Amid PKK Operations, Turkish Air Force Buys Deterrence Weapons

WASHINGTON and ANKARA - The Turkish Air Force, whose main combat activity these days is the low-intensity, asymmetric battle against Kurdish separatists, sees no near-term threat of air-to-air combat. Still, its modernization efforts run largely to conventional weapons aimed at maximizing firepower and deterrence.
"Because of the PKK situation, the Air Force presently has an attack role in air-to-surface terms, and this is expected to remain in place as long as the PKK threat continues," one Ankara defense analyst said. "But in general, the Air Force strategy is designed to defend the homeland, and doesn't have a power projection agenda in its region."

Turkey's latest national security threat paper, published in 2006, portrays Iran and neighboring northern Iraq, where the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is based, as potential threats, but says air-to-air combat is unlikely.
Greece, Turkey's NATO ally and former foe in the Aegean, also is seen as a distant but still possible threat. But the two neighbors' greatly improved ties over the past 10 years, and the fact that Greece is a member of the European Union, which Turkey hopes to join eventually, makes a sustained air conflict highly unlikely.
Turkey has a considerably strong Air Force in its region and attaches top priority to the modernization of its fighter fleets. It operates more than 210 F-16s and more than 140 older F-4Es and F-5s. Most of these aircraft already are under upgrade or modernization programs.
Under an agreement with the United States and Lockheed Martin, which leads an international consortium, Turkey plans to buy 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II aircraft worth some $11 billion after 2015. As a stopgap solution, the Air Force will receive within five years 30 Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 50 fighters worth more than $1.8 billion.
Most of Turkey's existing F-16s will continue flying well into the 2030s. Fifty-two of the Air Force's F-4Es have been modernized in cooperation with Israel. But earlier plans to modernize an additional 48 F-4E fighter-bombers were dropped to buy the new F-16s.
In addition to peacetime duties, the Air Force uses its fighter aircraft to attack PKK targets on Turkish territory and, with U.S. intelligence support since December, inside northern Iraq. In the foreseeable future, the Air Force's air-to-ground operations are expected to be its main warfare activity.
"In the case of an unlikely confrontation with Iran, Turkey relies on the superiority of its Air Force," the analyst said.
The Air Force mostly meets its need for air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions from the United States through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deals, although there are increasing efforts to buy from domestic sources.

Non-Fighter Purchases

The main threat from Iran might be ground-to-ground missiles. As a result, the Air Force is seeking to boost its surface-based air defenses.
The Turkish Air Force recently has taken delivery of I-Hawk surface-to-air missile batteries from the United States through an FMS arrangement, replacing its obsolete Nike Hercules systems. Authorization also has been given to buy medium- and high-altitude air defense systems that could also shoot down tactical ballistic missiles, suggesting an upcoming competition between U.S. Patriot-based systems and Russian S-300s or S-400s.
In what Turkish officials call the war against PKK terrorism, Ankara says it lacks advanced UAVs. The military has a few UAVs, including some leased from Israel.
The Air Force expects to receive before the end of 2008 the first of 10 Heron UAV systems from Israel, but deliveries already have been delayed for more than a year. There also are plans for some locally made UAVs for the Air Force.
The Air Force's strategic reconnaissance will get a boost when the country selects the winner in its first military observation satellite program, called Gokturk. British, German and Italian companies are vying for the contract, worth more than $250 million. The satellite should be launched in 2011 or 2012.
Turkish officials see a planned acquisition of airborne early warning and control aircraft from Boeing as a major force multiplier for the Air Force. There is more than a two-year delay in deliveries, and the systems now are expected to begin entering service in 2009 or 2010. The planes also may assume NATO-related roles.
On transport capabilities, 13 C-130 aircraft are being modernized locally, and a gap to be left by the retirement of C-160s should be filled by the arrival of A400Ms in 2009 or 2010 under a joint European program.
Turkey has 10 planes on order. However, the C-130s are going through avionics modernization only, and the Air Force may consider replacement transport aircraft in the not-too-distant future, procurement officials said.

Pakistan Targets Air Combat Needs To Protect Air Defense, C2 Early in War

TAIPEI - The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has not seen serious air combat since the 1965 and 1971 wars with India, but the ability to defeat a massive Indian assault on its air defenses early in a war remains its primary mission.
In 1965, Pakistan successfully trumped India in air combat, but it was ill-prepared for the 1971 conflict in which India dominated the skies. Fears of losing another war, much less a nuclear war, are unthinkable, and the PAF is modernizing its air interdiction, air surveillance and reconnaissance, command and control, and honing its air delivery skills for nuclear weapons.

