A SHORT GUIDE TO BY OLE NIKOLAJSEN (2012)

Transcription

1 A SHORT GUIDE TO BY OLE NIKOLAJSEN (2012) 1

2 Turkish Army Aviation - Kara Ordusu Havaciliği A short history: Until 1944 the Turkish Air Force was a part of the army. On January 31 that year the air force became an independent command. From 1948 the United States assisted the Turkish Armed Forces into becoming an up-to-date military organisation. Large amounts of equipment were transferred, to make the force more effective. Among the initial equipment arriving were 15 AOP (Air observation post) L-4J aircraft. These aircraft were intended for spotting and direction for the Army s artillery units and an organisation had to be formed for their use. The US Army system was adopted under which small flights were detached directly to Army Corps and Division artillery units. The Kara Ordusu Topcu Havaciliği (The Army Artillery Aviation) was formed in 1948 and a number of officers from artillery regiments were posted to the Turk Hava Kurumu in order to be provided with flying training. Basic training was given on Magister trainers and operational training on the L-4Js. From officers were trained. Operational training and initial operations were conducted by the Topcu Okulu Hava Grubo (The Artillery School s Air Group) at Polatli which was given the first fifteen L-4Js. Parallel with the training, AOP-Flights called Topcu Alayi Hava Kismi were formed with the various Corps and Division artillery units. Overall command was exercised by the Hava Grup Komuntanliği (Air Group Command) at Polatli. In 1950 two Turkish L-18B aircraft, with national markings, were detached to the Turkish Brigade in Korea later being replaced by L-19As loaned from U.S. forces. Two crew members were killed there while performing their duties. From 1950 onwards hundreds of Piper Super Cubs of the marks L-18B, L-18C and L-21B were received and distributed to an increasing number of Hava Kismi. In 1958 the Headquarters and Flying School was moved to Ankara s former civil airfield at Güvercinlik. Further, in 1959, the flying school was renamed Kara Havacilik Okulu (Army Flying School) as a start of unit consolidation. In June 1961, a reorganisation started which led to the formation of Hava Bölükler (Air Companies) under major formations and Hava Gruplar (Air Groups) under Divisions, Brigades and some special units. This reorganisation was the start of a modernisation of the force in the sixties. First Super Cubs were replaced by O-1Es and U-17A/Bs in 1963 and 1965 and helicopters were included in 1966 when Bell OH-13S spotting, TH-13T training helicopters and AB.204B transport helicopters were delivered. The next consolidation of units started in 1971 when Bölükler and Gruplar were paired into Hava Taburu (Air Battalions) and a year later a Hava Alayi (Air regiment) was formed under each of the three Armies and a Hava Taburu (Air Battalion) under each of nine Army Corps. At Güvercinlik/Ankara a Helicopter Battalion was formed with more transport helicopters rapidly arriving. In 1974 the air units were active in the Cyprus operations and the Helicopter Battalion was assigned to the 2nci Hava Alayi deploying 22 helicopters, some modified as gunships, with 44 pilots. The same year the flying school was formed into a large organisation comprising the Helicopter Battalion, an Air Liaison Group with gradually a large number of light transport aircraft and the flying school itself with fixed-wing trainers and helicopters. By 1979 the Super Cub was also replaced in the training role by 40 Bellanca Citabrias and 25 Cessna T-41Ds. During the eighties the Army Flying Organisation greatly expanded into a modern transport force of several hundred vehicles with the procurement of AB.205s and local assembly of UH-1H helicopters. Late in the decade it was decided to form an attack helicopter force and this started with the delivery of the first five AH-1Ws in 1990, soon supplemented with five more and 28 AH-1Ps. After initial work up they were organised into a Taarruz Helikopter Taburu (Attack Helicopter Battalion) in 1996 with three Filos (squadrons) at Güvercinlik and operational detachments where needed. The transport helicopter force was widely modernised with the inclusion of 45 S-70s and twenty Cougars being formed into helicopter battalions under each Alayi. During the nineties the aviation units were been further centralised and optimised with a reduction of Hava Taburus. In the same period training has not been forgotten and in 1994 the EDOK (Training and Doctrine Command) was formed transforming training into a modern process. The Kara Havacilik was modernised, its capacity enormously increased and operational capability matured not least because of the operations forced upon it in Eastern Turkey by the national insurgency. In the new century The Kara Ordusu Havaciliği has been tremendously strengthened. The force now has modernised both its operational and training organisations. The complement has been more evenly divided along the borders away from the heavy concentration of forces along the Russian border and now consists of four Regiments with rapid deployable assault helicopters supported by a force of attack gunships. This modern force consist of 152 UH-1H s, 65 S-70A s and 29 AS532UL s being supported by a little more than 40 gunships. A small fleet of special mission and transport aircraft is avialable in the form of four Beech King Airs, three Ce.421Bs and two to three CN.235s. Then on 15 August 2003 the army aviation organisation became an independent command under the Army HQ exercising command of all units amalgated under 4 new Air Regiments. The training organisation EDOC was abolished and instead a Kara Havacilik Okul Komutanliği was created. Training became an all helicopter syllabus with AB.206R s and UH- 1H s. A dwindling force of T-41D s and U-17B s were initially kept for tactical training only to be replaced by a 46 stong fleet of digital T.182T s and T-42A s for twin-engine conversion. One ground station and six General Atomics GNAT 750 s UAV s were delivered in 2000 with a second batch being ordered. In 2006 an initial order for 50 attack helicopters of the type T.129 was ageed with Agusta to be produced by TAI and a small number of 6 CH-47F heavy transport helicopters is on order. With the operational pressure of the insurgence in Eastern Turkey now reducing, the Army is now on its way in replacing old equipment. The re-engining and modernisation of 90 of the UH-1H force is well ahead. The supply of 52 new S-70A-28 helicopters has been completed and the modernisation of the old and some new ones with digital cockpits fills the workshops of TAI (project Yarasa). The Phoenix-I project for modernising the current force of AS.532s is almost done. All the ten new ones are completed. The Special Forces have a completely new complement of ten specially modified S-70As and two to three CN235Ms. A search and rescue organisation has been set up by the Army using specially equipped S-70As and Cougars. A retirement of old aircraft in the training and transport role is taking place. 2

