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The negotiations between the Ministry of National Defense and FNSS for order of second batch 665 ACV300Mk2 armoured vehicles have reached the contract stage. The last vehicle of the first batch -1698
ACV300 will be delivered by end of 1999.
The stronger bidder, Kamov/Rosvoorouzheniel/IAI-Lahav, will specially configure the state-of the-art Black
Shark/Warewolf derivative Ka-50-2 Erdogan attack helicopter to tandem-seat Ka-50-2T configuration for the Turkish ATAK project (license production of 50+50+45 Turkish AH/RAH copper). UTDI/SSM (Undersecreteriat of Turkish
Defense Industries/Savunma Sanayii Müsteşarlığı) had announced an "Amendment" which requires tandem-seat ATAK proposals for bidders of ATAK project at March 1999. The companies study to complete prototype until the end of September, 1999.
It is reported that in a tender concerning the attack and tactical reconnaissance helicopters needed by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) a letter for "the best and final offer (B&FO)" was given to five companies on August 5th, 1999. A statement issued by the Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI) said that the five firms -Agusta, Bell, Boeing, Eurocopter and Kamov/IAI- should present their best and final proposals before September 30th, 1999.
General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS)and Israel Military Industries
(IMI) agreed about RfP of Turkish Tank 2000 & M60T MBT modernization projects that GDLS will only offer M1A2T for Tank 2000 project and IMI will answer the RfP with its SABRA upgrade kit for M60T project. GDLS will not be
involved with M-60T project with its M60-2000 package and IMI will not offer its Merkawa-III MBT in Tank 2000 project in favors of each company.
After the withdrawn of Russian and Israeli MBT from the Tank 2000 mega project, Vickers Defense Systems has pulled its Challanger 2E MBT out of the competition and will not answer the RfP of UTDI/SSM.
RfP for Turkish Tank 2000 project was issued for five foreign firms from among eleven foreign firms remain for the final of the tender put out for the joint production of 1000 main battle tanks, which is considered to be the most comprehensive
defense project in the course of Turkish history (September 1999). The names of the countries and firms which are on the shortlist after RfI evaluations and the models of the tanks under consideration are as
follows: General Dynamics Land Systems -MIA2T Abrams
(USA), Giat -LeClerc (France), Krauss-Maffei -Leopard IIA6 (Germany), Ukrspetseksport -T-84D
(Ukrania) and Iveco & Oto Breda C-1 Ariete (Italy). The project was launched by the UTDI/SSM, who sent a letter proposing the tender to these five firms. It was reported that the candidates of countries such as Israel, Russia and England were left off the list. The IMI Firm from Israel is preparing itself for the bid to modernize the M60, which is an offshoot of the main tank production project. The five foreign firms which hope to win the bid and jointly manufacture the tank with five Turkish firms that are candidates for being the prime contractors; these are as follows: FNSS, OTOKAR, ASMAS, BMC and ROKETSAN.
Nowadays, BMC-General Dynamics Land Systems and Roketsan-Ukranian bidder are preparing to establish possible joint-production
agreements . Turkey's great tank project is expected to cost 7 billion dollars (3.3 quadrillion TL) and take 15 years to complete. The answers will be collected until the end of November 1999 and the decision will be
announced on December 2000 after serial testing of platforms and evaluations of offers of tenders.
The second prototype of new 155mm Turkish Modern SP Howitzer (TMSPH) will be completed at the beginning of 2000. TTMSPH will be fitted by either 39 or 52
caliber gun with advanced electronic and navigation systems. It has very enhanced characteristics according to other modern howitzers as AS-90, Paladin, GCT, etc.. The
subsystems (engines, transmissions, etc) of the German PzH2000 were selected for
TMSPH. Second part of the subsystems was contracted with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann for second prototype.
TMSPH will be on production-line at the end of 2000 after completion of various improvement tests on prototypes.
