Turkish air defense radar: will they ensure the safety of air borders?
Radar Center in the vicinity of Diyarbakir
Once again, I am convinced that comments on individual articles published on Military Review can be an inexhaustible source of inspiration. The statements of some visitors on some issues are so “masterpiece” that sometimes there is a desire to tell more about this. It’s a pity that readers who constantly “graze” in the section “News", They often do not consider it necessary to get acquainted with what goes out in the Armament section, and they continue to pile up in their posts one absurdity over another. And this time, I suspect, this publication, addressed primarily to lovers of wilderness, will shoot idle, and a very modest circle of readers interested in air defense issues will once again familiarize themselves with it.
In the recent past, Military Review published several articles on the delivery to Turkey of Russian long-range C-400 anti-aircraft missile systems and how this affected Russian-Turkish and Turkish-American relations. It was believed that the deployment of C-400 on Turkish territory would put an end to Ankara’s military cooperation with Washington, which could potentially lead to Turkey’s withdrawal from NATO. Some readers even stated that only now Turkey has become a truly independent state, since before that Ankara had no air defense at all and the country was completely defenseless from air strikes. Is this really so and what before was the Turkish air defense system? We’ll talk about this today.
Turkey's role during the Cold War
During the Cold War, Turkey was the closest ally of the United States and held key positions on NATO’s southern flank, controlling the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. The Turkish armed forces have always been one of the largest in NATO and equipped with fairly modern technology. As a member of the North Atlantic Alliance since the 1952 of the year, Turkey contained armed forces of more than 700 thousand people (now there are about 500 thousand people in the Turkish army).
The military cooperation of Ankara and Washington was very close, as evidenced by the deployment of medium-range ballistic missiles in Turkish territory. In 1961, in the vicinity of the Turkish city of Izmir, 5 positions were prepared for the 15 BRMD PGM-19 Jupiter. The deployment of Jupiter missiles in Turkey was one of the causes of the Caribbean crisis, which put the world on the brink of a nuclear disaster. In addition, an over-the-horizon AN / FPS-17 radar with a range of 1600 km was built in Diyarbakir in southeastern Turkey, designed to track the test launches of Soviet missiles at the Kapustin Yar training ground. American experts participated in the creation of the Turkish airborne tracking radar network. Particular attention was paid to the areas adjacent to the Turkish-Bulgarian and Turkish-Soviet borders.
American reconnaissance aircraft operated from Turkish air bases, and nuclear bombers could also use them as jump airfields weapons on board. Moreover, highly protected "nuclear bunkers" were built at the Turkish Incirlik airbase, where about 50 free-falling B61 thermonuclear bombs are still stored. According to the plans of the NATO command, in the event of a full-scale military conflict with the Warsaw Pact countries, Turkish fighter-bombers could be involved in nuclear attacks. From the beginning of 1950 to the second half of the 1980s, Turkish aviation regularly made reconnaissance flights over the Black Sea; there were also violations of the state border with the USSR and Bulgaria.
During the Cold War, Turkey, which had a common border with the USSR and Bulgaria, was considered a likely opponent of the Warsaw Pact countries, and from the south neighbors were not friendly Iraq and Syria. With this in mind, the Turkish top military-political leadership paid great attention to improving air defense, in order to prevent a breakthrough in air attack to important administrative, political, industrial and military facilities. Very significant by the standards of poor Turkey resources were invested in the development of a radar network, the construction of airbases with capital runways and concrete shelters, the purchase of jet attack aircraft, fighter interceptors and anti-aircraft missile systems. The Turkish Navy was tasked with countering the united fleets USSR, Bulgaria and Romania on the Black Sea, as well as preventing the breakthrough of enemy warships through the straits.
Ground-based radars for airspace control
As in other NATO countries, control of the airspace of Turkey and the border territories of other states is carried out using radar posts organizationally subordinate to the command of the Air Force. In the past, Turkish forces were mainly equipped with American-made radars. Since the second half of the 1960-ies, AN / TPS-44 radars operating in the 1,25 frequency range up to 1,35 GHz have been operated in Turkey. These two-axis radars are usually paired with the AN / MPS-14 radio altimeter and are able to control airspace at ranges up to 270 km. At present, the AN / TPS-44 and AN / MPS-14 radars are considered obsolete and are decommissioned as new equipment arrives.
