Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır announced that TÜBİTAK BİLGEM’s EDPOD has entered the inventory of the Turkish Air Force.
EDPOD, developed by TÜBİTAK BİLGEM, has entered the Turkish Air Force inventory to be used onboard F-16 fighter jets to provide extensive ESM capabilities.
The pod is mounted on the central fuselage hardpoint, which is normally used for external fuel tanks.
EDPOD, upon detecting radar signals from the enemy systems, identifies and locates the signal source. The aforementioned information is shared with friendly platforms in real-time. Additionally, the pod can store the data from operations ready for analysis.
Importance of ESM Systems*
ESM systems are beneficial not only for combat duties like SEAD/DEAD but also for gathering intelligence during peacetime on adversary capabilities.
Alongside EDPOD, Turkiye is also investing in smaller ESM pods for UCAVs like TÜBİTAK BİLGEM’s EDPOD-K and ASELSAN’s ANTIDOT-2U/S to improve situational awareness against air defence systems. UCAVs’ considerably longer endurance is an advantage for signal intelligence (SIGINT) missions.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor: Özgür Ekşi