In October of 1996, Turkey signed an agreement with China on the cooperative production and purchase of the WS1 rocket guns that had a launch range of eighty kilometers. According to the plan, Turkey would purchase from China a quadruple-load WS1 rocket gun and the other five rocket guns would be jointly produced by the two countries at Roketsan
facilities. In the meantime, China would transfer its manufacturing technology to Turkey. The total manufacturing cost for the six rocket guns and the cost for the technical transfer involve $150 million. With a multi-barrel launch system and the maximum launch range of eighty kilometers, the WS1 rocket gun can be carried by motor vehicles. It fills the range gap between the artilleries and the ground-to-ground tactical missiles.
The Singapour Royal Ordnance was selected as sub-system supplier for the new 155mm Turkish Modern Towed Howitzer (TMTH) Project after the evaluation of RfI.
Ministry of National Defense and Aselsan signed a memorandum for Pedestal
Mounted Stinger (PMS) Project. According to the statement, Aselsan will complete first launcher in 2001 and first complete system in 2002. Initial needs of Turkish Armed Forces for PMS is 208 system. The M-113A2T- based "Zıpkın" configuration will be delivered to Turkish Land Forces, while Otokar Land Rover 130-based "Atılgan" configuration will be deployed by Turkish Naval and Air Forces. The total cost of the project was estimated as $235 million.
Turkish Land Forces received first batch of 20 S-70A-28 UH helicopters to meet Ankara's urgent requirements on June-July, 1999. Deliveries of 25 S-70D-28s equipped with glass cockpits will run between June 2000 and February 2001, with a further five aircraft equipped with CSAR role to be accepted between December 2000-March 2001.The first 20 S-70A-28 (and possibly previously received 51 coppers -57 S-70A-28 for Land&Para-Military and Special Forces and recently ordered additional 2 S-70A-28 of Special Forces-) will also be upgraded (to -D
standard) with glass cockpits during an 8-month lull in the delivery schedule, with the work to be conducted locally by Aselsan and TAI. Sikorsky is understood to be offering the companies around $110 million US to conduct the retrofit, and Havelsan is also seeking
involvement in the project.
Third batch of 30 S-70D/L UH is being considered either for direct procurement or local production at TAI. Turkish Armed Forces has delivered or ordered total 117 Sikosky S-70 (6 S70A17, 6 S70A19, 45 S70A28, 52 S70A(D)/D28 and 8 S70B28) copper for utility (UH), VIP-transportation (YH), combat
search and rescue (CSAR) and on-board anti-submarine/-ship (SH) duties in Turkish Land Forces, Para-Military, Police, Special Forces and Naval Forces.
Rafael/Eurospike has offered its state-of-the art NT-G (Gill) and NT-S (Spike) new generation anti-tank missiles to Turkish Land Forces (TLF). The TLF is still being interested in involving to TriGAT
consortium. Although there was a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Turkey and Euromissile Dynamics Group, there has been not any signed industrial
agreement about selection and local production of TriGAT AC3G-MR and TriGAT AC3G-LR missiles yet. Turkey is also considering laser-beam riding guided very long range IMI Nimrod ATGW for its artillery, NT-D (Dandy) anti-tank missiles (offered with A-129I and Ka-50-2T for ATAK project) and LAHAT 105/120mm guided tank ammunition for Tank 2000 project.
Turkey decided to reevaluate the requirements of UAV. IAI-Malat/Elbit/Silver Arrow (Israel), General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (USA) and National AeroTechnology (China)-tenders for the earlier issued RfP comprising local production, design and technology transfer for 14 short-range, 8 medium-range and 15 long-range UAV systems- were "short-listed" for 13+6 UAV system
requirements. The bidders are being forwarded Final & Best Offers (F&BO) to UTDI/SSM. The decision will be announced at the end of 1999. Meanwhile, TLF has recently received two additional I-Gnat 750 Turbo platforms for attrition
lost of its unique Gnat 750 UAV system on May 1999.
