was selected as the only female pilot for the poster of "''20 Greatest Aviators in History''" prepared by the
USAF in
1996.
[1] Another key event in
1937 was the establishment of the ''Hava Harp Akademisi'' (Air War Academy).
1940 - Present
Turkish pilots during the Second World War years (1939-1945)
By
1940, Turkish Air Force had more than 500 combat aircraft in its inventory, becoming the largest Air Force on the
Balkans and the
Middle East. The growing inventory of the Air Force required another structural change, which was made in
1940. The Air Force under the ''Milli Savunma Bakanlığı'' (Ministry of National Defense) for logistical affairs and the General Staff for educational affairs were united to form the ''Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı'' (Air Force Command). Thus, the Air Force became a separate branch of the
Turkish Armed Forces. The first
commander-in-chief was General Zeki DoÄŸan.
Even though
Turkey did not enter the
Second World War on the side of the
Allies until February 1945 (in accordance with the agreements made during the
Second Cairo Conference), the
Turkish Armed Forces went on full alert and was prepared for war following the military alliance between neighbouring
Bulgaria and the
Axis Powers which was in essence established with the
Treaty of Craiova in September
1940 and 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. Turkish Air Force made daily reconnaissance flights over
Bulgaria,
Greece, the
Greek Islands in the
Aegean Sea, and the
Dodecanese Islands which then belonged to
Italy, for controlling the positions of the Axis forces. The large cities in western Turkey were darkened at nights, and anti-aircraft guns, aided by spot lights, controlled the skies for possible enemy planes. A war economy was imposed, and basic commodities including food and bread were rationed in preparation for the worst-case scenario. Almost all available money in the Turkish Government Treasury was used to purchase new weapons from any available provider in the world. Turkish Air Force received large numbers of new aircraft in this period, including Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I/V/IX/XIX, Curtiss Falcon CW-22R/B, Fairey Battle-I, Avro Anson-I, Hawker Hurricane I/II, Morane Saulnier MS-406, Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk, Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk, Westland Lysander-I, Consolidated Liberator 3B-24D, Bristol Blenheim IV/V, Bristol Beaufort, Bristol Beaufighter Mk.I/X, Focke Wulf FW-190-A3, Martin Baltimore-187, De Havilland DH-98 Mk.III/IV, B-26B/C Invader, P-47D Thunderbolt and C-47A/B Dakota.
The Hava Teknik Okullar Komutanlığı (Air Force Technical School Command) was founded in
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
USA to receive flight education. 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 the
Korean War, Turkish pilots were assigned with reconnaissance missions.
Upon
Turkey's inclusion in
NATO in 1952, the process of modernization was accelerated.
In
1962 the Taktik Hava Kuvveti (Tactical Air Force) was founded by upgrading the Hava Tümens (an air unit) to a corps-level organization.
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.
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 slightly reorganized. Turkish Air Force took part in the
Operation Deliberate Force of 1995 and
Operation Allied Force of 1999, and later participated in the
UN peacekeeping mission in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, employing two squadrons (one in the
Ghedi fighter wing, and after
2000 one in the
Aviano 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.
On July 11, 2002 Turkey became a Level 3 partner of the
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) development program, and on January 25, 2007, Turkey officially joined the production phase of the JSF program, agreeing to initially purchase at least 100 F-35A Lightning II aircraft.
