Turkey's Minister of National Defense, Yaşar Güler, has made statements regarding the plans for the renewal and strengthening of the country's combat aviation fleet. The minister stated that Eurofighter aircraft to be acquired from countries like Qatar and Oman are low-flight-hour, ready-for-use aircraft.
Editorial information indicates that the Eurofighter aircraft to be supplied by Qatar will be purchased along with the ammunition and technical materials available in that country. The aircraft to be obtained through Oman are planned to be upgraded with AESA radar, METEOR missile launch capability, and modern avionics systems, with this modernization expected to be completed for 12 aircraft in 2028.
The minister also stated that they do not see a serious problem with the supply of F-sixteen aircraft in the context of CAATSA sanctions, but that the main priority is the F-35 program. He noted that lobbying activities by Israel and Greece to prevent these aircraft from being delivered to Turkey are known, and Turkey continues its efforts with the United States to resolve these issues.
The statement also emphasized that 20 newly produced Eurofighter aircraft will be acquired within the framework of the agreement signed with the United Kingdom. It was stated that these aircraft will be phased into the inventory with 6 in 2030, eight in 2031, and 6 in 2032.
In addition, it was announced that all of Turkey's C-130 aircraft have undergone technical inspection following an accident. Minister Yaşar Güler noted that the black box is being investigated at TUSAŞ and that the results of the investigation will be presented to the public with full transparency.