Turkey is known that in the matter of upgrading its Air Force F-16 fleet, it was not only counting on buying 40 F-16 BLOCK-70 and 79 modernization kits from the US, but had announced a related indigenous program under the brand name ÖZGÜR.
Turkey begins massive modernization of its F-16s - Project "ÖZGÜR"
Recently, a reputable Turkish media outlet on defense issues pointed out that the massive modernization of its country's F-16s has begun, according to ÖZGÜR, stating:
"The F-16 Block 30 fighter jets of the Turkish Air Force's inventory are being modernized by national means. The serial deliveries to the ÖZGÜR project, which includes the modernization of the F-16 Block 30 fighter jets in the Turkish Air Force's inventory, have started.
According to the information shared by ASELSAN, the serial production contract was signed with TUSAŞ under the ÖZGÜR project carried out by the Defense Industries Presidency and the first deliveries were made with the rapid start of serial device production.
In the first phase of the project, it aims to modernize 35 F-16 fighter jets.
The modernization of the Block-30 version of the F-16 aircraft, which is one of the most important offensive elements of the Air Force Command, is being done with the installation of domestic avionics systems, and the first deliveries were made with the rapid start of production of serial devices.
Abdurrahman Şeref Can, Head of the Aircraft Department of the Defense Industries Presidency, speaking at the 9th Aviation and Air Systems Seminar, as reported by Savunmatr, announced that the mass production phase has begun under the F-16 ÖZGÜR modernization project.
Can said, "The modernization of ÖZGÜR on the first aircraft has been completed, the serial modernization on the other aircraft has started."
The first modernized aircraft is expected to be delivered to the Turkish Air Force this year.
In the ÖZGÜR project, which includes the aircraft modernization of the F-16 Block 30 fighter jets in the Turkish Air Force inventory (IFF System, Mission Computer, Color Multifunction Display…), the F-16 Block 30 fighter jet will be modernized in the field implementation of the Özgür priority project of the MURAD AESA radar developed by ASELSAN.
The Turkish F-16 "ÖZGÜR" upgrade program is being extended
However, a new decision has been made by Turkey on "ÖZGÜR", its domestic counterpart to the F-16 Blok-70 program, as the number of F-16 fighter jets to be modernized under the ÖZGÜR Project is increasing.
The Head of Defense Industry Prof. Dr. İsmail Demir announced that two successful prototypes have emerged so far under the ÖZGÜR Project, which was first applied to the F-16 Block 30.
President Demir, in his remarks to CNN TÜRK, announced that the ÖZGÜR project will not be limited to F-16 Block 30, but will also be applied to F-16 fighter jets in Block 40 and Block 50 configurations.
This was the first official statement to expand the scope of the ÖZGÜR Project. The ÖZGÜR program includes an avionics package equivalent to the F-16 Block 70, which is the latest F-16 configuration.
The biggest difference is the AESA Radar
F-16 fighter jets are designated as 4.5 generation from Block 70 onwards, although initially this applies from Block 60 which is only sold to the UAE, due to the availability of the AESA radar.
The AESA Radar was included in the ÖZGÜR Project a while ago. In this context, the F-16 AESA National Radar, which has been developed by ASELSAN, will be integrated into the F-16 Block 30 being modernized.
The Turks believe the project will succeed and will have created a national equivalent of the US F-16 Block 70 modernization package.
What does Turkey want?
Turkey's constant pursuit is to have air superiority over Greece, since it knows how essential and basic it is as a condition for achieving its expansive designs in the Aegean.
The purchase of RAFALEs by our country and the modernization of our 80 F-16s in the VIPER version that are underway by Greece, as well as the purchase of at least one squadron of F-35 fighters starting in 2028, showed Ankara that the country steadily getting us that air dominance.
For this reason, Turkey is building a large fleet of UAVs, building its own air-to-air, air-to-sea and air-to-ground missile systems, equipping both its UAVs and its F-16 fighter jets, while carrying out their indigenous modernization with the ÖZGÜR program we mentioned, even trying conditionally to get 40 F-16 BLOCK -70 and 79 modernization kits from the USA, bargaining with the British for Eurofighters and developing the KIZILELMA drone and its fighter jet 5th generation TF-X.