3 S.N. Aircraft Type code Entry wfu Quantity Pictures 1 Piper L-4J Piper L-18B/C /127 L-18B L-18C 3 Piper L-21B Ryan Navion?? 2? 5 Cessna L-19A, O-1E/G /40 L-19A on loan from U.S.Marines in Korea O-1E 3

4 O-1G 6 Cessna U-17A Bell OH-13S/TH-13T /10 OH-13S OH-13T 8 Hiller OH-23B Dornier Do.27B/H /2 Do.27B Do.27H 10 Dornier Do.28B Cessna C.150A

5 12 Cessna C.180D Agusta-Bell AB.204B Bell UH-1B De Havilland Canada U-6A Dornier Do.28D-1/D /20 +8 Harita Modified for Elint duties 17 Agusta-Bell AB Bell UH-1H Cessna T-41D

6 20 Beech T-42A Bell OH-58B Cessna C.421B/C 1975/77 3/1 C.421B C.421C 23 Cessna C.402B Bellanca T-7GBC Citabria Schweizer-Hughes TH-300C Agusta-Bell AB Bell 206L current 1 6

7 28 Bell AH-1W 1990 current 20/12 29 Beech B.200 Super King Air 1991 current 5 +2 Harita 30 Robinson R.22 Beta Bell AH-1P/S 1993 current Sikorsky S-70A current 6 33 Agusta-Bell AB.206R 1995 current 20/13 34 Bell TAH-1P 1995 current 4 35 Eurocopter AS.532U-1 Cougar 1995 current General Atomics GNAT

8 37 Agusta-Bell AB.206A (ex.jandarma/coast Guard) 1998 current Sikorsky S-70A-28E 1999 current General Atomics I-GNAT Casa/TAI CN.235M current 3 41 Cessna T-182T 2009 current TAI ANKA Male UAV current 5 43 IAI Heron 2010 current General Atomics Predator 2011 current 4 45 TAI T.129A/B Under production 2012 current 9/51 T-129A P-4 prototype 46 Boeing CH-47F On order 6 46 different aircraft in 64 years 1255 individual aircraft in inventory T-129B P-6 prototype 8

9 Jandarma Genel Komutanliği A short history: The Turkish Jandarma has roots long back in history but its modern organisation was established in 1923 with the creation of the modern republic. With the formation of Army helicopter units in the late sixties it was decided also to provide the Jandarma commando units with helicopters. Consequently a Jandarma Aviation unit was established in Initial equipment was a number of AB.206As procured in Italy. An international supported component was added in the early seventies with a small number of aircraft and two mobile photo-labs used for spotting illegal drugs growing. In 1983 expansion followed and more helicopters of the AB.205 type was ordered. Due to the terrorist campaign waged by the Kurdish PKK the Jandarma force has constantly been expanded and modernised during the late eighties and early nineties and the new Black Hawk helicopters were delivered to Jandarma forces before the army itself received any. The was for a small attack helicopter contingent provided by some of the 20 Mi-17Vs delivered from 1995 onwards. 1 Agusta-Bell AB.206A Helio H-295 Super Courier Rockwell 690A Commander Piper PA Cherokee Six Agusta-Bell AB.204B Agusta-Bell AB current 24 7 Agusta-Bell AB.47G-3B Agusta-Bell AB current 1 9 Reims-Cessna 182P 1977 current 1 10 Sikorsky S-70A current 6 9

10 11 Sikorsky S-70A current Mil Mi-17V-IV 1995 current different aircraft in 64 years 111 individual aircraft in inventory Emniyet Teskalati Polis A short history : With the delivery of 18 ex. German Army Alouette 2 helicopters in 1982 a new state organisation of Police Aviation was set up on 19 October 1981 under the Ministery of Interior. With duties as policing, crime fighting especially drug trading as well as airport security the organistion has remaining stable since then with a small force of transport and assault helicopters and 10 of the agile MD.600 general use helicopters. The organisation also operated from its main base south of Ankara the Sikorsky S.92 used for presidential transport. 1 Sud Aviation SA.318C Alouette Aerospaciale SA.330L Puma Sikorsky S-70A current 6 4 McDonnell-Douglas MD current 10 5 Sikorsky S current 1 6 Bell 206L-3/ current 2 7 Bell 429 On order 15 7 different aircraft in 30 years 50 individual aircraft in inventory 10

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