Two direct procurement stages of HEWS (Helicopter Electronic Warfare Systems) has contracted on February 1999. While Canadian Davis Engineering company were selected for IR suppresser
supply for UH helicopters of TLF ($8 million), Hungarian Danubian firm will equip 19 Mi-17IV-IVA UH with 38 IR suppresser under a cost of $2 million. Again 238 Lockheed Sanders AN/ALQ-144 IRCM system were ordered a cost of $18.2 million. The Final & Best Offers (F&BO) of short-listed IMI SAMP60/120/240 and GEC-Marconi (Tracer) ALE-49 are still being evaluated for RfP for license production of chaff/decoy systems at MIKES or ASELSAN at Turkey.
Fourth offers for RfP of 8 cargo helicopter (CH) had been evaluated. Sikorsky offers CH-53E (with an option for transferring additional numbers of old-models ex-USMC CH-53s for Turkish-Israeli modernization program), Boeing bid with CH-47SD and Rostvertol/IAI offers giant Mi-26I. The proposals was delivered on May
12th, 1999.Sikorsky has recently reduced the bid under the BAFO (Best and Final Offer) and became most serious contender between the tenders (August 31th, 1999). Sikorsky has an important US Eximbank credit, which can be used for cargo helicopter tender, remained after Turkish Black Hawk deal. Total requirement of TLF is 20 for Cargo coppers within next few years.
Land Forces decided to install advanced Israeli NTS-A night vision and targeting system to its 9 AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters. The NTS installation and avionic modernization of 28 older AH-1P Cobra attack helicopters had completed previously within the framework of off-set commitments within the UTDI/SSM had obtained from other projects.
Request for Proposal (RfP) of the Turkish TF-2000 Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) and Command & Control Frigate project will be issued on Fall 1999. Project comprises local building of 4 AAW and 2 AAW-C&C frigates at Gölcük and private shipyards of Turkey (approximate cost of $3 billion) between 2003-2008. 24 platforms of 8 shipyards/6 countries had answered the Request of Information (RfI), which was issued in 1996.Meanwhile, RfP for MilGEM (1200-1500t.
OVP/corvette) is being evaluated. Taşkızak shipyard was selected as main contractor. Design, Construction, Fitting out, installation of equipments and weapons and
commissions will be performed at Taşkızak and private shipyards. Program
comprises 12 vessel (first 8 will have been completed by 2008) under a cost of $1.6 billion . RfP will be issued at the end of 1999. UTDI/SSM responsible for
finance of local contributions ($266 million). Abroad procurements will be performed by state credits.
Blohm+Voss has proposed the Turkish Navy to reduce its requirement for 12 OPVs under MilGem project to 8 and buy 4 new Meko A-100 class multi-role corvette instead of first batch of 4 MilGem OVP project. Blohm+Voss had previously offered Polyphem
SSGW equipped Meko A-100 class OVP ships for MilGem
project. It is known that the company also strongly interested in TF-2000 anti-air warfare frigate program with its Meko A-200 class state-of-the art frigate which will be
equipped with Signaal APAR solid state phased array radar system or Lockheed Martin SPY-1F AEGIS system.
BAe (STN Atlas) DM2A4 heavy torpedo (42+training torpedoes) was selected for new 4 Advanced Preveze/U209T2-1400-class SSK under a cost of $40 million (April 1999).
Following vessels were entered the services of related Turkish Naval Commands on July
22nd, 1999: F-246 TCG Salih Reis (first ship of Blohm+Voss Meko-200TN Track IIB FFG class; Germany); F-493 TCG Gelibolu (fourth ship of FFG-7 O.H.Perry/"G"-class FFG; ex-USN FFG-30 USS Reid); S-356 TCG Anafartalar (fourth and last SSK of Preveze/U209T1-1400 class, Gölcük; M-261 TCG Edremit, M-262 TCG Enez, M-263 TCG Erdek and M-264 TCG Erdemli (last four vessels of ex-French Navy DCN-Circe class/Edincik GRP MCMV; P-331 TCG Kalkan (second ship of Lürssen Werft Kılıç-class FPB, Taşkızak; A-1553 TCG Söndüren (Russian Vympel-designed fire counter measure vessel); Y-160 TCG Önder (constructed by Türkiye Gemi A.Ş. at İzmir Alaybey Shipyard) and A-576 TCG Değirmendere (designed and constructed by France)
auxiliary ships; A-1531 TCG E-1 and A-1532 TCG E-2 (fist two training ships of 8 Bora Denizcilik Shipyard designed vessels; and 2 police boats (constructed at Taşkızak Shipyard).
