Turkiye’s F-16 Modernisation programme with the U.S. is currently on the discussion table. Two institutions will share the workload to upgrade 79 F-16 jet to Block 70 level. Turkiye holds two separate modernisation programmes for F-16 fleet. Turkish indigenous modernisation programme Özgür will be carried out at Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ) facilities. The second modernisation programme will be carried out with U.S. components. In a significant development, Turkish-U.S. relations reached a new milestone in February 2024. Congress approved Turkiye’s request to acquire two fleets of brand-new F-16 Viper jets and upgrade 79 F-16 aircraft with modernisation kits which will be obtained from the United States. The inclusion of the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 SABR AESA radar, also used in F-35A aircraft, in this modernisation programme is a testament to the technology being employed. According to the current Government to Government negotiations, Turkiye’s modernisation workload will be completed as in previous modernisation programmes. As a result of former upgrades, the Turkish Air Force has no F-16 Block 30. They have all been upgraded to the Block 40 level. Current negotiations foresee the division according to the blocks. The upgrade programme will not require sharing the workload on the same aircraft. In this sense, F-16 block 40 and 50s will be upgraded at the Turkish Defence Ministry’s Eskişehir 1st Air Maintenance Factory Directorate. The directory is also known by its former name, 1st Air Supply and Maintenance Centre Command, while F-16 Block 50+ aircraft will be upgraded at Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ) facilities.
According to this separation, 30 F-16 Block 50+ aircraft must be upgraded at TUSAŞ Ankara while remaining 49 F-16 must go to Eskişehir. Defence Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA) presented a list to Congress in January 2024, which includes Turkiye’s F-16 modernisation request. The list indicates software upgrades of the Operational Flight Program (OFP) avionics with the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (AGCAS) capability; hardware modifications to enable integration of the Multifunctional Information Distribution System Block Upgrade II (MIDS BU II), procured separately; hardware and software upgrades to include aircraft major modification; both classified and unclassified software and software support; integration and test support; support equipment; training and training equipment; spare and repair parts; publications and technical documentation; The estimated total cost is $259 million. This is TurDef’s Exclusive News. It can be republished only by attribution of TurDef as a source.
