In 2022, Türkiye achieved many milestones, and its defense industry gained recognition not only in the country but also globally, with its products in land, sea, and air systems.
The successes of Türkiye in the defense industry in recent years are evident.
Both in 2021 and 2022, there were significant achievements in terms of indigenous and national defense industry. And 2023 is turning out to be another remarkable year.
Foreign press frequently highlights the innovations in the Turkish defense industry.Türkiye is exploring alternative paths for F-16s, and currently, the Ankara government is in talks with the US to acquire F-16s.
The tensions with the US eased, particularly after the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, but US Senator Bob Menendez, known for his anti-Türkiye stance, still opposes the sale of F-16s.
During this period Türkiye did not remain idle; it signed significant contracts and modernized its aircraft.
The modern combat aircraft under scrutiny was named "ÖZGÜR" (meaning "free" in Turkish). The agency described the F-16s as a "Türkiye counterpart" and also highlighted the considerable attention received by the KAAN fighter aircraft. It was pointed out that Özgür has the nickname of "fighting hawk."
Additionally, it was mentioned that with the addition of F-16s, Türkiye's army will be one of the "strongest armies." Özgür also captured the attention of the Greek press.
The Greek agency, Economico, covered how Türkiye modernized its old fighter jets for F-16s.
The report highlighted the upgrade program by ASELSAN, the new mission computer, the active electronically scanned array radar, and the new suites for about 150 Turkish F-16s.
The product of the ÖZGÜR Project, ÖZGÜR, was developed by ASELSAN. In the past months, the first aircraft was delivered to the Turkish Air Force, and it is expected that deliveries will continue at an increasing pace.
In the initial phase, the ÖZGÜR Project will be applied to F-16 Block 30 fighter jets, and after approximately 30-35 Block 30 fighter jets, it will be integrated into Block 40 and Block 50 configuration F-16s.
Through this integration, many critical missiles and pods such as GÖKDOĞAN, BOZDOĞAN, GEZGİN, ATMACA, ÇAKIR, GÖKHAN, ASELPOD, EHPOD, and SOM will be usable on F-16s.