Ex-French Navy Circe-class (Edincik-class) MCMV were extensively modernized before delivering the Turkish Navy under a contract of $50 million. The vessels were completely revised by DCN International and new "Mine Tac" and GPS navigation systems were installed. Meanwhile, two ECA PAP104 ROVs, which had currently found on two vessels, were upgraded to Plus
standard, one additional PAP104 Plus ROV were fitted to third MCMV.
MCMV Contract ($625 million) was signed on July 1999. It involves license production and technology transfer of 6 Abeking & Rasmussen and FR Lürssen Werft (A&B + FRLW) designed (combination of 332+343 classes) unmagnetic MCMV at Sedef Gemicilik, Gölcük (with an option of 4 vessel), direct procurement of subsystems (Alenia Marconi Nautis-M C&C system, ECA PAP104 Mk5 remotely controlled vehicles (ROV), Thomson-Marconi Type-2093 VDS, MTU/Voith-Schneider thrust system, 40mm gun) and a coastal mine-warfare simulator . First vessel will have been constructed at Germany by 2002, the rests will be at Turkey by know-how transfer. The project will be completed at 2007.
Turkey has launched "Long Horizon" project that will make the observation of Turkish territorial waters and the Aegean possible by the Naval Forces. The UTDI/SSM had published a RfP urging for the land systems of Integrated Maritime Surveillance System (IMSS) on August 1999. RfP involves 3 MMW coastal surveillance radars, high level electronic support measure (ESM) system and a Data Fission Center (DFC).The answers must be completed until November 1999. Turkey will improve her capacity to observe the islands belonging to Greece in the Aegean Sea near Turkish shores with the "Long Horizon" project. "Long Horizon" is in three stages, the second of which involves the obtaining of high-frequency long-distance radar. However, the provision of the radar systems has been unable to be achieved and it has been delayed because this system has not been
developed yet. The second stage of the "Long Horizon" plan is the purchase of Advanced Warning Air Communication aircrafts (AWACs).
L-3Communications has signed a contract to supply eight Helicopter Long Range Active Sonars (HELRAS) to the Republic of Turkey Navy (TN) for its Sikorsky S-70B-28 helicopter fleet. These systems are in addition to the AN-AQS 18A medium frequency dipping
sonar that will be integrated as an anti-submarine warfare upgrade to the TN's fleet of Agusta-Bell AB212 helicopters under the scope of this award. The contract for this work is valued at $29.5
million. This is another in a series of international contracts for new, state-of-the-art, low-frequency HELRAS technology of L-3 Communications Ocean Systems. L-3 had an order for HELRAS from Agusta for its NH-90 helicopter used on NATO frigates. HELRAS has been demonstrated to be a high performance helicopter dipping sonar, achieving long range deep and shallow waters capability against very quiet diesel electric submarines (August 27th, 1999).
Second part of the joint Turkish Naval Forces & Coast Guard MPA program (Mission Equipment and system integration/installation
program: "Meltem") has started. UTDI/SSM will issue RfI on September 1999. Mission equipments comprise SAR/ISAR radar, FLIR, MAD, ESM, and special mission avionics. The first part of the program was completed by selection of 9
TAI/CASA TCN-235 MPA under a contract of $106 million on February 1999.
Old gun-ship Gearing-III class D-349 TCG Kılıç Ali Paşa was decommissioned on September 29th, 1998.
Negotiations between Turkish Naval Command and Lürssen Werft about order of second batch 3 Kılıç
II FPB (P-333 to -335) has reached to contract stage.
