TURKEY DELIVERS MODERNIZED F-16 AIRCRAFT TO PAKISTAN

Ankara - The aircraft, which belonged to Pakistani Air Forces, were modernized in Turkey, and delivered to Pakistan with a ceremony on Wednesday Andolu Agency reported.

Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TUSAS) delivered three modernized F-16 aircraft to Pakistan.

The aircraft, which belonged to Pakistani Air Forces, were modernized in Turkey, and delivered to Pakistan with a ceremony on Wednesday.

Turkish Defense Industry Undersecretary Murad Bayar said that Turkey and Pakistan have successfully cooperated in tactics, radio, electronic war and training test center and military information systems so far.

Pakistani Deputy Commander of Air Forces Gen. Asim Suleiman said that Pakistan’s air defense became more successful with the aircraft which were modernized in structural and avionic aspects.

Pakistani Ambassador to Turkey Muhammad Shaukat Haroon said that the project was a sign of friendship and unity of powers between Turkey and Pakistan.

TUSAS, by competing with other F-16 manufacturing companies, has been selected as the contractor, in the tender of Pakistan Air Force F-16 Modernization (Peace Drive II) Program and signed a contract with Pakistan Ministry of Defense in June 2009.

Under the program, TUSAS’s engineers and technicians perform avionics and structural modernization of a total of 41 F-16 aircraft that are in the inventory of Pakistan Air Force (PAF). The test flights of each modernized aircraft are also performed by TUSAS’s F-16 Test Pilots.

The Peace Drive II program, which started in October 2010, is planned to be completed by September 2014. The required parts, material and technical data are furnished to TUSAS in accordance with another contract between U.S. government and PAF.

Within the scope of the Peace Drive II Program, TUSAS also provides classroom and on-the-job training to 72 PAF technicians. Upon completion of their training, the technicians directly participate in the ongoing modernization activities at TUSAS.

TUSAS, which was established for co-production of F-16 aircraft for the Turkish Air Force in 1984, is one of the major aerospace companies in the world at F-16 manufacturing and modernization, with its experience, capabilities and manpower capacity. After manufacturing and delivering a total of 272 F-16s, TUSAS, which has successfully completed avionics and structural modernization of F-16s of the Royal Jordanian Air Force, currently modernizes 175 F-16s of the Turkish Air Force.

TUSAS is the center of technology in design, development, manufacturing, integration of aerospace systems, modernization and after sales support in Turkey