Structure
A TuAF KC-135R-CRAG Stratotanker refueling F-16 fighter jets
F-16 fighter jets from various Turkish Air Force squadrons in wing formation
TuAF F-4E Phantom II
A sharkmouth F-4E Phantom II of the Turkish Air Force taxis for takeoff
Turkish Stars Aerobatics Team
Heron MALE attack/surveillance UAV
TIHA MALE attack/surveillance UAV
Boeing 737 AEW&C MESA
F-35A Lightning II
★ Headquarters,
Ankara
:
Chief of the Turkish General Staff: General
Yaşar Büyükanıt
:Commander of the Turkish Air Force: General
AydoÄŸan BabaoÄŸlu
★
★ Air Force Staff Division Command
★
★
★ 10th Tanker Base Command,
Ä°ncirlik,
Adana
★
★
★
★
KC-135 Stratotanker tanker aircraft
★
★
★ 11th Air Transportation Main Base Command, Etimesgut, Ankara
★
★
★
★
CASA CN-235(T),
★
★
★
★
Cessna Citation VII,
★
★
★
★
Cessna Citation II (CE-550),
★
★
★
★
Gulfstream IV-SP,
★
★
★
★ 3 CASA CN-235 (T) ambulance aircraft
★
★
★ 12th Air Transportation Main Base Command, Erkilet,
Kayseri
★
★
★
★
C-130 Hercules,
★
★
★
★
C-160 Transall and
★
★
★
★ CASA CN-235 (T) aircraft
★ 1st Tactical Air Force Command,
EskiÅŸehir
★
★ 1st Main Jet Base Group Command
★
★ 4th Main Jet Base Group Command
★
★ 6th Main Jet Base Group Command
★
★ 9th Main Jet Base Group Command
★
★ 15th Missile Base Group Command
★
★ 1st Air Control Group Command
★ 2nd Tactical Air Force Commands,
Diyarbakır
★
★ 5th Main Jet Base Group Command
★
★ 7th Main Jet Base Group Command
★
★ 8th Main Jet Base Group Command
★
★ 2nd Air Control Group. Command
★ Air Training Command, Gaziemir,
Ä°zmir
★
★ 2nd Main Jet Base Group Command
★
★ 3rd Main Jet Base Group Command
★
★ Air Force Academy Command
★
★ Air Corps Schools and Technical Training Center Command
★
★ Air Language School and Airmen Training Brigade Command
★ Air Logistics Command, Etimesgut, Ankara
★
★ 1st Air Supply and Maintenance Center Command
★
★ 2nd Air Supply and Maintenance Center Command
★
★ 3rd Air Supply and Maintenance Center Command
★
★ Air Museum Command
These commands consist of:
★ 19
Combat squadrons
★ 1
Reconnaissance squadron
★ 6
Training squadrons
★ 6
Transport aircraft|Transportation squadrons
★ 1 Tanker squadron
★ 8
Surface-to-air missile (SAM) squadrons
Main equipment
See also
★
Turkish Stars
External links
★
★
Turkish Armed Forces Website
★
Turkish Air Force Website
★
Unofficial TuAF F-16 Fighting Falcon Base
★
Unofficial TuAF "Turkish Air Force" Website
★
Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics
★
Sabiha Gökçen: World's first female Air Force combat pilot. Part 1
★
Sabiha Gökçen: World's first female Air Force combat pilot. Part 2
★
Sabiha Gökçen: World's first female Air Force combat pilot. Part 3
★
Sabiha Gökçen: World's first female Air Force combat pilot. Part 4
★
Sabiha Gökçen: World's first female Air Force combat pilot. Part 5
★
Sabiha Gökçen: World's first female Air Force combat pilot. Part 6
References
1. TRT documentary on Sabiha Gökçen
2. TRT documentary on Sabiha Gökçen
3. http://warriorsoul.4t.com/airforce.html
4. http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=2509961&C=airwar
5. Reuters: Turkey signs .78 bln deal to buy warplanes
6. F-16.net: Turkey signs contract to buy 30 F-16 block 50+ jets
7. F-16 Peace Onyx III program kicks off at TAI >
8. F-16 Peace Onyx III program kicks off at TAI >
9. http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/05/11b-to-upgrade-turkish-f16-fleet/index.php
10. http://www.defenselink.mil/Contracts/Contract.aspx?ContractID=3407
11. http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2004/Turkey_05-11.pdf
12. http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2006/02/turkey-buys-127-aim9x-sidewinder-missiles/index.php
13. http://www.sabah.com.tr/haber,090D05390768468DBC230B6361BFC9DA.html
14. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2006/08/01/208209/turkey-reveals-male-uav-details.html
15. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=6466
16. http://www.eastweststudies.org/makale_detail.php?tur=100&makale=40
17. http://www.defense-update.com/products/h/Heron-UAV.htm
18. http://www.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=7933
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