First four S70B-28 SH helicopters (contract was activated on June 3rd, 1998) will enter the service at the beginning of 2000. The second four coppers (contract was activated at the beginning of 1999) will be delivered to Turkish Navy in 2001. The total cost of the 8 Sea Hawk is $203 million.
The Norwegian Government has stated that it has temporarily suspended the sale of missiles to Turkey (September 16th, 1999). According to official sources in Oslo, Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek said that the sale of the Penguin
2 Mod 7 air-to-sea missile to Turkey has been suspended. An agreement worth $38 million for the sale of the Penguin-type missile had been signed between the Kongsberg firm in Norway and Ankara. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry Spokesman said that they would issue a final decision following a meeting between officials from the Kongsberg firm and Turkey.
The bid put out to tender by the Coastal Security Command for nine helicopters has been won by the Italian Agusta firm with AB-412EP SAR helicopter. The initial five helicopters will be delivered in 2000 while the remaining four will be handed as and when needed. The cost of the project is $34 million.
The short list of the tenders of Turkish Airborne Early Warning & Command System (TAEW&C) was issued on April 1999: Boeing/Northrop Grumman B737-700/800 MESA and IAI-Raytheon A310 Phalcon. Boeing B767 AWACS and Northrop Grumman E-2C-2000 were elected . The short-listed tenders forwarded their B&FO on August 1999.It is not officially announced that Boeing MESA will most probably be the winner in TAEW&C competition after the Wedge Tail program of Australia, where the MESA was the winner side. The final decision will be announced towards the end of 1999
if there is no delay.
Turkey has been developing "indigenous" semi-active laser guided bomb (LGB). It is being
derivated from Texas Instruments PaveWay-II LGB. Turkey had previously contracted the license production of PaveWay-IIs on June 1998.
Turkey and England signed the contract involving co-production of advanced Rapier Mk2 SHORAD missiles on August
31st, 1999, at Ministry of National Defense, Ankara. It was announced that the agreement was signed after Turkey and Britain held extensive negotiations on price. According to the agreement, expected to cost Turkey $130 million, Britain has confirmed that it is taking into account Turkey's immediate needs and Royal Air Forces will deliver 41 Rapier MK 2 missiles by the end of this year or at the beginning of
2000. According to the agreement, Roketsan-Aselsan-Havelsan team will produce 1500
missiles. Contract will be activated after the agreement about procurement of the Rapier Mk2 missiles by British Armed Forces between British Ministry of
Defense and Matra BAe Dynamics.
The joint production over 10 years will be the first time that Rapier parts are produced outside of Britain. Turkey and England will co-produce 840 missiles for Turkish Land Forces and Turkish Air Forces, and 1500 missiles for British Land Forces and Royal Air Forces. Turkish defense companies (Roketsan, Aselsan and
Havelsan) will be domestic sub- contractors under the main contractor Matra BAe Dynamics. Production lines will be established in both countries for missile production. The
agreement involves production of different components of the missiles in Turkey.
England previously declined that Turkey should have decided to join the co-production deal until September 1999. As part of the joint production venture for the Rapier Mk2 rockets, it was undertaken to supply Turkey with an offset of $47 million.
Turkey has started to upgrade 78 Rapier B1 launcher to the Rapier B1X-standart, under a $114.2 million contract awarded to Matra BAe in 1996, on May 1999. The upgrade allows the launcher to fire the latest Rapier Mk 2 SAM originally developed for Rapier
C-standard (Jerna). There will be 78 B1X, 5 B1 four-round launchers, 38 GEC-Marconi Blindfire tracking radars and considerable amount of Rapier Mk1
and 2 missiles in Turkish Air Forces inventory after the ned of the
project.
The agreement about license production and technology transfer of undeclared (hundreds) of 150km-range Rafael Popeye II CASOM at Turkey ($300 million; $4.3 million off-set & test-equipment) was contracted on July 1999.It is still not clear the participation of Turkey to production of new generation 300km-range Rafael Popeye III CASOM, 500km-range IMI Delilah AR, 150-km range Arrow-2 TBMDS and Rafael Phyton-IV new generation dogfight AAM, which have been strongly considered by Turkey in Turkish-Israeli military
negotiations since 1996.