Antenna post radar AN / TPS-44
At the end of the 1980, the Turkish military appeared at the disposal of the US Hughes HR-3000 long-range stationary stationary radars with a phased array 4,8 size at 6 m.The radar operating in the 3 frequency range up to 3,5 GHz is capable of detecting a large high-altitude air target at a distance of up to 500 km. To protect from adverse weather factors, the antenna post is covered with a plastic dome with a diameter of 12 m.
To replace the obsolete American-made radars, the Turkish state corporation Havelsan in the past carried out the licensed assembly of the TRS 2215 Parasol three-coordinate radars.
Radar TRS 2215 Parasol
A stationary radar operating in the 2-2,5 GHz frequency range is capable of controlling airspace within a radius of 500 km. It was created on the basis of the French SATRAPE radar developed by Thomson-CSF in the early 1980's, and has been in operation since the mid-1990's.
Antenna post radar TRS 2230
A mobile option is 2230 TRS with a detection range of about 350 km. The TRS 2215 and TRS 2230 radars have the same transceiver systems, data processing tools and components of the antenna system, and their difference is in the size of the antenna arrays. Such unification makes it possible to increase the flexibility of the logistics of stations and the quality of their service.
In the 1980-1990, the Turkish Air Force received AN / FPS-117 radars and mobile versions AN / TPS-77 from the United States. Three-coordinate radars with a phased antenna array operate in the frequency range in the frequency range 1215-1400 MHz and can see high-altitude air targets at ranges up to 470 km.
Antenna post radar AN / TPS-77
AN / TPS-77 mobile radars are usually located in the vicinity of air bases, fixed AN / FPS-117 radars are installed at key points on high ground, and are protected by a radio-transparent dome.
Google Earth satellite image: radar post near the Turkish-Bulgarian border
The most modern of the stationary ones are two Selex RAT-31DL radars from the British-Italian consortium Leonardo SpA. These are the latest three-coordinate radars operating in the 1,2 frequency band up to 1,4 GHz, with an active phased array and a detection range of altitude targets of more than 500 km. In addition to Turkey, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland have become buyers of these powerful modern radars that can also fix ballistic targets.
Radar Selex RAT-31DL
The AN / MPQ-64F1 radars are intended for tracking low-altitude targets, issuing target designation of short-range air defense systems and anti-aircraft artillery. This station was developed by Hughes Aircraft and is currently manufactured by Raytheon Corporation.
Radar AN / MPQ-64
The upgraded three-axis pulsed-Doppler radar AN / MPQ-64F1 with a phased array operating in the 8-9 GHz band ensures the detection of targets such as a bomber at a distance of up to 75 km, a fighter - up to 40 km, a cruise missile - up to 30 km. For transportation of the antenna post of the AN / MPQ-64F1 radar, an army cross-country vehicle is usually used. The operator’s workstation is located inside the machine. The upgraded low-altitude station is capable of seeing air targets at an altitude of up to 12000 m, and also, by constructing a trajectory, to pinpoint the coordinates of artillery and mortar positions. AN / MPQ-64F1 radars usually do not have constant combat duty, some of them are on standby at large military bases and in the vicinity of airfields.
AN / TPY-2 ballistic missile detection radar
Special mention should be made of the AN / TPY-2 radar located at a military base located 5 km southwest of the village of Durulova in the province of Malatya. AN / TPY-2 radar deployed in southeast Turkey is designed to track missile launches from Iran and is serviced by the American contingent. However, according to the agreement concluded in 2011 between the USA and Turkey, the facility is managed by the Turkish military, they are also responsible for security.
Google Earth satellite image: military base in the province of Malatya, on the territory of which the AN / TPY-2 missile defense system is deployed
The radar information received from the anti-ballistic missile radar is transmitted in real time via satellite channels to the regional NATO air defense / missile command posts, and to the Turkish command center located at the Diyarbakir air base. A number of sources say that the Israeli military also has access to data from radars in the province of Malatya, but the parties do not comment on this issue.
Radar AN / TPY-2
The AN / TPY-2 mobile missile warning radar deployed in Turkey is located at an altitude of 2000 m above sea level, and approximately 700 km away from the border with Iran. According to information published by Raytheon Corporation, a radar operating in the 8,55-10 GHz frequency range is capable of fixing ballistic targets over the horizon at a distance of up to 4700 km.