Air interdiction is the PAF's primary mission, but it has not ignored retaliatory strike missions, said Haris Khan of the Pakdef Military Consortium. The PAF has expanded modernization efforts to include "nuclear weapons delivery, support of ground operations, fleet protection/maritime strike, and search and rescue are secondary," he said.
The PAF believes the Indian Air Force will launch a massive assault on Pakistan's air defense and command-and-control hubs during the first wave of a war, said A.B. Mahapatra, director of the New Delhi-based Centre for Asian Strategic Studies - India.
The Indian Air Force's primary mission is to neutralize Pakistan's nuclear option, he said.
"Thus, PAF is enhancing its air combat profile to encounter such future challenges," Mahapatra said.
The PAF's interdiction efforts include new and refurbished Lockheed Martin F-16s, now on order, and JF-17 Thunder fighters, built by Pakistan with Chinese assistance, now being manufactured.
In June 2006, the PAF ordered 18 F-16 C/D Block 52M fighters along with an option to procure another 18. A midlife upgrade will augment its existing fleet of 40 F-16 A/B Block 15s, along with buying 20 more F-16 A/B models via the Excessive Defense Articles program.
The F-16s will not be outfitted with nuclear weapons, but question marks remain for the JF-17. Known as the Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon, the JF-17 will replace about 450 aging Nanchang A-5C Fantans, Dassault Mirage III/Vs and Chengdu F-7P Skybolts in the air-to-air combat and ground-support roles.
"The replacement will not be matched by an exact number, but initial reports indicate between 250 and 300 aircraft will be purchased by PAF," Khan said.
Khan said the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex is conducting flight evaluations of prototype aircraft "fitted with the Chinese-built NRIET KLJ-10 radar" and "Chinese-designed SD-10/PL-12 active-homing medium-range air-to-air missile."
The first 50 JF-17s will be outfitted with Chinese avionics, radar and missiles. But under an agreement with France in February, newer JF-17s will be outfitted with MBDA Mica air-to-air missiles and Thales RC 400 multimission radars.
The Russian-built RD-93 turbofan engine outfitting the JF-17 will have to be replaced due to pressure from India on Russia. Khan said the Chinese-built WS-13 Taishan engine is the most likely replacement.
There are unconfirmed reports, Khan said, that the PAF has ordered four aerial refueling tankers, possibly the Ukrainian-built Il-76.

Tentative UAV Plans

PAF also is improving its surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
"Pakistan uses UAVs for surveillance and is keen to augment the reconnaissance capabilities to a new height," with plans to procure up to 60 UAVs by 2010, Mahapatra said.
The Army has ordered the Luna short-range UAV from Germany and the Italian-built Galileo Falco UAV.
"An agreement was also signed in July of 2006 between the PAF and Turkey to jointly manufacture a UAV, which will meet the requirements of both air forces. The PAF UAV program is still in its adolescent stage, but they acknowledge the significance of the program for its future war plans," Khan said.
In April, the first of five Saab 2000 turboprop aircraft equipped with the Saab-Ericsson Erieye Airborne Early Warning & Command (AEW&C) system was rolled out during a ceremony in Sweden. Delivery to Pakistan is expected in mid-2009. Khan said there are discussions with China to co-develop an AEW&C aircraft designated as ZDK03 modeled on the Shaanxi Y-8F-400.
"PAF has mapped a very detailed and comprehensive plan for an early warning system to cover Pakistan's airspace with both airborne platforms and a ground-based radar network," he said.
Pakistan will integrate this plan with ground-based radar, including the U.S.-supplied AN/TPS-77 and Chinese-supplied JYL-1, JL3D-90A and JY-11 D air surveillance radars.
Khan points to other efforts, including a 2006 test of the Czech Vera passive radar system and an order for a number of MBDA Aspide/Spada 2000 low- to medium-altitude air defense batteries.
"These missiles are supposed to replace Thales Defence Systems Crotale. PAF is actively looking to purchase a high-altitude missile air defense system," with the Chinese-built FT-2000 as the front-runner, Khan said.
In the 1965 and 1971 wars with India, Pakistan successfully attacked ground targets, including high-value targets, within 200 miles of Pakistan's border.
Khan said in any future conflict with India, "I believe PAF will employ similar tactics," but with more intensity on high-value targets.
"PAF would, in the first instance, be tasked with countering India's planned advance into Pakistani territory by seeking to prevent the Indian Air Force from achieving local tactical air superiority," he said. "At the same time, it would be required to strike surface-to-surface missile launchers, if these can be identified. It would also be called upon to provide air cover for the strike corps in their limited advance to occupy Indian territory."

USAF Tanker Award Set for 5:10 p.m. ET

U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn, Pentagon procurement czar Ashton Carter, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Air Force Chief Gen. Norton Schwartz are to announce the winner of the U.S. Air Force's long-running KC-X tanker contract at 5:10 p.m.

EADS's Airbus A330, top, and Boeing's 767, below, are competing for the $35 billion U.S. Air Force KC-X contract. (EADS, Boeing)

flash goes hereEADS's Airbus A330 and Boeing's 767 are in an epic dogfight to supply the Air Force with 179 tankers for a total value that could amount to $35 billion.

Mullen: US to continue anti-piracy efforts

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (AFP) - The United States will remain involved in the anti-piracy campaign off the Somali coast despite the killing of four Americans by Somali pirates, the top U.S. military officer Thursday.
"There's an international focus on this and rightfully so we'll continue to pursue it," said Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff during a visit to Djibouti, home to the only U.S. military base in Africa.