Turkey had previously ordered 46+80 Popeye I CASOM for F-4T2000 Super Phantom strike aircrafts last year.
Northrop Grumman Corporation's Integrated Systems and Aerostructures (ISA) Sector has been awarded a contract to supply replacement structural assemblies for F-5 aircraft for the Turkish Air Force (September 1st, 1999).Turkey is upgrading 48 of the tactical fighters it originally acquired in the 1960s. The $1.8 million contract calls for delivery of 34 upper cockpit, nine lower cockpit and 20 dorsal longerons to Turkey beginning in May 2000.
Unofficially reported that Rafael lead the competition of 88 Missile Warning Receiver (MWR) requirement of Turkish Air Forces with its Guitar 300/350 passive MWR system against Daimler Benz Aerospace MILDS AN/AAR-60.
The awarded MWR will be licensely produced with technology transfer in ASELSAN,
Turkey.
The Turkish Air Force, through the US Air Force Electronic Systems Command (ESC) Foreign Military Sales (FMS)
Program Office has awarded Rugged Portable Systems (RPS) a contract to provide mission planning systems (July 28th, 1999). RPS will provide 30 Eagle MPS III Systems, valued at approximately $2 million to the Turkish Air Force. The MPS III System is the same mission planning systems used by US airmen in the recent Operation Allied Force in Kosovo and during Operation Desert Storm in
Iraq. The RPS Eagle MPS III System will be used by the Turkish Air Force F-16 community to support the Air Force Mission Planning Support System (AFMSS) Software. The RPS Eagle MPS III System with AFMSS Software provides reconnaissance support, imagery, photography, electronic combat planning, refueling air support and World Wide digital mapping
information. The RPS MPS III System provides system flexibility to meet mission planning requirements. To date, the US Air Force has successfully fielded close to three-hundred (300) RPS Eagle MPS III Systems.
UTDI/SSM decided to initially meet Matra Marconi concerning the X-band military satellite communications equipments to be realized by
ASELSAN under a cost of $85-100 million (September 1st, 1999).
MIKES A.Ş. will licensely produce Thomson-CSF ESMs for 4 upgrading Doğan class
FPBs.
TAI negotiates with both Lockheed Martin and Boeing for industrial partnership of JSF program.
Turkish Navy declared its future 22 SH and 6 UH
requirements.
RfI for FPR (Flight Profile Recorder) was issued. Turkish Air Forces calls 106
pod and 9 ground station.
After Company Evaluation Form (CEF) of UDTI/SSM; BMC, FNSS, OTOKAR, Roketsan and ASMAŞ were selected as candidates for main Turkish contractor of Turkish Tank 2000 project on April 30th,
1999.
TAI/CASA TCN-235 was selected for "Open Skies" project.
Deadline for RfI answers of 120mm tank ammunition is August 1st, 1999.
First two prototypes of upgraded F-4T2000 Super Phantom strike fighters were delivered by IAI on March 1999.
The aircrafts will be used as prototype in Israel during the project.
Turkish Navy plans to open a tender for upgrading 13 AB-212N/EH helicopter
to board on MilGem corvettes in 2000.
Turkish Air Forces will issue RfI for C-130 avionic upgrade project in 2000.
Alliant Tech. was awarded with a $30 million contract for license production of 25mm ammunition at MKEK A.Ş.
facilities.
Bulgaria won a $3 million contract to supply 50000 RPG-7 ammunition.
$428 million-cost Eryx contract (July 7th, 1998) was validated on February 1999. According to the statement, MKEK A.Ş., Transvaro and Barış Electrics will licensely produce 1600 firing post and 19200 beacon unit for guided missiles under supervision of main contractor Aerospatiale. Concortium will
deliver first unit on June 2000. The Project will be completed within seven years. |
