Turkey ‘strengthening’ its air defense

By Sinan Uslu and Sarp Ozer

ANKARA

Turkey is consolidating its air defense by producing long-range air defense system and buying air and missile defense systems from abroad, a government official said.

Turkey is doing its best to protect critical facilities, cities and to eliminate air threats, said the official in Prime Minister’s Office, who asked not to be named due to security reasons.

As part of a deal with Russia, Turkey will get two S400 systems - one is optional - from Russia. The total cost of this system is expected to be $2.5 billion.

The S400 system has been in the inventory of Russian Army since 2007.

This missile system -- designed for high efficient guard -- is able to detect 600-kilometer-away targets (372.8 miles) and eliminate targets such as stealth aircraft and ballistic missiles.

The S400 system is composed of at least one mobile operation command center and 8 launcher and 32 missiles.

About buying of S400 air defense system, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the purchasing of this system will be finalized this week.

Technology transfer

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Turkey on Dec. 11 and this subject came to the fore during his visit.

In the meantime Turkey, France and Italy started cooperation about producing and developing air missile defense system.

The cooperation includes technology transfer among countries and joint production.

Turkey's Minister of Defense Nurettin Canikli and Paris-based defense contractor EUROSAM's partners -- French and Italian defense ministers -- signed a declaration of will on Nov. 8.

EUROSAM consortium and Turkish defense companies are expected to start works to determine Turkey, France and Italy's mutual needs as well as analyzing an air defense system using SAMP-T system as base.

SAMP-T (Surface-to-Air Missile Platform) is a long-range, medium altitude air and ballistic missile defense system.

In addition Turkey is in talks with U.S. to buy Patriot missile systems.

Patriot missile system -- designed to hit aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles -- has missile batteries, which can be fired separately.

Air defense systems

Patriot missiles can detect missile threats on radars in the zone where they were deployed and make firewall, which enables the system to eliminate missiles in the air.

In addition to buying air defense systems from abroad, Turkey goes on to produce its own long-range air defense system.

Turkey speeds up BORA missile, which is a long-range land-to-land weapon system, KASIRGA, HISAR and KORKUT projects.

Bora missiles' delivery test was successfully made on May 11.

Kasirga missile, which is in Turkish Army's inventory, has been upgraded. This missile can now move as a guided missile and its range was boosted to 120 kilometers (74.5 miles).

HISAR and KORKUT projects are for low- and medium-altitude air defense and the projects for these missiles were started to reduce dependence on foreign sources in air defense field.

Hisar was made by Ankara-based missile-maker Roketsan, while Korkut was produced by the other defense contractor Aselsan.