On Monday, the U.S. military said Somali pirates killed four Americans on a yacht they had captured last week. The four had been sailing from India when they were seized.
The pirates have become more sophisticated and prowl the vast Indian Ocean to distance of up to 1,500 nautical miles from the war-torn Horn of Africa state.
Mullen said the more than 30 warships involved in the anti-piracy drive underscored the "significance of the challenge [of piracy] and also the priority in terms of focus."
Despite the presence of the foreign navies, Somali pirates have continued to hijack vessels, and last year they seized 53 ships and took 1,181 seamen hostage, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
Mullen said hunting down the sea bandits in such vast waters was like seaching for a "needle in a haystack."
The small Red Sea state of Djibouti also hosts a French military base. It also serves as a launching base for U.S. drone attacks against Al Qaeda according to security information website Globalsecurity.org.

Pakistan, China to Hold Joint Military Exercises in 2011

Pakistan and China will hold two joint military exercises in 2011, a Pakistani senior military leader said Tuesday.



The two exercises, one army drill and one air force one, will be held to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and China, said General Khalid Shameem Wynne, chairman of Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.

Wynne, who is paying a five-day visit to China, told reporters that the two countries will also participate in a multinational navy drill in March.

Wynne hailed the strategic partnership between Pakistan and China, saying it is "the best example" of bilateral ties and a "stabilizing force" in the region.

"The China-Pakistan partnership is a source of comfort and stability for the entire region," Wynne said.

The visit is Wynne's first official visit to China since he was promoted to the rank of general and assumed his present position in October 2010.

In July 2010, Wynne led a joint anti-terrorism drill between Pakistan and China in Qingtongxia in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Afghanistan Seeks U.S. Help Post-2014

WASHINGTON - Afghanistan on Feb. 23 appealed for the United States to provide security assistance beyond 2014, the date by which President Barack Obama wants to withdraw U.S. combat troops.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, right, and Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne, left, listen Feb. 23 as they meet with Defense Minister of Afghanistan Abdul Rahim Wardak at the Pentagon. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)

Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak was holding talks at the Pentagon to look at future relations, despite recent tensions between the two governments over civilian deaths in the NATO-led campaign against the Taliban.

"We do strongly believe that for Afghanistan to be able to survive in that very volatile region, it will need your help beyond 2014," Wardak said at the start of a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
Wardak saluted the nearly 1,500 U.S. troops who have died in America's longest war, which was launched in 2001 to root out al-Qaeda extremists responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
"We should be extremely grateful for all the sacrifices which your sons and daughters have given," Wardak said.
Gates said that such meetings on future security relations would take place twice annually between the two countries, with one session each year involving the U.S. defense secretary.
Gates hoped that the forum would lay "an enduring foundation for our partnership well beyond 2014."
The meetings should "demonstrate to others in the region and to our own people, in concrete terms, that together we are putting Afghanistan on a path towards stability and security," Gates said.
Opinion polls show dwindling U.S. public support for the war in Afghanistan, with many in the public questioning the continued human and financial toll nearly a decade after troops were first deployed.
Obama has poured more troops into Afghanistan but said that he will start pulling them out in July this year. However, the administration has recently shifted focus and emphasized 2014 as the date by which U.S. troops will leave.
The Obama administration has repeatedly said that the United States will remain committed to assisting Afghanistan in 2014, even if the military component winds down.

Russia Outlines 10-Year $640B Buying Plans

MOSCOW - Russian officials have revealed a few details about Moscow's $640 billion effort to bring 80 percent of the military's arsenal up to modern standards by 2020.
The defense ministry will buy about 600 airplanes and more than 1,000 helicopters, Vladimir Popovkin, the first deputy defense minister in charge of arms procurement, told reporters Feb. 24. About 100 helicopters will be purchased this year, Popovkin said.

The Navy should receive about 100 new vessels, including 35 corvettes, 15 frigates and 20 submarines. Of the submarines, eight should be of the nuclear Borei class, carrying Bulava multiwarhead naval intercontinental ballistic missiles that the ministry plans to commission later this year after additional tests.
The ministry will fund the development of a new liquid-fuel heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, to replace aging RS-18 Stilleto (SS-19 NATO codename) and RS-20 Satan (SS-18 NATO codename), Popovkin said. Such missiles can carry up to 10 warheads, he said, while solid fuel missiles, such as Topol, can carry maximum three warheads.
Russia will buy 10 batteries of the advanced S-500 anti-missile and anti-aircraft defense missiles, expected to be put in service in 2014, as well as 56 S-400 missile batteries.
Ten percent of the money, or about $64 billion, will be spent on developing new weaponry, Popovkin sai. This means nearly tripling annual spending on the research and design, he said.
The program envisages the procurement of two Mistral aircraft carriers, in addition to the two that Russia is buying from France, as well as Iveco light multirole vehicles from Italy. The military does not plan massive procurement of the foreign-made weapons, though small batches of drones, sniper guns and French-made Felin infantry combat suits will be bought by the Russian Armed Forces, Popovich said.
Seventy percent of the money under the program is supposed to be spent after 2015, he said.
The government will lend $24 billion to defense companies to help them prepare for bigger contracts after 2015.