Turkish Long Range Radar Aircraft
Taking into account the fact that part of the territory of Turkey and neighboring states has mountainous terrain, ground-based radars do not provide a view of the airspace at low altitudes. For complete control of the adjacent airspace, guidance of the actions of combat aviation and the issuance of target designation of air defense systems, the Turkish military decided to purchase AWACS aircraft. In July 2003, Boeing was awarded a $ 1,385 billion contract for the delivery of four Boeing 737 AEW & C Peace Eagles. During the negotiations preceding the conclusion of the contract, the Turkish side managed to achieve the transfer of critical technologies and participation in the construction of AWACS aircraft to the Turkish Aerospace Industries national aircraft building corporation. Another Turkish subcontractor, Havelsan, is responsible for data processing hardware and software. Havelsan Corporation became the only foreign contractor to which the American company Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems transferred the initial software for the control system of the radar and the equipment for analyzing the initial radar information.
Aircraft AWACS Boeing 737 AEW & C Peace Eagle Turkish Air Force
Aircraft AWACS with a maximum take-off weight of 77600 kg has a cruising flight speed of 850 km / h, and can be patrolled without refueling in the air for 7,5 hours. Crew: 6-9 people. A radar with a fixed flat active phased antenna array located above the fuselage has a detection range of large altitude targets of more than 600 km. Side view zones are 120 °, forward and backward are 60 °. Equipment for processing primary radar information and a central computer are installed directly below the antenna. The maximum detection range of aircraft on the background of the earth is 370 km. Sea targets - 250 km. The on-board computer system allows you to simultaneously track 180 targets and issue targeting on 24 targets. It is reported that on the next three aircraft, specialists from the Turkish Havelsan corporation installed Israeli-made electronic equipment, which should improve the capabilities in terms of the number of simultaneously tracked targets and fighters aimed at them. Also, it became possible to classify and determine the coordinates of ground-based sources of high-frequency radiation.
Satellite image of Google Earth: AWACS aircraft Boeing 737 AEW & C Peace Eagle of the Turkish Air Force parked at the Konya airbase
The first Turkish long-range radar aircraft was handed over to the Air Force in February 2014 of the year. Judging by satellite imagery, all aircraft reached operational readiness in the 2016 year. Currently, they are permanently deployed at the Konya airbase in the southwestern part of the country. The Turkish Air Force AWACS aircraft are operated quite intensively, making patrol flights along the border with Syria, Iraq and Iran, and over the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.
Google Earth satellite image: Turkish and American AWACS aircraft at Konya airbase
In addition to Turkish AWACS aircraft, 1-2 American E-3С Sentry aircraft, AWACS systems are constantly present at Konya airbase. U.S. Air Force long-range radar patrols mainly patrol the southern direction, coordinating the actions of American combat aircraft over Syria, and control the Mediterranean.
Status and capabilities of Turkish radar airspace control
In Turkey, 9 stationary radar posts are currently deployed, integrated into the NATO air defense information system, whose command post is at the Ramstein airbase in Germany.
Layout of stationary radar posts in Turkey, which are part of the unified NATO air defense information system
In total, the Turkish Air Force command has more than 40 stationary and mobile radars, of which about half are on constant combat duty. The average running hours for stationary radars is 16-18 hours per day. Turkish radars carry round-the-clock duty and provide a continuous radar field over the entire territory of the country. Powerful radar stations located on the coast and in the border areas provide detection of aircraft at medium and high altitudes outside the territory of Turkey at a distance of 350-400 km. Thanks to the use of AWACS patrols over neutral waters, it becomes possible to fix low-altitude targets at a distance of more than 1000 km from the Turkish border.
The layout of permanent radar posts in Turkey
In addition to air traffic control, radio units are entrusted with interaction with civilian air traffic controllers regarding air traffic regulation. The existing stationary radar posts are connected into a single network by digital cable communication channels; a radio network is used for duplication. The central air traffic control point is located in the vicinity of Ankara.
Google Earth satellite image: post-radar air defense command post at 20 km south of Ankara
From the foregoing, we can conclude that Turkey has a developed network of radar stations that allows around-the-clock control of airspace over the entire territory of the country, timely issuance of target designation to ground-based air defense systems and direct fighters at violators of the air border. In addition to quite numerous radars for detecting air targets, the Turkish military has at its disposal supersonic fighter-interceptors and anti-aircraft missile systems. But we will talk about them in the next part of the review.
To be continued ...
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