Thread by @BlueMelange

#BlueMelange Flood

Subject:
Turkish #F16 #Viper Program; Modernisation Stage Block and Configure estimation

1/
Turkish Air Force/Türk Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanlığı - #TuAF / #THvKK
Active F-16 Fightning Falcon inventory as of early December 2022:
232 F-16s;

2/
a) Based on C/D, Block and FMS no
C/
13 F-16C B50+ FMS-07
05 F-16C B30 FMS-86
11 F-16C B30 FMS-87
12 F-16C B30 FMS-88
05 F-16C B40 FMS-88
15 F-16C B40 FMS-89
16 F-16C B40 FMS-90
17 F-16C B40 FMS-91
20 F-16C B40 FMS-92
11 F-16C B40 FMS-93
28 F-16C B50 FMS-93
22 F-16C B50 FMS-94

3/
D/
16 F-15D B50+ FMS-07
05 F-16D B30 FMS-86
02 F-16D B30 FMS-87
01 F-16D B30 FMS-88
02 F-16D B40 FMS-88
04 F-16D B40 FMS-89
03 F-16D B40 FMS-90
02 F-16D B40 FMS-91
03 F-16D B40 FMS-92
06 F-16D B50 FMS-93
13 F-16D B50 FMS-94

4/

b) Based on C/D and Blocks:
13 B50+ C
16 B50+ D
50 B50 C
19 B50 D
84 B40 C
14 B40 D
28 B30 C
8 B30 D

c) Based on C/D:
175 C
55 D

d) Based on Blocks:
29 B50+
69 B50
98 B40
36 B30
(203 pre-B50+)

5/

Total 38 losts (w/o, wfu/scr/pre/std, l/n) since d/d on Oct’1987. 35-year service life. Thousands of flying hours, oversea flights, dogfights and combat sorties full of armanent

F-16 Block 70 Viper Program of TuAF / THvKK:

Official (possibly erratic) Declaration:

6/

40 new F-16V B70
79 modernised F-16C/D B40/50+

Probable Correct Version:

40 new F-16V B70
79 modernised F-16 B50C/B50+C/B50++

Discussion:
Turkish combat fleets comprise 20-strong fighter jets in standart status. Each F-16 fleet consists of 14/15 C and 5/6 D training types.

7/

There are some remarks and notes on this:
131 sqd is a large fleet and covers up to 30 a/c
193 sqd is OCU fleet
113 sqd is TacRec fleet
151 sqd is a larger SEAD fleet as well as MS and IDS
162 and 191 sqds were reerected fleets and lack of fully combat structure yet

8/

401 sqd is Test & OpEval sq. Few B30s and B40s

The most sophisticated strike fleets 161 Bats and 181 Pars’ are composed of fully combat blocks of B50+C/D as well as some B40s

All B50s are CCIP B50M
All oldish B40s but few 3-4 are CCIP B40M
B30s mod on structular u/g

9/

Viper mod will be exercised b/n 2024-2029 interval if LoA is signed on 1H-23. Age of B40 fleet will be b/w 42-37 in 2030. B40 fleet is the most tired and fatigue-prone fleet. This is not sense to get expensive and comprehensive mod for them. 50 B40s (C/D) are also not sense.

10/

Why 50 and why not 51 to bring the Viper mod fleet to 80? Not available 1 more B40 from 84C 14D active B40 inventory? Moreover, MMU will be available by 2030. MMUs will start to replace directly B40s. B30s will be either Özgür or be replaced by Hürjet.

11/

Therefore, We have predicted that TR F-16V program would cover 79 TuAF B50C/50+C/D F-16s:

13 F-16C B50+ FMS-07
28 F-16C B50 FMS-93
22 F-16C B50 FMS-94
16 F-15D B50+ FMS-07
Total: 79

F-16D B50s would be excluded from the mod they are not used as fighter but trainer role.

12/12
They were also omitted from SPEWS-II late 2000s. FMS-94 B50Ds are mainly dedicated for tactical trainer roles in combat sqds. We assumed B40s would be excluded from Viper mod. It is just an analytical assumption not a fact of course.

Thanks for reading and further comments